Mr. Halloway's Pet

Chapter Seven

My nervous reflection stares back at me. I hope I haven't overdone it with the sparkles under my eyes, but my fake eyelashes dull it out to an extent.

My clothes are appropriate, a pair of leggings and a knit sweater paired with some converse. I feel like it's not going to give too desperate but not total bum, either.

I just wish my hair would work with me. The moisture in the air has gotten to it and made it a wild mess.

I decide to tye it into two braids on each side of my head, brushing against either side of my face. It pairs well with the sprinkle of freckles dusting my face. They're barely seen through the makeup, but still make an appearance in the harsh lighting.

Once I'm satisfied with how I look, so begins the pacing. I'm not usually this nervous, but this time around, I can't seem to shake off my anxieties.

This may be the end to whatever him and I have going on. As much as don't want to admit it, I would be devastated if that were to be the case. I've gotten far too attached.

I exit the bathroom and once I'm settled in my room, mom appears seemingly from thin air.

"Just checking up on you before you go." She chirps. Her face is optimistic enough for me to rule out that she's in a chipper mood today.

"Everything's really good. I love you." I reply shortly, stepping forward to give her a hug. Her arm feels tense tonight and it pains me to know she's hurting. Upon inspection, I see her muscle slightly twitching into small, repetitive contractions. Her tissue and muscle trauma is evident.

The white scar is thick and runs along the inside of her wrist, all the way up to her inner elbow. I try to not get emotional when I see the reminder of what she'd faced alone, but can't help to feel something along the lines of grief and maybe a little guilt.

Possibilities of where this family could be right now if things had turned out differently allows me to feel a moment of gratitude. I'm living a constant best case scenario.

As long as I'm in the reality where she's here, I'll always be lucky. My arms wrap around her especially tight at the thought and she returns my firm embrace.

"You and David have fun watching that movie, don't stay out past 1:00, you have school tomorrow." She informs, pulling from the hug with a gentle pat on my upper arm and taking her leave.

"I won't, I'll see you in the morning." I call after her, but she's already halfway to the hall. She's good at making her nightly escape.

Checking my phone, I see it's 4:51pm. He could be here any minute.

I sit on the bed with my feet planted to the ground, my leg bouncing up and down anxiously.

It only takes 4 minutes for him to arrive because my phone dings at 4:55.

"Im here."
-Mr. Halloway

The message itself is enough to make my life flash before my eyes.

He makes the wise decision of pulling into the farthest slot of the driveway, just in case mom got snoopy and peeked out the window.

Luckily, his windows are tinted to high hell. Is that even legal?

I wave the thought away and follow the path to the car.

The passenger side door clicks open before I get there. He'd reached over to attempt to push it open, coming short of achieving his goal. It's the thought that counts.

I get in and the same faint scent of him fills my nose. It's a lot more prominent and I'm thinking that's just whatever car freshener he has.

He wears a t-shirt that hugs his broad shoulders, and grows looser as it reaches the bottom of his torso. I see black dress pants and leather shoes through the slots in the steering wheel. Sleek, as usual. Even his hair is slicked back neatly, looking fresh out of the shower. His face has the shadow of what could potentially be a good looking beard if he ever decided to grow it out.