WHEN YOU FINISH SAVING THE WORLD ✸ Joel Miller

iv. Unspoken

[ CHAPTER FOUR ! ]

unspoken

THE METAL STAIRWELL RATTLES with each step I take and it doesn't even phase me. It hasn't since the first month of living here. "This is definitely a safety hazard." Ellie claims as she carefully and slowly follows behind me.

I shrug. "I guess."

There were nearly a hundred people that lived here for decades and it's still in tact, so I wasn't too worried.

"What type of building even is this?" Joel wonders out loud and I can hear the distaste in his tone. He knows. He knows this is where I live and he's just trying to get under my skin.

"An apartment building. You read the sign." We reach my apartment and I pull the keys out from my back pocket. Sliding the metal into it's mold, I glance back at Joel. "You can still read, can't you?"

I heard Ellie chuckle behind me as I opened the door. It let out it's usual creak and I allowed them in. "Wait here."

I'd still needed to get Hayden from the neighbor's. 224. I knock twice and within seconds, smiling Ms. Davis appears on the other side. "You're back early! Let me get Hayden."

Before I can get a thank you out, she goes back into her apartment to get Hayden. I tap the edge of my foot against the wood panels of the floor and try to release as much of the current negativity I have in my system as possible before I face my daughter.

She's walking toward me with a small smile and both her hands on her pale blue backpack.

"Thanks again, Kate." I smile at Ms. Davis. "I really appreciate it!"

She nods and mimics my grin. "Not a problem!"

Before walking into my own apartment, I stop and attempt to be excited. "You want to go on a trip with me?"

Her grin widens. "Sure!"

Thank God. "Okay. I have some friends inside that are coming with us. Just... try to be their friend."

I don't know how any of them will react to Hayden. But all I can do is hope that they'll be kind even though everything in my gut is telling me otherwise.

We walk inside and I close the door behind me. The three of them are in the living room of my small apartment and are examining everything. Even though there's not much to look at, they're still managing to.

Ellie has made herself comfortable on the couch and is just looking at the floor and the uneven tiles, the older woman--who I still don't know the name of--is analyzing my ceiling and the walls around. Joel, though, has his eyes locked on the blanket and pillow in the corner of the hallway. Where I sleep. "This is where you sleep?"

I knew he was going to ask it but that doesn't mean it wouldn't take me back when he did. I slowly nod with a shrug. I didn't say anything. I wasn't embarrassed. I just felt small. That he would now watch over me. Like maybe he thinks he's better than me now because he has a bed to sleep on. I shove my hand in my pocket and pull Hayden forward. "This is Hayden." I clear my throat. "My daughter."

She waves and Ellie and Joel's friend stare at her with different levels of shock in their gaze. As if they're in disbelief that I raised a daughter who waved and smiled at them. Joel, though, didn't seem surprised at all. And he stood a little longer and with more thought than the other two. He seemed to be in deep thought and finally, he asked; "Where's your dad?"