Hidden Melodies

Chapter Fourteen

Copyright Joelle Blue ©

Ozzie

He responded to my text comically fast and now he's about five minutes away. I don't really know what my plan is, or if I even have one. But after seeing him last night, I need answers. But I also want to make sure he's okay, too. I'm curious how school is going. If everything he did was worth it.

I dress simply in a sweatshirt and jersey shorts with my hair in a bun on my head. I'm still exhausted from yesterday, not having that much excitement ever in my entire life.

As I finish putting hot water in my teapot with some English Breakfast Tea, the doorbell goes off. I check the peephole and see him standing there with a hand in his pocket and a bag in the other, rocking back and forth on his feet.

I open the door, and see his eyes whip to mine, and he gives me a blinding smile.

"Hi," I say, quietly, immediately feeling shy around him.

"Hi," he breathes. "These are for you," he brings the bag with the Pie Hard Bakery logo.

"Are those what I think they are?" I ask breathily.

"I hope their chocolate croissants are still your favorite?" He asks nervously. Like they could ever not be.

"Always!" I grab the bag and look inside, thinking about the first time he brought them to me.

"Ellie! I was hoping you'd be here!" Charlie says as he squeezes between the fence opening, seeming excited about something.

"Hey, Charlie," I murmur, trying to wipe my eyes discreetly.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" His concern makes me want to cry more.

"It's just my parents," I shrug.

He looks at me sadly. "I hate seeing you cry," he whispers.

"I'll be alright. They're just really mean sometimes." I look down and fidget with the end of my sleeve.

"Will you tell me what they did?"

I take a deep breath. "Sometimes it's what they don't do. They left yesterday and didn't even tell me."

"What? What do you mean, left?"

"They went on vacation for two weeks, and just left me here. I had no idea they were going, so I called all morning, and my dad finally answered. When I asked about Thanksgiving, he said I'll be fine and that they needed a break, so I shouldn't call again. They wouldn't even tell me where they went," I wipe the tears that escaped again.

"Are you serious? You're fifteen, they can't just leave you here!"

"They do all the time," I shrug. "But I've never been alone for a holiday like this or for this long."

He looks dumbfounded and sad. "I'm so sorry, Ellie." He keeps staring at me with his sad eyes.

"What's in the bag?" I ask to change the subject.

He looks down at the bag like he forgot it was there. "Oh, yeah, a new bakery opened downtown. It's called Pie Hard, which I thought was pretty awesome. I went in to check them out and thought these looked so good and was hoping you'd try them with me."