Chained To Your Heart (IN EDITING)

Chapter 5 - Kelly Parker

After ballet, I turn the radio super loud in my car and take the long way home. I want to post-pone the inevitable as long as I can because honestly, my family is crazier than I am. So, when I eventually end up pulling into my neighborhood, I want to turn right back around. When I get inside, the house is empty. My dad’s still at work and my mom is most likely relishing the empty house in our hot tub in the backyard. So I go upstairs and change into some sweats. When I come back downstairs, my mom is sitting at her desk, working as usual. I walk past her and head towards the living room to watch a little TV before I start my homework.

“Kelly? What are you doing?” My mother snaps. Of course, she ignores me when I get home but when I try to watch some TV, she suddenly is so interested in making a conversation with me.

“I’m just going to watch some TV before I start my homework. I’ve had a long day and would like to relax a little.” I say.

“Oh, no you’re not. You are going to go right up to your room and start on your homework.” She says, walking up beside me.

“I just wanna watch one show!” I plead, hating how much I sound like a little kid asking for a later bedtime.

“I got a call from your school today.” When she says this, I decide it was a better idea to go upstairs when she asked. So I try and leave the room to go to my room. But she stops me.

“Don’t leave the room when I’m trying to talk to you. They said your grades are awful. Care to tell me why?” She persists, blocking the doorway.

“No.” I say, ducking around her and escaping. I hustle to my room and lock the door, not wanting to hear any more of what she has to say. I turn my phone’s music up to its full volume and start my homework. As hard as I try, I can’t concentrate at all. But I do try. But eventually I just give up. Even if I were to finish it, I know I would get a bad grade anyway. So I move on to finishing an essay for English.  I actually get that done, surprisingly. Then I get a call from Chase.

“How’s my Smelly Kelly?” He greets.

“Good. How about you?” I say, jumping on my bed.

“I’d be better if I was with you.” He says, making me smile. “You should come over tonight.”

“We have school tomorrow.” I say, choosing that as an excuse not to go. I know if I do, we’ll end up making out for a while, then Chase will want to do more and I’ll make up some reason to have to leave.

“You never want to hang out. And you just left in the middle of my practice the other day.” He snaps.

“I had to go to my own practice.”

“You never told me you were leaving.” He says.

“I’m sorry.” I say. “But maybe this weekend we can hang out.” I offer.

“I don’t know. I think I’m busy this weekend. Maybe.” He says, hanging up. I hang up to just as I hear someone knocking on my door.

“Kelly?” I just barely hear my mom’s voice over my music so I turn the volume lower. I’m about ready to tell her to leave me alone when she continues. “It’s dinner time. Come back downstairs.” And then, apart from my music, it’s silence. So I turn my phone off and set my homework aside. When I get downstairs, I realize the smell of chicken has permeated throughout the first floor. My dad’s sitting at the table with my mom. I take my seat and put some food on my plate. Then, I realize for the first time that we didn’t say any prayers or anything. Not that we’re atheist or something. I think the last time we did pray was when I was a freshman. Shauna was still in high school. I’m about to bring this up when the phone rings. My father gets up to answer it.