Arranged

But First, Pancakes

"Welcome to Georgia's Pie, can I start y'all off with some drinks." I asked handing out menus to my customers. The picked up the menus like they were the vilest thing on the planet. If you have a germ problem that bad maybe you shouldn't have come to a restaurant where people touch everything.

A group of high school girls hanging out after school. Two had on cheer uniforms, while the other two spaghetti straps and cut off. I wasn't here to judge them. I was actually quite jealous of them. I wasn't afforded the luxury of getting to wear whatever or go and hangout at diners. No matter how dumpy it is in here.

"Four root beers and a large plate of fries."

Not a please, not a thank you, not even a fucking hello. I don't want to paint the teen girls as mean, but if the Balenciaga fits wear it darlin'.

As I carried onto the kitchen to hand off the order, I heard the bell at the entrance.

"Welcome to Georgia's Pies, I'll be just one moment." I shouted. I gave the ticket to the chef and turned around. Looking around the diner, there was an elderly couple on a date. A few college students scattered around eating burgers and taking notes. A biker grand eating blackberry pie, and then the high school girls now taking pictures around the diner. They were pointing and laughing looking down at the phone and then back up again.

"Chandler, the root beers you asked for." Chef Kenny said snapping me out of it. I picked the tray up that had table 3's drinks on it. I carefully walked over to the girls table and gave them the drinks with some straws. They weren't even paying attention; they were all looking at the front door.

I looked up and saw Justin leaning against the doorframe. What was he doing here? He waved over to me and the girls beside me giggled. Did they really think, he? Oh my god.

I waved back, and immediately heard one of the girls' scoff. "He was clearly waving at us. So why don't you be a dear and go get our food."

I'm not going to fight with a 15-year-old. So, I simply just walked away, and headed for the counter to get their food. But I was stopped on my way there. Someone's tattooed hand resting on my shoulder.

"Yes, dear." I answered turning also wondering what he was doing here.

"I forgot my key in my locker at work. And it's a four-dollar ride back to work and then another four going home." He pouted. "Can I have your key to the house please. I promise to make it up to you."

He knows I'm still mad it's been two months and that's clearly unhealthy. But it is what it is at this point. "I'm off in five minutes, can you just wait for me then."

Another bell went off and table 3's fries were ready. "Just take a seat and then we can leave."

Confused? Awesome me too.

It's been four months since the Mayfield incident. No one's seen him for a while, the longer he stays away the better.

I see his family in church and all they do is sit in the back. I'm sure they know what their son did, but they shouldn't have to suffer for it. He did something wrong not them.

And then there's me the crybaby bitch who called the cops. Actually, it was my husband who called the cops not me. But since I'm a woman I get the side eye.

Someone else no one has seen lately is Lesley, we know where she is. And I feel bad for her mother, but at the same time she shouldn't have agreed to send her child to a conversion therapy camp. There is nothing wrong with Lesley.

Lesley is staying with a good friend of mine and just staying under the radar. No one's really suspicious because they think she's still at that camp. But you also would think they would call and make sure she hasn't escaped.

Ever since Justin and Riley found out about the cameras, and Jay ripped them down. The community leaders have been on high alert. I'm sure they know it was them. Only very few people were working during those hours who had a key. And only our cameras were moved. Plus, I made a special visit to the other people who were being filmed and I'm not really sure what they did with the info. Maybe they took the cameras down maybe they didn't, not really sure.

Honestly for the last few weeks I've mostly been watching competitive cooking shows and eating my life away in brownies and salty foods. I've been doing nothing the last four months. Justin goes to work and I sit here all day long with Zeus.

I clean like all the time now; I've grown to despise dust and wiping things down unnecessarily. Like the coffee table will be clean but I clean it any way. I have cleaned every dish in this house. I never realized how messy two 25-year-old can get things dirty.

Then when he comes home, he wants to help clean and I won't let him. Since he's been working all day, I don't want him coming home to work some more. I fucking feel bad. Then I do the cooking now, and I like it it's fun but I suck and know I do. Then he still eats it and its terrible.

I sound like my mother.

Speaking of I have dinner with her husband tomorrow night. Aka my father. He asked us over for dinner tonight. I haven't been to my parents' house since Christmas. Ever since the fight my mom and I had we haven't spoken. But then I was like my dad isn't even apart of the problem. So, he's been coming over a few times here and there.

But I also had to keep a lot of things from him. I'm not even sure if my dad knows about the cameras.

Which is why I've been kind of hiding out from my family. My "current circumstance" would allow my mother to play the I told you so game.

