before the void - isaac lahey ⁰˙⁵

26

The next morning I walk to Allison's house so we can walk to school. Her mother insists on having me
come in and have something to eat before she sends me on my way. Although, it feels more like a questioning.

"And your parents, they still live over on Avondale road, yes?" She asks, sipping her tea as she looks at me over the rim suspiciously.

I try to smile, but i'm a little creeped out. "Ah, yep! Always have, probably always will."

She nods. "Do you see much of your grandmother? Or any grandparent?" She asks, her smile as fake as her hair colour.

I shrug. "They live over near New Orleans, so they're kind of far away. It's sort of hard to visit them sometimes."

She smiles at me and i feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "New Orleans? What an interesting place to live, are they very spiritual? Witchy?"

I force a laugh. "No...I mean Nana uses crystals but Pops is kind of a non-believer."

Allison's mother's eyes don't waver from me. "And what about you?" She asks, and the question feels like a trip up.

"I um-" Allison bounding down the stairs interrupts me and I say with relief. "Ali! Ready to go?" I ask and she nods.

She looks at me and then at her mum and when she realises what has happened she groans. "Mom you promised not to question her." She groans.

Allison's mother smiles and shrugs slightly. "Am I not allowed to get to know your friends?" She asks innocently but I can feel my heart racing from our conversation. She made me uncomfortable on a whole other level.

Alison pulls me behind her as we leave and I call out a thanks to her mother whose eyes don't leave me until we're out of sight.

"Brr Ali, I don't think your mum likes me that much." I mutter pulling my sweatshirt across myself, wrapping the two sides like a cardigan.

Alison sighs, "I'm so sorry about that but she always has suspicions about my friends, ever since this one girl tried to-" She cuts herself off. "Anyway. It doesn't matter, I'm sorry that she did that."

I shrug. "It's okay! Just a little freaky the way she knew my Gran and Pop and then proceeded to hound me about my spiritual beliefs? Like, it gave me the hebe jebes."

Alison snorts. "Ignore her, she has no idea what she's on about ."

I smile but the feeling unease is still there. I wasn't sure why she cared so much, or why I had lied about where my grandparents lived but soemthing told me that I had made the right decision but doing so.

-

hey so this is super short, i just wanted to publish it! i'm sorting things out at the moment. unfortunately my life isn't as neat and tidy as I would like atm! will try to update longer soon xx