Chapter 21: Heading To Florida
Paisley:
When I got to Tanner's house on Valentine's Day, I find the one and only Abby Braxton in the kitchen. She was laughing in the kitchen with someone who my guess would be, Tanner.
"I'm going to take a shower," I hear her say and I froze on the first step. What did she say? Did I hear correctly? "Oh, hi," she says out.
I turn to look at her and I smiled back. "Hi," I say back.
"I'm you're new roomie, only my room is down here," she informed me. I nod my head at her.
"Paisley," Tanner let out as if it was such a surprise to see me here.
"Tanner," I responded.
"I heard that's the room you were sleeping in when you were injured," Abby spoke up again like always to be center of attention. I nodded my head. "Don't worry, I made Tanner change the covers," she tells me as if I cared.
"Okay?" I tell her as I take a step to head upstairs. Things are going to get ten times weirder here.
The next day, I hear Tanner and Abby in the kitchen laughing over something. I walk in to get a snack before walking to school. As I entered, I find Abby touching Tanner's hand and something in me clicked. I might not want to be with him, but he still means something to me in a way.
"Paisley," Abby says out with a smile. "It's about time you wake up," she laughed. She looks me over. "Are you still in your pajamas?"
I look down at what I was wearing. How in the hell does a pair of jeans and a white sleeved top look like pajamas? I rolled my eyes and just walked to the refrigerator to take out a yogurt.
"So how long have you been paying to stay here?" Abby questioned me with an evil smug.
"I'm not paying to live here," I informed her and she looks over at Tanner.
"She will be soon, though," We hear out and we turn to the kitchen door to see Mike. My heart falls and I looked away from him. "Don't worry Abby, everyone is going to be treated equally in this house."
"Nice to know," Abby answered cheerfully. I close the fridge and walk past Mike.
"Paisley," he called for me as I was grabbing my bag from the hook by the door.
"Yes?" I answered not looking at him. I didn't dare to.
"We need to talk about my new decision," he started. "If you want to live here you―"
"I got it, I have to pay rent," I cut him off. "I guess my mom's wishes of you being my caretaker didn't work out," escaped my lips as I left.
I don't understand why all the sudden he has to act this way towards me! All of this is because of my money! I can't believe him. I was near to school when all the sudden, I heard a voice I haven't heard in a while.
"Paisley," I heard him say and I turned to see him with his hands in his jean pocket. "Long time, huh?"
"Yeah," I responded. "How have you been? Where have you and Abby been?"
"We just returned from Florida," he informed me. He made his way closer to me and looked me over. "I heard the news about you," Josh tells me.
"Which one, Braxton? There were many rumors about me and why were you in Florida?"
"The rumor of you getting into an accident which made them call an ambulance over to the school," he explained to me. I nod my head. "What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it," I admitted.
"Okay, well Abby and I went to Florida because that's where will live," he tells me and my eyes widened.
"Then why is Abby coming to school over here?"
"She wants to come back over here, she said she's living with you and Tanner," he says as we began to walk.
"Yeah," I responded. "So, are you staying too or are you heading back soon?"
"Paisley Thompson, are trying to get rid of me already?" He asked playfully. I laughed and shook my head. "I'm sorry for how I treated you the last time we spoke," he apologized.
"The past is in the past," I shrugged.
"Well, I was forced to come look for Abby to persuade her to come back, so I don't know when I'll be heading back," he explained. "She came over here with nothing, just enough to get a taxi ride here," he tells me. Then how in the hell is she going to pay rent? I think to myself.
"She came with nothing?" I questioned.
"Nothing," he shook his head. "No money, just a bag of clothes." That's sad, I think to myself again.
When we arrived at school, his eyes were skimming through the crowd.
"I'll see you around, Josh," I tell him.
"Here," he says handing me a paper. I opened it and revealed his phone number. "In case you need anything," he tells me and I raised my eyebrow at him. "I noticed you looked a little down when I saw you walking, so I figured why not," he shrugged. Did he seriously just have his number written down already?
"Josh, I―"
"I know I haven't been the nicest guy to you and I know I've lost your trust, but come on like you said, the past is the past, and I've changed."
"Okay," I say nodding my head. "I'll text you if I ever need something, thanks." I began walking towards the crowd and turned around to find him gone. Was I talking to a ghost or something?
*
When I was walking upstairs to my room, something in me clicked. Something was off. I closed my door and began looking around my room. Everything looked right, but it felt empty in a way. I looked through my drawers to see nothing wrong. That's when it hit me! My money! I hurried into my closet moved away some boxes I put on the top shelf of my closet and began to pat around for the bag full of money. I should have counted how much I had, but I was too lazy. When I found the bag, I pulled it out and to me, it felt the same. I put it back in place and stashed the boxes up where they belonged. I closed my closet and took a seat back on the bed. Am I missing something? I looked over at my nightstand to see the picture frame. I grabbed it and opened the back to find the key, the note my dad left me, and the directions to the house. I closed the frame back and set it back next to my mom's box. The box! I put money in there! I quickly opened it and found it missing.
