My Little Decoy

♪ Cold Reality ♪ {34}

"Atta girl." Drake beamed, ruffling my hair and dodging my punch aimed in his direction. We climbed into the truck, falling into the usual routine of messing around and calling the radio.

"So are we going to try for one more practice before the flight?" Zac asked, looking back at us through the rearview mirror.

"I actually have to head home." I shifted in my seat, beside Xander. "I haven't finished packing."

"Since when did you become a girl?" Gabriel snorted from his spot. I quickly hit the back of his head, reaching behind Xander's back.

"Nah, nah. It's cool. I mean, we finally get to see Lacey's house." Drake shooed off the vocalist, turning back to face me from the passenger seat. "What's your address, Lace?"

I blanched; I guess I forgot the crucial fact that they would have to drop me off, making me jittery. Without glancing at anyone, I eased my way out with a lie, "It's down by that one café downtown: The Cup. You can just drop me off there; I kind of want a latte anyway."

Luckily, no one seemed to be suspicious and Zac quickly changed course to the café that had become Mike and my unofficial meeting spot.The rest of the ride I remained silent. It was growing increasingly harder to lie to them, mostly because I've finally realized just how nonoblivious my friends really are. The fact that they notice reminded me constantly that they cared, but it was a little unnerving that they could be piecing together shards of the truth.

Either way, it wasn't technically lying about my home life, but more like easing away from the topic.

Once we arrived at the café, I hurled open the door, listening to it creak as my feet hit the concrete. Xander tossed me my backpack, which I caught easily. "Thanks for the ride, Zac." I grinned as the driver's window rolled down to reveal the bassist.

"Anytime. You got a ride to get to the airport?"

"Yeah," I lied. I was thinking of grabbing a cab to take me to the international airport, mostly because I didn't want the band insisting on picking me up at my residence. "Rendevous at the entrance?"

"Sounds like a plan." Zac grinned before shooting me a thumbs up. "Bye, Lace." I waved goodbye as they sped off into the distance, before sighing deeply and turning the opposite direction; towards home.

--

Very gently, with as much noise as a mouse would make, I strode across the floor of my room, sweeping up stray articles of clothing I had thrown onto the ground earlier. For nearly an hour, I packed and unpacked. Whether it was because I was nervous or for another reason, I wasn't sure.

Maybe it was a metaphor.

Everytime I packed, I felt confident. I felt like like I could take on the competition. I felt as if I were finally on my escape route and getting away from it all. But with each burst of confidence came a creeping feeling of dread, pulling me out of the clouds and into the harshness of reality. I would unpack, thinking that there would be no need since I'd end up back at Marco's no matter what.

Right now, I held a loose fitting Paramore shirt in one hand and a worn out Beatles shirt in the other. After unpacking and settling my thoughts, I deemed myself silly for the fourth time and began repacking for the fifth. The window was wide open, ready for my escapade, the soft breeze outside made the curtains billow and myself shiver from the autumn breeze.

My room looked like it always did; bare and ornate of any decorations minus the photograph of my mother on the desk table. I made my way over to where it sat, an image of Amelia Carson smiling as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders. My younger self looked up at her adoringly; I could see the admiration in my eyes. Smiling just a little, I remembered it was Marco who had taken the picture; I remembered how he looked with the silver camera shining in the sun, his eyes alight with happiness and love.