Let Me Down Easy

Chapter Two

A/N: Slowly getting to the interesting part...starts getting fun in about two/three chapters. Anyways, thanks to NearLandLight for the support! Please, remember to vote and comment. Thank you (:

chapter two: *A Lonely Spell To Conjure You*

            She had been going insane. She felt empty and alone and the only thing she could do to keep herself from falling apart entirely was study like her entire life depended on it. And in that moment it truly felt like it did.

            But even then, when her mind was occupied with quadratic equations and long scientific names, in the back of her head he was always there. She remembered how their hands would brush together in the silence like some haunting shadow.

            All she wanted was for him to come back. She needed Liam. She loved Liam.

            And she just wanted to know what happened? Was it her? Could he have lied the entire time? Had forever ended already?

            She watched warily as her mother came into the room with dinner. She would eat it only to make sure her mom didn’t worry too much, but in reality she didn’t feel hungry at all.

            “Oh, baby,” her mom sighed, “we’ve been looking high and low and we-we just don’t know what happened. I loved him too, you know, but maybe-maybe you should get out a little. Start getting to the idea-.” Her mom stopped when she saw the frown she was getting.

            She let out a breath, “I’m just saying, you get nothing from moping in your room. Even your brothers are worried. And they never worry- about anything.”

            Leslie let out a low chuckle. It didn’t sound right, but her brother’s aloof personality brought back many, many infuriating, yet highly amusing, memories.

            She especially remembered the night when Carter, the eldest of the three, had come home complete and utterly high, as it had happened not but a month ago. She grinned a little when he had grabbed their mom, who was rather unwilling, and started dancing with her, belting out a loud and confused rap song. He had waltzed all over the living room, and then started singing “Since You’ve Been Gone” in a raspy voice. When he pushed my mother into the kitchen and then proceeded to grab our poor Toy Australian Shepherd, Sky (he had really pretty blue eyes), and kiss the crap out of his head, she had left. She had made sure to call Sky and the dog happily raced up the stairs into her room grateful to be saved.

            After all Sky was her dog and she was the only one he really, really listened to.

             But what made that night even better, was that a half an hour later, she took Sky outside to see Carter running around the neighborhood chasing after the neighbor’s cat, Tammy, and screaming something about moving gold. Even now no one’s exactly sure what he had taken, but he went absolutely insane. Still, she didn’t think she had ever laughed so hard at the idiocy of her brother. He really made a spectacle of himself sometimes.

            “They’ll get over it,” she stated as Sky jumped on her lap and she hugged him. The amusement was gone from her and she found some comfort in her loyal companion.

  ***

            When she exited the school the next day, her best friend Sam chattering beside her, she was surprised to see her mom and dad patiently waiting for her by the car. Her parents never picked her up.

            Most of the time, she got a ride home from Sam.  She looked over at Sam with appreciation. Sam had been so understanding, so supportive, and such a good friend-even better than usual-during the last three months. If it weren’t for her insistent babble about getting out of the house, Leslie felt like she would have slowly rotted away in her room.