Rewrite the Stars (bxb)

Chapter 40 Cleaning Machine

My heart rate skyrockets. "Is my mom here yet?"

Sam looks at me with a frown. "Not yet..."

The relief that floods through me makes me lay my head on the table.

"Blythe, are you okay? You don't look so well."

"Just peachy," I mumble as Jax sits down and slides my plate of food towards me.

I lift my head and slide the plate closer to me. Eggs, grits, and toast. One of my favourites. "You know, I don't think I can eat this," I say, looking at the food.

"Why not? Don't worry, Jax cooked it. It is edible."

"Yeah, it's not that. I just feel like throwing up." I slide the plate away from me and get up. "I'm going to go get changed." Without looking at them, I go up to my room and get a change of clothes on—one appropriate for mom.

Peter comes into the room, carrying something, but as soon as I see his black shirt, I say, "Peter, can you change your shirt?" Mom hates the colour black. She automatically assumes you're emo, depressed, and suicidal, hell bent on making her life miserable, if you wear even a black bracelet. I don't want mom to think bad of Peter based on the clothes he wears, but there's nothing I can do about her opinion. What I can change is what Peter wears.

He stops and looks at me. "What?"

"Please?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Shirt?"

"Okay, okay." He puts down his box and finds a new shirt to put on, but this one is also black.

"Can you wear a shirt that isn't black please?"

"Why? What's the problem with the colour black?"

"Fine! Wear your shirt— Owe!"

"Blythe, are you okay?"

I look down at my hand and see blood running down my finger. I was picking at the skin without even realizing. Without answering him, I go into the bathroom and wash the blood off. I put a Band-Aid on simply because I know that if I don't, I'll pick at it some more and make it worse. I go back into my room—Peter isn't here anymore—and go to the window. I can see the driveway, and I don't see mom's car, so that's good.

Now all I have to do is wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And wait...

I can't do this. I walk out of my room and downstairs again. I don't stop at the kitchen. I keep walking through to the dining room, the foyer, and the den until I'm just walking in circles now. All the while, I'm biting at my lip, fidgeting with my fingers, and thinking about mom. Why does she want to see me now? She hasn't contacted me all summer. Given, she took my phone and laptop away, so she had no way to directly contact me, but still, why now? What if she finds out about us? She's never outright said it, but I know she doesn't like anyone who isn't "normal." When she would bad mouth someone behind their backs before, I didn't say anything about it, even when I wanted to, because I had to keep my head down, stay out of the way of the charging beast. That was easy though. I didn't know those people. It still hurt my heart, but I could live with it. But now? What would happen if she starts to attack the others? I don't think I could handle that. But what should I do? Which side would I choose?

Tears prick my eyes, and I rub the heel of my palm into the spot right above my right eye. It feels like someone is stabbing that area with a very sharp knife over and over again.

I run into a wall. A very soft wall though. I look up at Orion's concerned face.

"I've been calling your name for a while. Lunch is ready."