Simple Manipulation

Chapter 20

"I'm sorry sweet girl but all we can do is wait. I'm currently in the process of getting a new phone so I don't have one to use. It looks like fate just isn't on your side tonight. But that's alright baby. Just sit down and rest. You have been through a lot. I'm sure Luke will be fine. He's a strong boy who knows how to fend for himself. He did the right thing by telling you to get away. And I'm proud of him for that. Now let me see that arm of yours." She gently took my arm into her hands and rolled up the loose sleeve to reveal a blue and purple bruise in the shape of a hand wrapped around my arm.

"I figured I would have a bruise on my butt not my arm." I mumbled running my fingers over the bruise.

"Oh Pey..." Sally shook her head and walked into the kitchen, coming back out with a paper towel and a bag of ice. "Here sweet. Put that on your arm." I did as she told me and placed the ice over the bruise.

"Now. Explain to me why you didn't use your hulabaloo-mumbo-jumbo-gifted person thing to protect yourself. And don't tell me it was because you don't like using it all willy-nilly."

"I-I don't know. I was a bit scared. And that's never the first thing that comes to mind." I admitted.

"Well. You need to start using for the important things. You have a gift Peyton!" She whispered smiling and grabbing my hands in between hers. "No it's no real superpower, but it's pretty darn close to the best thing a girl your age can have." She lifted her hand a bushed a stray hair that came out from the ponytail while I was running behind my ear. "If you have the ability to protect yourself from this cruel world, than use it. Otherwise, you'll just get taken advantage of. And I don't want anything happening to my little baby Peyton. Now sit here and rest. If your friend doesn't show up soon, I'm going to take you home myself." She stood up and walked back to her broom and began to sing while she swepped.

"Thank you Sally." I said softly, adjusting the ice on my arm.

It had been a whole thirty minutes and I had successfully built a tower using every menu I could find. And still no Luke. Plus Sally was getting very irritated with my constant pacing and what ifs.

"Do you really think he's okay?"

"I don't know." She answered from the table with her head in her hand.

"What if he is really hurt?"

"I don't know."

"What if they both got hurt?"

"I don't know."

"What if they died?!"

"I don't know."

"What if they killed each other!"

"I don't know."

"And what if I get blamed!"

"I don't know."

"And then I get tried as guilty for their murders and have to live out the rest of my life in prison until I am eventually put on death row and killed by an injection into my body?"

"I don't know."

"And what if I ask for mac'n cheese for my last meal but I actually want a whole pie?"

"I don't know."

"Sally are you even listening?"

"I don't know- uh yes  Pey of course I am. What was that you just said again?" She asked covering up her "I zoned out and didn't hear a word you said".