Lines in the Ice

Chapter 8

Will helped me put my bags into my cart. How am I going to get home with all of this? I walked out of the store with Will. His dad and the little girl came out a few minutes later.

“Thanks, Will. I’ll repay you as soon as I can.” He gave me a hug, it kind of made me feel awkward.

I rolled my bike out of the pushes and the put it next to the shopping cart. What am I going to do? I can’t ride with all of this. I don’t have a cell phone and it would be kind of selfish to ask Michael for help. Will was still staring at me.

“Did you ride your bike here?” Will’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah, I don’t know how I’m going to get back.”

“Maybe you could ride with us.”

“I couldn’t.”

“Yeah you can.”

“Could I just borrow your cell phone?”

“Sure.”

He handed me his cell phone and I dialed Michael’s number. I know how selfish I’m being but I need a ride. I’d feel better if Michael gave me the ride instead of Will and his family. I know Michael and he knows where I live.

“What do you want?” Michael rudely answered.

“Michael, it’s Brenna. I need a ride, I’m at the little grocery store in town.”  Why was he so rude to answer?

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll be right there.” The line clicked off. I handed the phone back to Will.

He had a look on his face that I couldn’t really distinguish. It looked like anger or jealousy, it couldn’t really be any of those. I wish I could read minds sometimes. It would make life so much easier. Then I would know exactly what to do in life and how to appease people.

“Thanks for everything, Will. I’ll try and repay you as soon as possible.”

“It’s cool. It was ten dollars, no sweat.” I gave a half smile and he walked away.

On the way back his dad honked his horn at Will which made him walk a little faster. Will’s dad is impatient. He got in the car and they drove off. What was Will’s problem after I got finished talking on the phone. Most importantly where did they have to be so fast?

I sat down on the side walk. I waited for Michael to get here. While I waited I thought about Will. Will did look pretty upset. Was it because I called Michael for help instead of taking his invite? Was it because of Michael? No, that can’t be it. Will doesn’t even know Michael, except for that one time at the rink. Thinking about Michael, where is he?

Another few minutes passed and then his car came into sight. Took him long enough. He flew up to the curb and I jumped back. I swear he was going to hit me. He got out of the car and ran up to me.

“Are you okay?” He asked sounding worried.

“Yeah I’m fine. The question is, are you okay?”

“Just a little rushed. I see you need help getting the groceries home.”

“Is it that obvious?” I laughed.

Michael started putting things in his car and I got up to help. He worked quickly. What is it with everyone being in a hurry today? First Will and his family, now Michael. We quickly loaded everything into the car. He almost left me in the parking lot but he backed up again.

I got in the car laughing and he joined me. I turned the music on and he drove me to my house. I couldn’t help but continue to laugh about him leaving me behind. It feels good to laugh, something that doesn’t happen at my house. Michael is the cure to my blues.

“So what’s got you in a hurry?” I asked through my laughter.

“My mom’s have dinner with her fiancé and his family.”

“Oh, do you like your mom’s fiancé?” Snooping time!

“He’s okay and before you ask about his kids, they’re okay. I don’t really like his son but his daughter’s nice.”

“She’s going to be your step-sister, don’t get any ideas.”

“Gross, she’s five.” I started laughing again. “Stop laughing, it’s really not that funny.”

“It’s hilarious.”

“Get out of my car,” he grumbled. We were sitting in front of my house.

“Bye.”

I got out of his car and loaded up the bags on my arms. I was covered. I took small steps to get back to the door. Hailey just laughed at me as I walked up to the house. She didn’t even try to help me.

“This is your dinner. If it falls then I guess it sucks for you,” I told her. Her faced turned pale and she ran up to me. She took some of the bags and walked towards the house.

Finally someone else is doing something productive around here. I set the bags on the kitchen table and started to put things away. There my mom has her freaking syrup, maybe she’ll be happy now. Hailey helped me put things away and then she left the kitchen.

I stalked back to my room and closed the door behind me. I’m not making dinner tonight. Not in a million years. Okay, maybe if she threatens me I will. My mom is a scary person when you get on her bad side. My arm still hurts from this morning. Okay I’ll make dinner if she makes me. Other than that I am not volunteering.

I poked my head out of the door and looked around for any trace of my mom. I think the coast is clear. All I have to do is get to the phone and come back to my room. There is no way I’m staying her tonight. I don’t know what will happen if I have another nightmare like that.

When walking down the hall you have to be careful not to hit the boards that creak. I avoided them all and slid into the living room. My mom wasn’t there either. Maybe she’s out. Great, she’s probably bringing home a play thing.

The phone was on the couch. I grabbed it and ran back to my room. I didn’t care about how many boards I hit. The hall made a horrible creaking sound as I ran through it. If Mom’s gone then I don’t have to worry about alerting her that I left my room.

I punched in Michael’s number again and waited for him to answer. He didn’t the first time so I dialed it again.

“Hello?” He asked on the third ring.

“Hey Michael. Can I come over tonight? Just for a little bit.”

“Aren’t you grounded or something like that?” Did I tell him that I got grounded. I told him that my mom kicked me out, but I don’t remember telling him I was grounded.

“I’ll sneak out.”

“Sure, I’ll pick you up around eight.”

“That sounds good. Bye.”

“Bye, Bree.” I hung up and then walked back to the living room. I threw the phone onto the couch and walked into the kitchen.

I poured myself a bowl of cereal and looked at the clock.  It’s 6:30. That means there’s an hour and a half until Michael gets here. What do I do until then? It’s not like there is a mountain of things to do here. Lisa walked into the kitchen and looked at me.

“I’m not making dinner. You can have cereal or make something yourself,” I told her.

“But I don’t know how to cook,” she whined.

“Like I said, there’s cereal.”

“Why do you have to be so mean?”

“You mean like when we were kids?”

Her face went blank and I smirked. Yeah that’s right.

I got up and put my bowl in the sink and left her there as she stared at my chair. Lisa was always the one to regret picking on me. Hailey was the one that forced her to say things. I feel bad for playing that card but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. Like sneaking out of the house. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.