Inside The Mind Of A Killer

Chapter 5: Grandmas Are The Best, Aren't They?

Cinnamon Toast Crunch, my favorite cereal. It may not look like it, but I'm a sucker for sugary foods, including cereal. I'm not sure when I'll eat this, but I'll definitely save it for when my insides don't feel like they're going to collapse.

I take the box carefully from her arms. "Thanks."

Ma Michelle gives me a kiss on my cheek and squeezes me once more. She smells of old person scent and lavender. It brings back old memories of when she'd teach me how to grow lavender trees in her front yard.

"Do you have school tomorrow?" she asks me.

I nod my head. "Yeah–"

Ma Michelle interrupts. Her hands are wrapped tight around my shoulders. "Well, forget about all of that! You're not going to school tomorrow."

I can sense Mom's uneasiness. "Michelle, are you su–?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Ma Michelle interrupts once again. She seems determined to win this debate. "Caleb needs some time away from all that's been going on, doesn't he?"

She presses both of her hands against my cheeks, making it almost impossible to speak for myself. "Just look at him! He's sad and longing for some bonding time with his grandmother."

I desperately want to shout, "No, I'm not!", but I know that wouldn't be the truth.

Ma Michelle gives me a light nudge in my side and gives me a look that tells me to give Mom a pouty face. Mentally sighing to myself, I obey and pout so big that anyone would probably think I was a homeless puppy in the streets.

Thankfully, Mom is convinced.

"Alright, do what you want with him as long as he remains caught up in school," she sighs as she returns to whatever household project she was working on. Ma Michelle silently cheers.

"I'll plan out something low energy for the two of us to do tomorrow, ok?" Ma Michelle asks for my approval as she ruffles my hair. "For now, do you want to just sit and talk for a little while?"

I'm still in shambles from that entire persuasion party. "Oh, yeah, of course."

Ma Michelle smiles warmly. "Perfect. Let's go sit on the couch. I'm not as strong as I used to be, and standing for too long can make me really tired."

As Ma Michelle leads me to the upstairs sofa, I glance over at the staircase and notice Brandon gazing at the two of us with a look of longing and jealousy shining in his dark eyes.

He's clearly not alright with this arrangement.

✣✣✣

The next day, I'm awake, but I'm not sure what time yet. A blinding ray of sunshine glares into my line of vision, forcing me to cover my burning eyes and let out a groan of misery and exhaustion.

It's too early for this… I grumble in my head.

A knock on my door makes itself present. Then, a voice follows. "Good afternoon, Caleb! Are you ready for your day out?"

Dang, it is not too early for this.

"Coming…" My voice comes out raspier than I expected, so I clear my throat as I groggily remove myself from my warm bed and slide a clean shirt across my pale torso. Then, after putting on a clean pair of jeans to go with it, I open the bedroom door and see Ma Michelle standing right outside the doorway, beaming at me.

"Are you ready to go?" she asks, holding an umbrella. I assume it's for blocking out the blistering sun's rays of light.

"Yeah," I agree, giving the back of my neck a quick scratch before following Ma Michelle upstairs and out the front door. Mom is working on another household project: repainting the bathroom door– its old paint has been chipped for a while.