Childish

38

I exhaled a deep breath before I pushed myself up. I set my bunny behind me before I gripped the bars tight in my hands. I pulled myself up and used my stomach to pull me to the other side of the crib. I groaned as the bar pushed on my stomach.

My hands slid down the bars until they met the mattress inside. Then I let go.

My eyes widened as my back hit the carpet. The fall didn't hurt nearly as bad as I thought it would but it took the wind out of my lungs. I laid still as I tried to catch my breath, the ceiling looking a million miles away from where I laid.

Once I was finally able to breathe, I rolled over onto my hands and knees. Even at my size, being able to walk would have made my next several moves so much easier.

I crawled to the doorway and was glad I was a whimp who couldn't sleep with the door shut. It made getting out that much easier.

I glanced in either direction of the hallway, the darkness making me nervous. The stairs looked like an entrance to hell. I shook my head and the thoughts in it away and continued crawling in the direction I needed to go.

I pushed the door for Alex's bedroom and smiled to myself when it didn't squeak. That would at least give me some time in case he woke up.

I crawled to the side of the bed and pulled on the cord for Alex's phone charger. His phone fell to the floor and bounced onto its back. The screen lit up and illuminated the room, turning everything a shade of blue.

Mentally, I cursed myself and quickly flipped the phone over. I glanced at Alex's body in the bed, unable to see his face due to how low to the ground I was. He didn't move more than what was necessary for breathing and I sighed in relief.

I tucked his phone into my arm and crawled back out of the room. I made my way back to my room before I pulled the phone out and stared at the screen.

Alex's lock screen was one of the default pictures that every phone had. I pushed my index finger up and the phone unlocked, luckily not having a passcode to lock it. Good for me but bad for Alex. He needed a passcode to keep people, like me, out so any private or sensitive information didn't get out.

I opened his contacts and saw lots of names I didn't recognize. I scrolled through them, momentarily forgetting why I took his phone in the first place.

I found the name I was looking for a hesitated before tapping on it. I lifted the phone to my ear, having to hold it up with both hands.

The phone rang for just a few seconds before someone answered. "Hello? Alex?"

I blinked away the immediate tears that filled my eyes. "Mom, i-it's me."

Her line went quiet for just a few seconds before she spoke. "Lyla, is it really you?"

I smiled at the sound of her voice, even if it was wavering due to her own tears. "Yeah, it's me."

"Wha... How... How are you able to call me? Where's Alex?"

"Sleeping. I took his phone."

"Shouldn't you be in bed, too?"

"I should but I'm not."

She sighed and it reminded me so much of all the times I'd made her mad or upset her. Oh, how I wanted to go back to those times. Any of them. "I feel like I should be mad at you but I'm just so happy to hear from you. I've missed you so, so much."

"I've missed you, too, mom. H-how are you? How's dad?"

She sniffed before responding. "He's right here. He... We're doing okay."

Dad spoke up then and it made my chest warm up. "Hey, sweetie."

I wiped my nose on my shoulder. "Can I come home? I want to be with you guys."

"Ly... you can't. It's... not safe."

"Not safe? You're my parents. No one else would protect me like you would."

"Not this way. You're vulnerable. Things have gotten bad and you would have a target on your back. It's safer in Alpine."

My eyes narrowed at her words. Was someone brainwashing them? There's no way they would say I couldn't be with them. They're my parents. "Safer in Alpine? How can you say that?"

"You don't know what it's like out here. You don't know the things that are going on. To children. It's awful."

"I can imagine." I mumbled.

"We want you to stay with Alex. Your safety is our number one priority. I know this is hard to understand but please, baby, trust us. We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't absolutely have to."

I sighed and stared down at the floor below me. I didn't want to stay when I wasn't welcome. Alex was starting his own family and a new life and it didn't involve me.

"Lyla, I know you're not calling just to say hi. What's wrong? Why are you so eager to leave?"

"Alex's girlfriend is pregnant and she's moving in."

"You're not taking it well, huh?"

"No. It's all so... sudden."

"Usually, having a baby is a sudden thing. You can plan for a baby but it'll still blindside you. Why is it bothering you?"

I took a deep breath and let my words flow out quickly. "Because Naomi is moving in and she's having a baby and I feel like I'm being pushed out."

She paused before she spoke in a quiet voice. "Ly, why are you worrying about a new baby? You get to be the big sister. Show the new baby how things work, how to live. That's your job now."

"I'm not used to sharing."

She laughed. "I know. But it won't be so bad, honey. I promise."

"Is that how it was for you and aunt Marcie growing up?"

"Of course. Anyway, honey, you need to get some sleep."

"But... I don't want to stop talking to you."

"You know we don't either. But we don't need any calls that you're not following Alex's rules. What kind of parents would we be if we let you stay up late?"

I smiled and laid down on my side, the phone pressed between my ear and the floor. "Fun ones."

"Alright, baby. Get some rest. We'll talk soon, okay?"

"Okay."

"We love you so much, Lyla. Don't ever forget that."

"I love you too."