Don't Hurt Me

Chapter 33

I stand outside the Carusos' house a little later that night, bags weighing down my body, Santa cradled in my arms. I haven't knocked or pressed the bell yet. For some reason, I'm hesitating.

What am I doing? Barging in on my best friend's family like this, after I just stayed over a couple of days ago. Worse, I have an adult cat that Pepper's surely not going to take well to.

Shame takes hold of me, shoving down my confidence. I want to turn tail, to find somewhere else to go to – Josh? – but I know there's no other place. No other reasonable place. I swallow, raising my hand to press the bell.

Alex's mother is the one who answers, quickly too, as if she'd been near the door, waiting for me. Mrs. Caruso was a beauty once, like her daughter. Now she's plump, and her hair is thinning steadily. Her brown eyes regard me kindly as she smiles. "Hi, Clare."

"Oh, uh, hi."

I feel a hand on my arm. Mrs. Caruso is pulling me inside, bags and all. "Alex told me you were staying over."

"I'm really sorry – "

"No, no, don't worry about that. But I would like to talk to you for a minute first if that's OK."

Talk? About what? Something in her tone puts me on my guard. "What do you mean? Is this about Santa?"

"What? Santa?"

"My cat."

She blinks, peering down at Santa. He gives her an arrogant look through heavy-lidded eyes. "Oh … a cat."

"I couldn't leave him at home."

"That's alright. Anyway, it's not about your cat, dear. It's just that I wanted to ask how things are at home?"

I stare at her for a minute. No way. Alex did not tell her anything, did she? I am going to kill her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Alex mentioned something about your parents not being around."

"They're away on an important trip."

She lifts her brows questioningly, and I race to come up with something. "They went to see my grandmother. She isn't feeling well."

Mrs. Caruso nods, although I can tell she still suspects something. I have to give her points for being perceptive. "I'm very sorry to hear that. How come you didn't go with them?"

"Well, you know, we have school." I gesture at the stairs. "Is it OK if I go up to Alex's room now?" I'm anxious to get away from this woman.

"Sure. We just finished dinner, but I can order a pizza for you, if you like. I mean, unless you've eaten."

At that moment, I spot Alex coming down the stairs, wearing a red tank and sweats, her dark hair pulled into a bun. At the mention of the word 'pizza', her mouth forms an 'O'.

"Well, that would be nice. I haven't really had any dinner. Thanks. That's really nice of you, Mrs. Caruso."

"It's no trouble, Clare. We're here to help," she says, with meaning in her tone. "Alex, order some pizza, would you, dear?"

"No prob!" She motions to me. "Come on."

I smile gratefully again at Mrs. Caruso, going after my best friend. Being here is not a permanent solution, but there's no reason I can't enjoy this for a little while. Upstairs, I dump my bags in a corner of Alex's room, sighing tiredly. I let Santa go, and he hovers by my legs for a moment, apprehensive. "Go on," I urge, giving him a little nudge.

He meows, then starts going around, sniffing things.

"He's not gonna, like, pee on anything, is he?" Alex asks me.