Contagious ✗Jake Riley

Chapter 02; Field Trip

Day 1

I stroked softly throughout Bailey her hair with my free hand as I held my phone close to ear with the other one. My eyes never left the window outside while the children in the school bus were in a hurry to leave the bus. "No Ash, I already told mom that you couldn't go!"

"But does she knows that I'm at Jaden his house?" Ashley asked through the phone, music blaring in the background on the other side of the phone. "Because she will be pissed."

"Yeah, well, that's not my problem, okay?" I began as I stood up from the seat. I shoved my bag onto my shoulder as I pushed Bailey gently out of the bus. "And don't you dare to make it mine, or try to twist it. Just tell her that you went away for a couple hours. She wouldn't mind."

"She would since she's mom." She replied and I walked out of the bus. Bailey never left my side while Katie ran behind the other kids. "And she's not much of a big fan of Jaden, if you haven't noticed."

I chuckled as I walked to Katie and the others. My eyes fell onto an old man, who was standing at the entry of a caution zone, with a cage of rats. "Yeah, I noticed. Tell her that you went away with friends instead of Jaden. She'll approve that."

"But-"

"Enough Ash, I have eleven year old children here that are more mature than you. You're twenty one, take care of your own problems." I interrupted her, a loud groan coming through the phone. I followed Katie and the children in the hospital, my eyes looking around in the building. "I have to go, I'll call you as soon as I head back home."

"Fine," she mumbled and I couldn't say anything else before she hung the phone up in my face. I sighed as I shoved my phone back in my pocket.

I looked down at Bailey, who was walking beside me with a big smile on her face. I threw my arm around her shoulder gently and pulled her closer to me. "So, are you excited for our little field trip?"

***

A small smile made its way on my face as I watched the kids standing on the little stage that was inside of the cafeteria. They sang the song they've been practicing since last week for the sick elders, who seemed to enjoy the song. Bailey stood in the back with one of the other kids, and had her cuddle monkey in her hand.

Bailey was ten, but always carried her cuddle monkey with her since it was a gift of her dad. She has got it since her birth, and grew up with it.

"How your mom doing?" Katie spoke out of nothing, as she stood beside me. I turned my head around from the children to her, my eyes locked with those of hers.

"Like always," I answered, shrugging my shoulders in the progress. My mother became depressed for a while after my dad left us, but things got better when she met Mark, Bailey's dad. We thought that things would change after but it was still the same. "Working."

"She's a busy woman, huh." Katie joked with a weak chuckle.

I chuckled silently as I nodded with my head. I raised both of my eyebrows, and smiled. "Tell me about it."

I huffed and looked back to the children. My eyes fell on Bailey again with a weak smile on my face. My mom and Mark were busy often, which let her to be alone a lot but she didn't mind. She always stayed positive and always believed them when they promised something but I knew better. I knew that they wouldn't come earlier from work to bring her to the cinema or to the park. They were busy and work seemed like their number one priority.