The perfect storm in a quiet room

Chapter 7

After that weird situation at the bar, I went back home. I needed a break from everything that has happened during this... atypical day. I needed to be at home, snuggled into my warm and cozy bed.

I open the door and shout my mum's name. She doesn't answer so I suppose there's nobody at home. It seems to be that my mum's already started working till late. This is so typical of her. She works till midnight without even worrying about the time she spends with me. Or, more like the time she doesn't spend with me.

I go upstairs and walk into my bedroom. I drop my bag on the floor and plump down on to my bed; without changing into my pajamas or taking my shoes off. I close my eyes and let the sleep take over my body completely.

***

I open my eyes slowly, although all I can see is pure darkness.

What time is it?

I grab my phone and check the time —it's 1:05 am. Why the fuck am I awake at this early in the morning?

I sit up slowly and rub my eyes, trying to remember when I fell asleep. I hate this feeling when I've just woken up and I can't even remember my name.

Slowly, I start remembering some things and regaining my consciousness. I sit up and get on my feet —my back still as painful as earlier— and head to the bathroom. I need a shower.

When I'm just about to open the bathroom door, the willingness to take a shower disappears. What if I make a noise and my mum wakes up? Because I bet she's here already and asleep. And I'm sure just with the sound of the water running she'll wake up. That woman has a more developed ear than a housebound's nose. She always listens to every little movement I make at night, even when she's asleep. It's very weird, but surprising at the same time.

After some minutes mulling over the same thought, I decide that, probably, she's not even at home because, if she had come back and seen me asleep, she would have woken me up. She's against napping, which is a bit ironic, since we live in a town where everything is closed at nap-time.

The idea of my mum not being at home worries me a bit because if she isn't at home right now, where the hell is she?

I decide to walk out of my room and go to my mum's bedroom. I open the door gently and enter. The room is dark but there's a small glimmer of light that comes through the window that allows me to notice my mum isn't in there, which is odd. I head out of this room and walk to the guest room. Maybe she did come home and she was so tired that she dozed off in that room. However, this isn't the case. The other house's rooms are dark too, so there's no point in searching there. Clearly my mum isn't home.

This has increased my worry. Why isn't she home? What if something has happened to her? What if she's been robbed? What if... she's hurt? I shake my head. I don't need to be dramatic and negative. It's pointless to create a problem out of nothing. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for my mum's absence and has nothing to do with any of that stuff. However, if she had been delayed at work or whatnot, she would have sent me a text, yet she hasn't.

Have I checked my cell phone, though? And thinking of that, no, I haven't. I haven't touched my phone since five o'clock this afternoon. I bet she's sent me a text or called me, yet here I am, creating imaginary problems.

I go upstairs as fast as I can and grab my phone once I'm in my room. Sure enough she has sent a text and called me two times. I have some messages from Casy as well, but I just ignore them. I don't want to think about that; I have to focus on my mum.

My mum's message was sent at ten fifty-two and reads: I'm gonna be late. Don't wait for me. Short and concise. It doesn't say why, though, I guess it's because she has to work till late in the restaurant; there's no possible explanation other than that. My mum is not very sociable. She has quite a character, so I seriously doubt she's out with someone and hiding it from me; she's not like that. Why am I doubting, though?

That very moment the house's doorbell rings and interrupts my thoughts. Firstly, I think this could be my mum, but that idea comes to nothing when I realize that my mom won't ring the doorbell, since she has a key. Then, who's this? Nobody knows my address, I haven't given it to anyone as far as I know, so this could be any stranger.

I go downstairs again and hasten to open the door. I'm genuinely surprised when I discover the stranger in front of me is Casy. Her hair is tousled and she's wearing a black T-shirt —showing some cleavage— and gray shorts... which are very short.

"Hey... sorry I'm here this late at night but... I've sent you some texts and, well... you didn't answer 'em and... let's talk inside. Can I come in?" She asks shyly and nervously.

I take a moment to analyze the situation. It's not a good idea to let her come in. My mum should be here any minute and I'm sure she will freak out if she sees Casy, a girl who I've just met, this late at night in the house. She wouldn't forgive me and wouldn't talk to me the whole week, which means I'll be feeling sad and guilty. Although, on the other hand... I can't stop thinking about everything that happened today. And I really wanna spend some time with her and know what she's going to tell me, so... "Yeah, sure, come on in."

I let her walk into the house and close the door. I let out the air I didn't know my lungs were holding. I know I'm gonna regret this but I need an explanation for what occurred today. I have so many doubts and I just can't stop thinking about... everything. Her friends; the fact that she already considers me as a friend —Okay, I know this is something silly, but it matters to me—; the fact that she wants me to feel closer to her —again, something silly, but important in Hannah's world—; what Leo had said about a new different guy every Friday... all of that is in my head and won't leave me alone. I really want to clear up my doubts, although I know I'm not going to know everything about her just like that. It takes time to get to know a person. Even marriages that have been together ten years don't know each other that well! But, slowly, I'll get the answers to the million of questions that are on my mind right now.

On the other hand, I desire to spend some alone time with her as well. She's the first person that has talked to me and helped out of kindness, nothing else. She's not interested in bothering me or pulling a prank on me, as the assholes from my older school used to do. This girl cares about me and, even though I know I don't know much about her, I can tell she has good intentions, because she has been nothing but nice to me. She could be my first best friend. Or at least that's what I thought.