Healing Takes Time

Chapter 2

For any of you that have read any of my other stories, you know that I usually make the chapters longer. Or I try to, at least. I'm thinking that I'm gonna make the chapters in this story shorter, so I can publish more often. I don't know if it'll work, but I can only hope.

--Shelby

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Chapter 2

I pried my eyes open to the sound of the alarm on my phone going off. I groaned and rolled over to turn it off. Why the hell was my alarm going off anyway? Oh, wait. I was going to be stuck in a tin can going down the highway at over 75 miles per hour--my parents are insane drivers--all day. I covered my face with my hands. I didn't mind being in a car if I was in the front seat, but I obviously was going to be stuck in one of the middle chairs.

"Why me?" I grumbled.

I had taken a shower the night before, so I had set my alarm to 15 minutes before Dad wanted to leave. I got up and changed into the comfiest shirt and shorts I had that still looked presentable and headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I tried to get my blond hair to do something decent, but it refused.

I honest to God thought that I was adopted when I was younger because Mom had brown hair, and Dad had black hair, but Mom assured me that I wasn't. My hair was just blond because of the recessive genes they carried and whatever. It wasn't a big deal to me anymore. Sometimes I wished that I was adopted, so I wouldn't have to tell other people that I belonged to this circus.

The door to the bathroom opened, and I turned around to tell Eren to fuck off--it was just too early to deal with him--but it was just Connie. He ran in and latched himself onto my leg. I sighed at him. He's started this new thing where he likes to grab onto somebody's leg and have them carry him around like that. He only lets go if Dad gives him the death glare or you give him food. He especially likes to do it to me.

"Dude, get off."

"No."

I reached down and pried at his fingers, but they wouldn't let go. "Don't make me get Dad."

His eyes grew round with fear, and he was out of the bathroom before I could even blink. I rolled my eyes. Sometimes that kid was really weird. Mom always said that he reminded her of me when I was a little kid, but I really don't see it.

"Jean! I need your suitcase."

"Calm down, I'm coming," I assured my father.

"My mother could come down the stairs faster than that at the age she'd be now, and she's dead."

"Whatever."

If I'd known my grandmother in the first place I would've bristled. As it was, Dad never knew my grandfather because he was a bit of a deadbeat, and his mother died right when he got out of high school. He was devastated and ended up living with his Uncle Kenny until he could get on his feet. I'd heard from Mom that he didn't like Kenny very much, but he respected the guy. I've never met him, so I didn't really have much of an opinion on the matter.

I dragged my suitcase outside to the van where Dad was trying his best to fit the other luggage in the back. He may have been short, but he made up for it in muscle. There was proof of this as I saw him haul Mom's huge-ass suitcase into the back. I mean my arms started hurting just looking at it.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "What?"

I shook my head and handed him my suitcase. "Nothing."

Mom came out of the house with Connie on her leg. "Connie, you are not getting any cookies this early in the morning."

"But wwwwwhhhhhhhyyyyyyy?" he whined.

"I already told you that it's too early in the morning."

"No, it isn't."

He finally realized that Dad was glaring at him because he immediately let go and ran back inside.

"Connie! Get back--" Mom turned to me. "Go get him please?" She didn't wait for my answer before she started helping Dad with what ever the hell it was that he was doing.

I sighed and went back inside. Mikasa was pulling a barely-awake Eren towards the door. Honestly, it was like the kid could barely take care of himself sometimes. "Did you see Connie run by?" I asked her.

She pointed towards the very back of the house. I nodded a thanks and went out to the backyard. He was sitting on the grass petting Erwin who was panting hard in the heat of summer. Eren and I might just have to shave him again, I thought.

"Come on, buddy. We have to get in the car."

"I'm gonna get in trouble," he told me with a solemn face.

"Then you should stop hanging off of people's legs."

He crossed his arms and made a face.

I held out my hand. "Come on."

He scuttled forward and grabbed my leg.

I groaned. "No, Connie. I'll even carry you out, just stop hanging on me."

He huffed. "Fine." He let go and held his arms up. I reached down and picked him up, settling him on my hip as I made my way back out front.

Mikasa and Eren were already buckled up in the seats all the way in the back. Eren had already fallen asleep. Mom was in the passenger's seat she rolled down the window when she saw me coming. "Do you want me to buckle him?"

"No, I've got it," I told her. I put Connie on his feet. "Okay, bud. Get up in your seat." He got up in his car seat, and I reached around him to buckle him up.

"Thank you," Mom said.

I made a sound of acknowledgment and shut his door before I went around to the other side of the van and got in. Through the window I saw Dad lock the door before he jogged to the car and got in the driver's seat.

He turned around and made eye contact with all of us--the ones that were awake anyway--before saying, "This is going to be a fun trip whether or not you little shits--" smack on the shoulder from Mom; he didn't even blink "--like it or not. Okay?"

Wait, if we didn't like it, then how could it be fun? Did he even know what he said?

We all nodded. His gaze lingered on mine as if he could hear my thoughts before he turned around and started the car. I closed my eyes tried to fall asleep.