"No!" I say as I began opening the other two shelves, but it was missing. Everything has been in place for six months! Now my money has magically disappeared when Abby came to live here! There was $800 in there! Fury ran through me and I head downstairs just as Abby and Tanner came in with shopping bags.
"Paisley," Abby smiled at me. "You should have skipped school with us and gone shopping," she laughed. I look down at the five shopping bags that Tanner was carrying for her.
"Don't tell my dad, okay?" Tanner added as he put the bag down.
"With what money did you buy those things with?! You brought nothing!" I blurt out as I came down the stairs.
"How would you know? Did you go into my room?!"
"No, your cousin told me!" I admit out and her eyes widened. "So where did you get that money from?!"
"If you must know," she says smiling. "I found $800 dollars lying around in an old box that clearly needs to be donated, so I took it and spent it on these beauties."
"You bitch!" I yell out. "You stole my money!" I slapped her across the face and she froze in place. I watched as a red streak formed unto her pale face.
"Paisley!" Tanner shouted out at me furiously. I look down at my hand to find it red. What has come over me?
"I needed the money! I had nothing and you had it sitting around! it was calling for me!"
"You were in my room! My private spot! How could you!"
"It wasn't her!" I hear out and turn to look at Tanner. "It was me, I went into your room and took the money from your mom's box."
"You?" I say sadly. "Tanner how could you!" I spat out.
"Oh come on Paisley, $800 is nothing compared to what you have now," he tells me and I felt a tear fall. "Don't over exaggerate," he sighs out and my heart broke. I walk towards him and slapped him next. I turn away and rushed upstairs. I locked my bedroom door and began packing my belongings. Sobs came out as I threw everything into my suitcase. When I was done with putting all my belongings, including my money, the box, and the picture frame, I opened the bedroom window and threw my things down into the bush. My vision became blurry as I climbed down from the vine. I rushed down and dialed for someone I didn't expect to ever call.
"Hello?" He said out.
"Josh," I cried out. "I-I need your help," I say as I stayed down hidden by the luggage.
"What happened?" He questioned me frantically.
"I have nowhere to go," I cry out. "I left Tanner's house," I admitted. "I'm going to call an Uber somewhere, but I don't know where to go."
"Come to Florida with me," he tells me over the phone. "Yeah, you can stay at my family's beach house."
"Really?" I say as I wiped my tears away.
"Yeah! We rarely use it, and no one will have to know. How about it? we can leave today," he tells me.
"Okay," I say out. "Okay, I'll go to Florida with you," I sigh out.
"Great! See you at the airport!" He tells me before hanging up.
I turn my phone off just as Mike was arriving. I ducked down as he started making his way into the house. When I heard the door close, I made a run for it with my things. The closest house to Tanner's was Samantha's so, I headed there. I knocked on her door frantically and Sam opened.
"Sam?" I questioned him and he looked down at my things.
"Are you okay?" He questioned me.
"Is Samantha home?" I asked and he nods his head and lets me in. He takes my bag and brought it in for me.
"Paisley? Where are you going? Are you okay?"
"I don't have much time," I tell her. "Sam, can you call me an Uber?"
"Sure,'' he says as he took out his phone and leaves the room.
"Samantha, I'm leaving," I tell her and her eyes widened. "I'm going to Florida."
"Florida? With Sasha?" She questioned me. "Wait, what happened? Why are you leaving?" She asked me scared. "Did something else happen with Ricky?" How could I have forgotten about Sasha?!
"No," I say shaking my head. "I just can't live with Tanner and Abby, plus Mr. Richardson is pretty much hinting that he wants me gone."
"You can stay here," she tells me sadly. I shake my head as Sam returned. "I can't believe this! First Sasha and now you...I can't believe this," she says with tearing eyes.
"We'll video chat, all three of us," I tell her sadly. "I have to go though," I reminded her. "I'm going to call the school tomorrow to tell them I've moved."
"Paisley, the Uber should be getting here soon," Sam informed me. I nod my head. I bring Samantha to me and hugged her tightly.
"You are going to be fine without me," I tell her. "If you need anything, just call me," I remind her.
"I will," she tells me as she hugged me tightly back. I look over at the window to see the Uber. That was fast, faster than what I expected.
"I have to go," I tell her. I backed away and find her with tear streaks down her cheek. "Tell Amy that I'm sorry I couldn't say bye, but that I'll call her later." Samantha nodded her head. "I'll call the both of you," I remind her. I gave her one last hug before taking my things and getting into the car.
"Where to?" The driver questioned me.
"DFW airport, please," I tell him and he began to drive.