Bringing Back Hallie

Bringing Back Hallie: Chapter Four

A/N--This HAS NOT been proofreaded and I've put off studying for finals too long just to finish this so...yeah.  Deal with it :) If there's anything too terrible, though, lemme know and I'll make a quick change.  But anyways...I'm done with my freshman year of college in just a week and a day! Oh my goodness gravy, I feel so freaking OLD.  But I am stoked to have time to get some serious writing in so prepare yourself for lots of updates (I'm hoping!)

OH! And this pretty lady on the side is our leading girl Hallie :)

But anyways, as always READ/VOTE/COMMENT/FAN.  

I love you guys :)

XXXXXX 

"You're grounded, Hallie, for a month," my mom starts, her face the most vicious among the others in the room. After an extremely tense breakfast this morning, Ethan the only who told me "good morning," my mother called for family meeting. Everyone a part of this house included. So guess what? I'm getting embarrassed in front of a guy I barely know but somewhat like as a person.  

I wonder if she's doing it on purpose. Probably. I wouldn't be surprised. 

I nod my head slowly, knowing that something like this was bound to come out of her mouth. I figured I'd be grounded; hell, I figured I'd be shipped off to boot camp or something with the way she's been acting around me lately. A month? It'll be hard as hell but I'm sure I'll manage. I'll just work on my tan and sleep...sleep, a lot. That actually sounds okay if I think about it. 

She continues on without a touch of emotion, "And by grounded I mean these things; no going out unless it's accompanied by someone that we say is okay, so don't even ask about Jeanie or those two rocker bad ass guys that are always with her and no car. And phone use is going to be limited...no texting at dinner or social functions or anything like that." 

Knowing that it'll just make her go off on me even more, I just accept my fate and nod my head solemnly. While I know it seems crazy that I'm nineteen years old and letting my mom still ground me, it's just something that has to be done. The moment that I turned eighteen my mom told me that even though I was a legal adult, I was still living under her and my father's roof which meant that I had to follow their rules. And if I didn't...well, they'd kick me out of the house and force me to get a job somewhere. 

And even though living at home sometimes does suck, I've lived here my whole life. I can't imagine living somewhere else, I really can't. Besides, if I got a job, my grades at school would be even more terrible and I just can't accept that. Although everyone pretty much thinks that I'm a fuck up, I want to get good grades. I really do. And I won't have the same time to study if I ever get a job. 

So for now I'm at home and even though my mom can go overboard with the rules, I know not to test her. She's not all that fond of me and I know that kicking me out wouldn't be so hard for her to do. And I don't want to risk it. 

That's why instead of calling her out on going super overboard this whole thing, I just swallow back my argument. I don't want to fight with her again, I truly don't. Her and my sister already hate me and I don't want to give them another reason.  

"And also," she continues on a bit less harshly, looking a bit surprised by the fact that I'm not jumping at the chance to scream at her, "The news has unfortunately gotten some info about the crash and we can't have your dad's image at stake. Not when he finally has the chance to beat Taylor Swift at the Country Awards this season." 

"I love you daddy, but you can't beat Taylor," Darla pops in, and when I look over at her I see that she's pretty much curled into a ball in the hammock seat that's positioned in the closer corner of the room. She looks the epitome of Sunday afternoon cuteness, what with her oversized T-shirt and gym shorts along with her usually tight curly hair being in looser waves. I don't know how she always manages to look more put together than me, almost more mature than me, but she truly succeeds at it.