Her Road|Book 2|

Day 15|II

"Alice."

I mentally chided myself. Ever since Harry had climbed into my room I had been on edge. It wasn't on purpose but when I wasn't studying or journaling, I found myself staring at the window, waiting. It didn't help that I knew he lived maybe a street or two over, walking distance. The afternoons were worse because the neighbors took afternoon strolls, making me jump at almost every sound. And after what happened earlier by school, I was now on a new level of down bad.

"Yeah, mom?" I turned in my chair as she sat on the edge of my bed. She didn't look angry or upset so that was good but the last few days we'd spoken about solely mental wellbeing. My mental wellbeing.

I wasn't looking forward to another conversation about it.

"I met some of the mothers today." She began, my eyes widening as I didn't expect this direction. "It was just a get together to discuss a few things and I thought I'd go."

I nodded, nothing sounding too alien. In small towns (like Ridgeway or Charringfall) you had few choices. Either you get out and make friends or you don't. Not doing it is fine, don't get me wrong, but when it's a small town you might as well try. You'll always run into someone accidentally when driving, shopping or something.

"How'd it go?" I asked, interested to hear about the other adults of the infamous Ridgeway.

"Ah, you know, the usual. Some of your friends' mothers were there too, Annabeth's mother. Nice people." Her hand pushed the hair out of her face as she spoke. "And Mr Malakai was there too."

"Harry?" I jumped in my seat before remembering that that would be a little bit suspicious.

Still, her eyebrows furrowed. "No, Johnathan. Don't you see Harry at school?"

Crap.

"So the meeting was about the Malakai's?" I asked quickly instead.

She didn't seem to buy it which is a downside of having a journalist as a mother. There's always a story behind everything.

"Yeah, it was. Apparently the mother isn't doing so well so Johnathan attended to ask the mothers something." She explained while eyeing me, sitting foreward. "He wants to do something with the mother and wants someone to babysit their daughter."

A daughter? I don't know why but the idea seemed weird. That big, bad Harry Malakai had a little sister. Strangely, I wondered if she looked like him or their father, having seen him before.

My mind wondered to his mother. Whatever had happened definitely took an effect on Harry, changing him almost completely. His father was out of commission for a while too. I hadn't even thought about their mother and now his sister. Shana had pulled me aside one day to tell me that whatever rumors I heard, they were greatly exaggerated. Still, it had to be pretty horrible for Harry's entire being to suddenly flip.

I realized my mom was still silent, waiting for something. I replayed what she said in case I missed something. Did she ask me something or for my opinion? All she said was that the father had asked to babysit his daughter.

Babysit his daughter... Oh.

"You want me to babysit her?" I asked incredulously. "Me? What about daddy?"

"I offered because I thought it would be good to not have people judging her. No doubt the others would ask about what happened that night. At least here that wouldn't happen." She explained with a shrug as if it wasn't a big deal. "As for your father, I will talk to him later but you'll have to watch her."

Okay... Watching a Malakai for an afternoon? Not the craziest thing ever. Heck one stole my green panties the other day.

"Okay fine. I'll watch her." I wondered if maybe I could get closer to him through her but I mentally chided myself. I wasn't about to use his sister to get to him.

My mom nodded as if she expected it. "Good, she'll be here Friday night and she'll leave Sunday morning."

"Wait, Sunday?" I nearly did jump out my seat this time. "I thought this thing was only for the afternoon or something. That's almost two days!"

"Is that a problem?" She too sat upright. Another problem with having a mother that was also a journalist, it didn't matter that dad was a lawyer. She was the scary one.

"No." I answered safely.

"No what?"

"No, mommy."

"Good." She stood up, satisfied with our conversation. "Schedule your weekend around it, okay? Don't want you not studying."