"Anyone home?" Justin asked waving his hand in my face.

"Sorry what?" I asked.

"I just asked if you could hand me the pliers with the pink paint on it." He repeated himself. I turned around and looked for the pliers in his tool box. When I found it, I also saw a healing scar on my hand.

Am I traumatized? I mean from all the movies I've seen when something like this happens to a person they change. I feel like I haven't changed at all. I'm not scared of anything, I still run, and like I don't know I feel like I'm doing something wrong.

"Am I traumatized?" I asked Justin handing him the pliers. Ready for him to say no, I was surprised by a yes. "You've been clinging to me way more than ever. I promise it's not a complaint whatsoever. But if I'm in the shower you're sitting on the sink, if I'm cooking, you're sitting on the counter."

I thought I already did that. "You also jump whenever I touch your back." He continued sitting the wrench down and turned to me. He opened his mouth to say something but then looked shocked. I turned around and saw a few members of the beloved God Squad. Roy, Ian, and Devon.

They were just standing there with an unsettling smile on their faces. It was like that smiling cat from Alice in Wonderland times three. "Prophet Fred would like to speak to Brother Justin." I heard Justin scoff and he shook his head.

Still hates the Brother thing.

He closed down the hood of the car and grabbed his jacket off the floor. "I'll be back soon okay." He reassured me.
++++++

I really don't understand the hype around 50 Shades. I could never get into the spanking thing or being tied up. Or stalked.

And why did I watch all three movies. The first one was boring but I guess I was too lazy to change the movie. Blake and Jennie love this movie, I just can't sorry. I watched all three movies plus pausing for cringe factor.

It's been almost six hours since Justin left with the prepubescent God squad. I tried calling but he wouldn't answer his phone, it kept going straight to voicemail. I have eaten, showered, played with Zeus, there's only so much to do in this house before getting bored out of your mind.

Maybe I can do one of those Buzzfeed quizzes and see sandwich I am?

"CHANDLER!!"

Oh, thank God. The front door slammed shut and immediately footsteps, or stomps, emerged up the stairs. Justin came running into the room panting, nearly out of breath, red in the face. Boy was I alerted.

"What's wrong?" I asked getting out of the bed to check on him. I put my hand on his face and his face was warm. I looked him up and down and his shoes where covered in dirt and grass. "Did you run here?"

"It's time." He answered with a shaky tone. "We have to go, right now. Anything that has our name on it put it in a box. Important things only. I'm not sure how much room we have." He urged me, pulling me to the closet.

"I thought we weren't leaving for a few more months. I have dinner with my dad tomorrow night." I said walking out of the closet following him down the stairs. "We can't just leave without telling him, he's already got one kid who ran away."

I watched as he stopped in his tracks, and slowly turn around towards. "YOU DO REALIZE YOUR FATHER HELP BUILD THIS SHIT, RIGHT? YOUR FATHER AND MY FATHER ARE THE BAD GUYS HERE. DO YOU REALLY THINK BECAUSE YOUR DAD LETS YOU SIT WITH HIM IN HIS MAN CAVE, HE'S NOT LIKE THE REST OF THE MOTHERFUCKERS DESTROYING AND PLAYING WITH PEOPLE LIVES?"

He's never raised his voice at me like this before. "So please Chandler, please do I say in this moment. I already called Jennie and Blake they're coming with truck."

++++++++

"Are you still upset with me?" My dear loving husband asked me. But bitchy me answered first and rolled my eyes walking into the gas station to more money for the truck. Everything happened so quickly, his heart was in the right place. I should be happy and grateful for what he's done. So why aren't I?

Walking into the gas station it felt like a sauna compared to the outside. I mean its May, but the highway in the middle of the night. Or early morning I've been staring out the window the whole time. "Do you guys have dog treats or food?" I asked the cashier. She nodded to the left and they were by the bathroom.

I picked up some waters, chips, and more loud snacks along with my baby's treats. Walked up to the register to pay. "Can I get 80 on number 4, please?"

"What are you two running from?" She asked scanning each item. I really need her to hurry I don't really have time for small talk.

"Our families." I answered counting out the cash.

"They won't let y'all get married?" She scoffed shaking her head.

"The opposite they forced us. Now we have to hurry and leave before they do something stupid." I told her, handing over five 20s. "How did you guess we were running?"

"Nike's and pajama pants. If the Balenciaga fits wear it darlin." She snickered looking me up and down. "Welcome to Georgia."

