Miss Independent [Completed]

Chapter Twenty Six

A few days passed and Paisley hasn't been outside in the mornings anymore. I don't remember seeing her or the car that usually picks her up when her mom comes in the morning, so I wasn't sure what was going on.

But when Thursday morning came, I was outside in my car and letting it idle for a moment before hearing a slight knock on the window, which scared me.

It was Paisley.

She slid into the passenger seat and I watched as she was placing her seat belt on before looking over at me with an expression I couldn't read.

"How are you?" I ask as I was backing down the driveway before stopping and closing the garage door.

I saw her shrug, but didn't say anything.

I figured it had something to do with her mom.

"How was your weekend with your mom?"

After the silent for a moment, I look over at her as she looks back at me. "It was ok." I saw look back out the window and it made me wonder what happened.

I drove down the road for a moment before coming to a stop at the stop sign. I look over at Paisley as she was staring out the window. I didn't like her being this way so I needed to cheer her up.

But how?

After a moment, I smiled before turning on the stereo and playing a song from my phone through bluetooth. I glance over at her as the song started playing, knowing she probably didn't know this song since it was back in the nineties.

I started bobbing my head to the music and looked over as she was staring out the window.

As I started singing, I kept glancing over at her. I was wanting her to look at me but she never did and that made me huff before I turned the stereo up a little more and had the windows cracked.

I started singing to her, in hopes she'd look at me.

"Happiness is just an illusion.. filled with sadness and confusion." I look at her as she glances at me. "What becomes of the brokenhearted.. who had love that's now departed. I know I've got to find some kind of peace of mind.. help me.. please." I sung to her and saw her hold her lips together before turning her back towards the window.

After a few moments, I kept my eyes on the road but glanced at her for a few moments as the song kept going and I was ready for the next chorus.

I sung every verse, leading up to the chorus and I sat up a little before smiling over at her.

I reach over and grab her wrist, pretending her hand was a microphone and singing into it as she started smiling before laughing when I was swinging her arm back and forth.

After the chorus ended, I turned down the volume and smiled over at her as she was shaking her head. I look at the road before pulling into Starbucks, knowing that we both needed coffee this morning.

I asked her what she wanted and after I paid and grabbed our drinks, I handed her a coffee before leaving the parking lot and heading to the middle school.

"I won't ask what happened this weekend." I said as I stopped the car in the parking lot of the school. I saw her look over at me as she was holding her coffee before she glanced down at it.

"My mom was acting weird when I went over there. Her boyfriend was also there and I just.. I hate him. I don't like him and.." She sighs. "I don't know."

I could tell this was messing her up in a way that her mom doesn't understand, which makes me hate her even more now.

Paisley was too young to deal with all of this.