Chasing You

29

LACEY

It's weird.

Not that I am celebrating Thanksgiving here in North Carolina but that I am not celebrating with my own family. Usually during this time I would be wearing an ironed dress with heels and tights. Instead, I am in leggings and a big sweater. Definitely not something my mother would approve of.

As fucked up as it might seem, I miss her. She is my mom after all but I need her to fix her actions.

My dad has reached out to me as much as he can but with her there, it's hard. He texted me this morning saying Happy Thanksgiving. I appreciate his efforts on trying to fix everything but I don't know if it's fixable at this point.

I have been staying at the boys house this week while the girls are all back home. They all offered for me to come home with them but I decided to stay back with Braden. It's not like I won't see Carter today. She is on her way up now. Braden's mom, Asher's mom, Asher's brother's wife, Cora, and myself are in the kitchen while the rest of the boys are in the living room. Cora is perched at the bar with crayons and a coloring book.

"Lacey, how has your semester been?" Braden's mom asks. She glances at me from her pumpkin pie she is making. I offer her a smile but I know she probably can tell it isn't a good one.

"It's been- exhausting honestly," I respond to her honestly. Ashley nods her head from beside me with a knowing smile.

"Carter has filled me in all about your horrors of sorority life. You did a hell of a lot more than I ever did when I was in one. I had to stick with mine until I graduated," Ashley states. I frown at her, she laughs looking at my face. "oh  don't even worry about it, I did it to myself. You have guts, I didn't."

"Braden also told me the horrors of what happened," Mrs. Williams states shaking her head.

"Girls can be so mean," Asher's mom chimes in. I nod my head in agreement. She has no idea how mean they can be. Especially nowadays. I feel like girls have just become worse. While they were mean in high school nothing like how they are in college. Everytime I go out I'm afraid I'm going to look at them wrong and get a drink thrown in my face.

"Tell me about it. When I was in my sorority one of them tried to steal Cody away from me by telling him I had a disease," Ashley trembles. She shakes her head, "Good thing he didn't care or believe her."

We all laugh with her nodding our heads. The conversation in the kitchen is just easy. With my family, it is always tense or about things I just don't feel like talking about. It is never genuine and people sure as hell don't agree with me.

"Honey, do you know when Carter is getting here? I hope the drive isn't too bad," Claire, Asher's mom, asks me. I grab a hand towel and wipe my hands on it to grab my phone. I grab it and pull up Find My Friends.

"She actually should be here any minute," I reassure her. Claire claps her hands together grabbing the hand towel.

"I should go see if she needs any help," she says in a rushed tone. She walks out of the kitchen as Mrs. Williams, Ashley, and I chuckle. Asher's mom flew up here with Asher's brother Cody and Ashley. Asher's mom has been gushing about seeing Carter. She explained a bit about how Carter and Asher have been helping her with the divorce. It should be finalized before Christmas.

"I swear she loves Carter more than she ever loved me," Ashley chuckles.

"Oh I doubt that," Mrs. Williams says, shaking her head. Ashley continues talking to Mrs. Williams but I turn around when I hear voices entering the house. I walk out of the kitchen and peak my head out. Asher's mom and Carter are animatedly talking, Carter holds a duffle bag and a big white box.