Silently Screaming

Chapter 2

This chapter is dedicated to @blonderson for the amazing comments and enthusiasm for this story!! Please go back to the last chapter, I did some editing and changed the focus and added some stuff so if this chapter is not cohesive with what you already read please go back and see what I did with the last chapter :)

I left school feeling even more uneasy than when I arrived that morning. All I wanted to do was wrap my self in a cocoon of blankets and sleep. But to get to my room I had to go through the kitchen and I could hear mom's voice booming from the room. She sounded like she was having a phone conversation so if I was lucky she would be too distracted to pay any attention to me.

I ducked my head as I crossed he threshold and made a beeline for the opposite exit. Sadly mom was just wrapping up her conversation when I entered the kitchen.

"Yeah Suzy, I'll have to call you back. Yep. Alright. Bye." She hung up the phone and turned expectantly towards me. "So? How was it?"

I stopped half way across the kitchen, turning to face her. She gave me a pained expression, lips drawn into a thin lipped smile with eyes sparkling with hope that this time might be different. I gave her an ambiguous shrug and watched as the spark of hope was extinguished, replaced with a dull disappointment.

"You have to at least try, baby." She said for the umpteenth time. That was her usual response whenever we moved.

It'll be different if you tried. You just have to make the first effort. Just try this time.

But she couldn't see that–even if I tried–at the end of the school year we would pack up and move again, like we did every year for the last four years. Last time it was Boston, before that it was Indianapolis, and before that it was Dallas. We started moving after dad left, after everything fell apart. Mom wanted a new start for us. She got a new job, one that required a lot of moving, saying we needed a fresh start. I guess we've needed a fresh start a lot since then.

We stood in awkward silence for another moment, then it became too much for Mom and she left, going to her room too. I let out a sigh of relief and made it into the safety of my room. I collapsed on my bed, relishing in the feeling of the soft comforter against my tired body. I could have fallen asleep right then and there if the door bell hadn't rung. I waited for Mom to go get it but I didn't hear her move. The person outside rang the bell again.

I flung open the door, unhappy that someone was intruding on my sanctuary, standing in the threshold was the boy, David. I cringed away from his as if he hit me. He didn't seem to notice. He smiled his Megawatt Smile.

"Heya neighbor." He extended a plate of cookies–homemade.

I didn't react. Didn't take the cookies, didn't smile, didn't greet him. He cleared his throat as if he were choking on the awkwardness.

"My mom made these cookies for your family. I know its pretty lame but I couldn't talk her out of it."

I gave him a single nod, showing I understood. My mom would've done the same thing and insisted we all go over and introduce ourselves and be all neighbor-y.  Then I saw his mom walking up our driveway, a big smile on her face. Dread settled in my stomach as heavy as lead. I did not want to have to deal with this right now. Thankfully Mom was lured out of her room by the sound of other people right as David's mom reached us.

"Hi I'm Hannah, and this is my son, David. We're your next-door neighbors and just wanted to introduce ourselves. I brought some cookies as a house warming gift." Hannah's smile was as big as her son's .

"Oh, thats so sweet! I'm Mary and this is my daughter Drew." Mom put her hand on my shoulder and turned to me. "Drew, honey would you mind taking the cookies into the kitchen?" I took the plate from David's hands, ignoring the warmth coming from them. I retreated into the kitchen and stayed there to overhear Mom talk to David's mom. "The house is a bit of a mess right now or else I would invite you in, but we'll have to get together sometime."

"That would be great. David tells me Drew is in his art class?" She says it as if its a question but its not.

"Mom–" David starts to complain, obviously embarrassed to have been caught talking about me.

I can hear the surprise in Mom's voice but she covered it so Im sure no one else noticed. "Thats great. I'm sure they'll be great friends."

Mom. Now it was my turn to be embarrassed by my mom.

They said their goodbyes, Mom promising to have them over when the house was more organized. Mom came into the kitchen where I was still leaning against the counter nibbling on a cookie. Mom sighed at me, she looked as exhausted by having to socialize as I felt.

"I didn't know you still took art."

I shrugged. Pushing off the counter, I left the kitchen to escape into my room once more.

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Sorry for the really long delay and the pathetically short chapter, I have some serious writers block right now so Im just going to end the chapter here and try to get through this. Sorry again!!!!