#4| SS 140417
#93| TF 250717
WINNER OF BEST TEEN FICTION & BEST OVERALL STORY IN TFA2017
Get your own official published and edited version with some bonus content here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2J3JWJM
❝They will screw over anyone and everyone...
*please read the note in the end of this chapter.*
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
12|
failed plans and sleeping in strangers bed
THE STREET is extremely quiet as I stand at the corner of our house, silently praying that Brad won't choose to come out of the house, or even worse, to check my room upstairs right this second because that would make my effort completely useless.
I force myself to duck a little in order to be covered by the bushes, but the sudden explosion of laughter causes my head to spin in the direction of the front window.
Fortunately, the curtains are drawn shut and I couldn't be more thankful for that. Witnessing Brad and the duo in their weird, drunken action isn't something I aspire to see.
Though as weird as it may sound, I'm kind of glad he's preoccupied with them. Not for the sake of my mom, of course, but for the simple reason that thanks to his little racket, he wasn't able to see or hear me while I clumsily made my way out of the window.
Not that I'd have to be running from my own house if my mom wasn't so blindly attracted to some psycho with big addiction issues. A person, that also happens to be the reason why she's caged in the hospital in the first place.
The car pulling into the driveway of the neighboring house catches my attention and I make the move to stand up at the exact same time as Rose opens the driver's door and silently beckons me inside.
She still doesn't know what happened, but she was accommodating enough to come as soon as I called her and asked for help. Which was only mere seconds after I tried calling Bishop, who has been incredibly busy, judging by the fact he didn't bother to pick up a single one of my five calls.
I'm not sure I feel surprised. No one picks up my phone calls when I need them to, but I guess I can't judge since I did the same thing to Sarah only twenty-four hours ago. Karma sure is a bitch.
"What's going on, Aspen?" Rose asks me the second the passenger door shuts behind me.
I lean my head against the headrest, closing my eyes momentarily while inhaling a deep, calming breath. I don't want anyone to know the whole shit with Brad. "I'm sorry. I just didn't know who to call."
I'm aware of how pathetic I must sound but it's not in me to care anymore. If admitting that I have no one that I can rely on is making me pathetic, then I'm willing to accept the title of the most pathetic girl to ever walk this planet. And I won't shed another tear for it from now on, either. I don't know what has been with me and all the crying for the last few days but I'm not planning to go back there again.
"Did something happen at home? Do you need me to call someone?" She draws out carefully, searching my face with her eyes.
"No, I'm good." I tug a stray of my hair behind my ear, thinking of a smart solution in this dreadful situation. "Could you take me to the bus station, please?" I look up at her as the light clicks on in my head. I know I've never let a shittier idea run through my mind but if going back to Michigan to my grandparents is the only mildly reasonable thing that's left for me, then I'll freaking do it. I'm not going back to that house with Brad unless my mother is around.
