Chapter 13
"Are you ready to go home?"
A large African-American woman stood in the open doorway, looking down at me. I didn't know how to answer her. I suppose I wanted to go home, but facing my parents scared the shit out of me.
I nodded silently and stood up. I stretched my stiff legs and followed her out the door nervously.
They were both waiting for me in the small front office that I had briefly seen as I came in hours before. Their eyes pierced me like razor-sharp daggers. I gulped.
The officer that had processed me held out the bag that my belongings were in. I slid out all my bracelets, my ring, and my chapstick first before daring to remove the iPhone. I couldn't let my parents see it. As stealthily as I could, I removed it and slid it into my pocket. Miraculously, they didn't notice.
I stood there stoically, never uttering a word. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. After my parents signed some paperwork, I was free to go. As we walked across the parking lot and got into the car, my parents were both silent. Although both of them, especially my dad, were practically shaking with fury. This scared me more than if they would have just blown up at me. I almost wished they would, just so they could get it out of their systems.
I was so afraid of what my father would do if I said anything. He looked like a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at the slightest nudge. I kept my mouth shut the entire ride.
As we pulled into our driveway, I remembered with a sinking heart that I had left all of my stuff at Sam's house. I was hesitant to mention it, but I knew I wouldn't be able to function for very many days without everything that was in my backpack and my purse.
"My things are still at Sam's house," I murmured.
I might as well have lit a match next to the bomb.
My father put the car in park, jumped out of the driver's seat, slammed the door and stormed around to my side of the car, all in about five seconds. I tried not to look too scared as he yanked my door open and pulled me out.
"Never," he seethed, his face inches from mine, "mention her name again." He grabbed me by the collar and shook forcefully. "You hear me?!"
Against my better judgment, I spat in his face. He responded exactly as I expected him to.
He threw me to the ground and I hit the concrete hard, gashing my knee open on a rock. I looked back up at him and there was nothing but pure hatred in his eyes.
"I have a right mind to just beat the ever living shit out of you right now."
I stood back up and looked him straight in the eye. "Go for it."
I'm sure he would have if my mom wouldn't have intervened. She put a hand on his shoulder and held him back. "Go inside," she told him quietly.
He continued to glare at me furiously but listened to her. He pushed past me and went in the house, slamming the front door loudly behind him.
"You better not mess with him tonight, Raiden," my mother warned me.
"Yeah, well he better not mess with me either," I warned back, shutting the car door and walking around the house into the backyard.
I sat down on the grass in front of our patio, folding my knees to my chest and rocking back and forth slightly, trying to cool down. I took a deep breath and looked up at the moon.
It was full tonight, and despite my current emotional condition, I couldn't help but admire the beauty of it. I hadn't seen such a magnificent full moon since the night Kodi died. A tear ran down my check as memories flashed through my mind. I'd give anything to have her next to me right now...
I almost felt like at any moment, I was going to wake up and realize that this had all been some horrendous nightmare. This day had been a most surreal experience...and waking up this morning felt like it had happened years ago. I couldn't even believe the day's events.
I thought about Sam and how worried she must have been. A knot formed in my stomach as I realized that seeing her from now on was going to be next to impossible.
So this is what I get for trying to make myself happy again...
After sitting out there for quite a while, I felt my eyelids begin to droop with drowsiness. Finally I went inside and headed toward my bedroom, taking every precaution I could to avoid my mom and dad.
Thank goodness, I made it in without them noticing. As I collapsed on my bed, I felt the lump in my pocket and remembered that I still had the iPhone. I had almost forgotten.
I whipped it out and began typing up a message to Sam. At first I stopped myself because I though she might be asleep and I didn't want to wake her, but I doubted she was getting any sleep at all tonight. At least knowing I was home safe (ha!) would give her some peace of mind.
"Sam? Are you awake sweetie?"
I got a reply almost immediately. I guess she found her phone again.
"Raiden? Oh my gosh are you all right? Where did they take you? Are you hurt? Where are you now?"
"Shh calm down love, I'm fine. Don't worry. I just had to sit in Juvie for a while, that's all." No need for her to hear the details. "My parents came and got me a little while ago. I'm home now."
"Thank goodness. I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown, I've been so worried about you."
Tears welled in my eyes. I couldn't believe I'd put her through this. I was such an idiot.
"I'm so sorry baby. I'm fine now, really. Maybe you should try to get some sleep."
"Yeah, maybe I should...Will I be able to talk to you tomorrow?"
"Probably. I'll try to text you, okay?"
"Okay. Goodnight, darlin."
"Night, sweetheart. Sleep well."
I tucked the phone into my secret hiding place behind my bed. Then I reached over to turn off my lamp, rolled back over and tried to get to sleep.