I grabbed the bags and head back to the truck. Once I got in, I fed Zeus. I mean she is my baby I have to feed her...and she's a living breathing thing. God there are so many girls my age in community who have at least 5 kids by now. If you want that many fine, by all means I'm happy for you. I'll make the damn meatballs for your baby shower. But when its manipulated into your brain that this what your 'supposed to do'. It just becomes...sad.

"Okay all set?" Justin asked. And just like last time I turn away. "Thanks for my water Chandler."

++++++++++++++
"I'm sorry but this is the best I can do right now." Jennie apologized while both Chandler and I yawned.

"No, we appreciate it we're just tired okay. We've been in a U-Haul for over a day." Chandler said getting up from the chair hugging Jennie. "I love you, thank you so much."

"Don't thank me, boo. I'd do this a hundred times over for you, you know that."

And with that Jennie left our new apartment.

And I am no longer a prisoner. I'm free. I can do whatever the fuck I want, when I want. I can-

"Chandler do you want to shower first while I put the sheets on the bed?" He asked me, holding a fitted sheet in his hands. There was a small hole at the bottom by the tag. He tripped and ripped it because he had never put a fitted sheet on king sized mattress before, so we slept on the floor our first night there after our honeymoon.

"I got it." I nodded taking the sheets away from him. It's basically the middle of the day and I was tired. But he did drive all the way here. He turned around and walked over to a bag that had his name on it. Most of our clothes are in garbage bags, because we only had an hour to pack quickly.

I unfolded the fitted sheet and kneeled down to put the sheets on the mattress. Our mattress was on the floor momentarily until we find some kind of time to put the bed back up. We really didn't have anything to put up in the house all grabbed were necessities and Zeus. The frozen potatoes au gratin I was going to put in the oven for dinner tonight is still there.

I just wish we could fast forward to the part where we're all settled in. But that's not how life works. In the meantime, Kelsey gave me a number to a restaurant her friend works at. So, if I ever needed a job can just call. That was a little after the wedding when she gave me the number. So, who knows if that person still works there or if the restaurant is still standing?

"How do you do that?" I heard Justin ask me. I looked up and he was stand by the bathroom door with his clothes on his shoulder and towel in his hand. I looked down and I absent-mindedly put the fitted sheet on. I just shrugged, I don't know how I did or remember doing it.

"I know your pissed at me, I completely understand." He said with a deep sigh. He looked tired as shit, now that I get a better look at him with lighting. His hair was greasy and he had dark circles under his eyes. His shoulder had a small bruise on it, but small didn't mean it doesn't look like it hurt. What happened with Prophet Fred?

"...but I love you. So please be mad at me for as long as you need, but your health and safety are my main priorities." He confessed just before closing the bathroom door...

"Have a nice night." The bus driver said to us as we were dropped off in front of our apartment building. They drove off and the summer heat of Atlanta, Georgia hit me like a ton of bricks. It's like 6 but it's hot as shit right now.

We walked through the gate after putting the code in head to our apartment.

"Can I hold your hand?" Justin asked me nudging my shoulder. I looked over at him and he was smiling ear to ear biting his lip. Silently hoping I'd say yes. Dr. Stella says I need to try and be more vulnerable and open with my feelings. So, I kind of want to hold his hand, so I unfolded my arms and held his hand.

I see a therapist now, apparently growing up in cult leaves you with undiagnosed anxiety, depression, adultification, and more or less maturity and/or immaturity. She's pretty cool I guess; she sits in big chair with her legs folded.

After one session, I felt like a boulder was lifted off of my shoulders. I'm still a work in progress but like I'm good. If that makes sense. I mean when I say, she's good I mean when I came home that night, I spilled every little detail to Justin.

I've been completely and utterly cut off from community, which is a good thing. But I miss Olive and Isaiah.

"Would you like pancakes in bed or leftover chipotle at the dinner table?" Justin asked bringing his arm around me. Bold.

"I'll take some pancakes." I answered as we both walked up the stairs, ignoring the party going next door. I unlocked the door and was graciously invited by the cool air and Zeus wagging her tail. Justin picked up the leash and proceeded to take her outside.

I turned the TV on as I took off my shoes, and could feel the cool breezy hit my feet. Eight hours on your feet is no fucking joke. I need better shoes than these.

The News was on and I really didn't care, so I walked to the kitchen and got some water. But I was stopped in my tracks by this name

"... Leader Fred Dillons, who went missing five month, remains found in the dessert near the Kentucky border..."

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Howdy Lovies, How've you been?

What did you think of the chapter?

What happened with Prophet Fred?

They left community, whats gonna happen next?

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Sorry it took so super long to update.

Thanks for reading lovies.