Bandit Lee Way is my name. {EDITING ^~^}

B.L.W.I.M.N. CH. 2

     Finally, the school day came to its inevitable end. However, I was now forced to put up with the twins who refuse to utter a word directed at me. Sometimes it's great to not have a nuisance, but other times, it’s just plain annoying. I needed someone to talk to. Grabbing my board and school bag with homework, I sped off towards home, throwing a goodbye over my shoulder to Mikey.

     Making it home, I realized that my mom was set to leave around seven and it was already four o’clock. "Mom,” I called out, “I'm home! Mom where are you?" I walked around the house briefly, guessing she’d already left without saying goodbye. Typical of her, so I simply went to the living room, turning on the television. Of course, as soon as I flip to MTV, I see my dad and Frank chatting happily about the Danger Days tour, beginning tomorrow.

     The doorbell rang out through the empty house. I got up from the couch and made my way towards the door. I opened it up to see Lily and Cherry smiling, duffel bags possessing their clothing, in hand. "Hey guys, come on in." I said, leading the way inside and to the living room. They nodded their heads hello and plopped down on the beige couch that stretched across our living room. Of course they wouldn't say anything to me. You would think that after all the years that I’d known them, they would speak to me. However, they had barely uttered a phrase to anyone other than themselves or Frank since their mother up and left them.

     "Wanna watch a movie?" I suggested. They nodded, signaling a yes. "Okay, you guys pick the movie while I go make popcorn." They nodded while I went to the kitchen.  I opened up the pantry and began my search for popcorn, and the right seasoning.

     Finding it in a corner of the pantry behind the cereal, I threw it into the microwave and hit the popcorn setting. I grabbed a large, plastic bowl and poured the freshly popped substance into it, before walking back into the living room. "You guys pick a movie?" I questioned, setting the bowl on the glass coffee table before us. Cherry held out 'Tim Burton's A Nightmare before Christmas.' At arms-length, a brilliant smile lighting up her delicate features. "Alright,” I replied to her unvoiced request, “pop it in the player.”

     As the previews flashed on the screen, I wondered why they loved that movie so much. It was a great film, of course, but I was sure they had seen it half a million times. I took a seat next to Lily while Cherry placed the movie in the disc tray. She walked back over and claimed her seat next to her sister- what a surprise. Right as the previews ended and the movie was starting, my phone began to go off.

     I’m Not Okay, echoed through the house, signaling a phone call from my father. "Hey dad, what's up?" I questioned cheerfully.

     "Nothing B, go ask why your mom isn't answering her phone." He stated in a rushed, worried tone. Although he was trying to hide it, I could hear the distress in his voice.

     "Um, okay. I thought she had left already," I informed my dad, “Maybe she’s just in your room.” I got up and crossed the house to my parent’s room. Upon pushing the door open, I noticed my mother wasn’t there. In fact, it seemed as though she hadn’t been for a while. The closet door and drawers had been opened and were now devoid of her belongings. I entered the room and noticed a slightly crumpled sheet of notebook paper laid on the bed. The page was torn from her notepad, which of course, was gone too, along with the red pen she used to write the note. “Dad,” I started, letting out a shaky breath, “Dad, she’s gone. Her things are gone, and she left a note.”

     I heard a sigh on his side of the phone and I figured he was on the verge of the tears. “Read it to me, B”

     "Alright,” I breathed out and began to read. “To Gerard and Bandit,” I read, voice shaking. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve said goodbye, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’m sorry, but I had to leave. I had to be honest with you both, and with myself.” I took a deep breath in- I could hear my dad crying. “I don’t want you to worry about me. I met someone. He’s good to me, and he’ll take good care of me. I’m sorry, Bandit, I know you need a mother, and I’m still here for you. I’ll come and see you. Gerard, I still love you. I love you both, but I had to do what was best for me. So, this is goodbye for now. Love, Lindsey.”

     By the time I’d finished reading the letter, I was shaking- Shaking with both despair and rage. How could she have left us? Wasn’t she supposed to love us? She was supposed to be there for me and stop me from being heart-broken, not leave me and my dad for a stranger.

     "Don't worry, Bandit, I'll be there as soon as I can." He said shakily, before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. I ran to my room, tears streaming freely down my face. I dropped the note on my way to my room and slammed the door behind me, launching myself onto the bed, before burying my face in my pillow and sobbing.

     My phone started ringing again, but I just tossed it across the room, at my closet door. I continued to cry as I heard my door creak open ever so slightly. However, I pay no mind to my visitors until they began to speak, letting out two voices I hadn’t heard in a very long time. "Bandit, I just want you to know that we understand and we’ve been through it too.” Cherry spoke.

     "We're here for you." Lilly added to her sister’s previous statement. I looked up and I knew my mascara had been running and I was sure I looked like a raccoon at a waterpark, but I didn't care.

     "Thanks but how do you know?" I questioned, realizing that I hadn’t told them a thing.

     "We saw the note you dropped in the hallway." Cherry said softly and knowingly.

     “That and your dad called us, asking us to stay with you until he gets home.” Lilly said, letting a light chuckle slide from her mouth into the air around us.

     "Oh." I said simply. How could she just leave us? I asked myself over and over.

     "We understand your confusion, and your pain. It’s been three years, and we still don’t know why our mom left us." Lilly said sadly, and I offered a small smile. They came over and wrapped their arms around me for comfort. Wow, I thought to myself, thank fuck I have them.

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Well here's chapter 2. Thanks for reading my stories. ONCE AGAIN a HUGE thanks to MyChemicalLaura for editing. When the 10 chapters are edited then we are gonna co-write the rest of the book. :) So there IS gonna be an ending for this book (Finally)

Love ya

Ari