ˢᵘᵖᵉʳ ʳⁱᶜʰ ᵏⁱᵈˢ, ʳᵃᶠᵉ ᶜᵃᵐᵉʳᵒⁿ

001

001 - the big decision

ROUTLEDGE PENTHOUSE
manhattan, new york
tuesday
july 4, 2024
7:15pm

i sat in the living room with my mom, my little sister, and my best friend, hailey. we were all together watching 'wonka' per caramia's choice, but both hailey and i were extremely happy with the choice since it meant seeing timothée chalamet on the screen. the room was filled with giggles and smiles as we watched the movie.

halfway through the movie, i glanced over my shoulder as my stepdad entered the penthouse. his serious expression made me raise an eyebrow, and i could see my mom sharing my curiosity. i hit pause on the movie, and we all turned our attention to him. i noticed my best friend, hailey, giving me a small nudge and a mischievous grin, sensing the slight tension in the air.

"everything alright, theo?" my mom asked, her voice filled with concern.

"can we talk, alice?" my stepdad, theo, replied, his tone firm as he crossed the room and settled into the armchair beside her. my mom nodded, her expression showing a mixture of concern and anticipation.

"sure, theo. is everything okay?" i exchanged a glance with hailey and caramia, both of us silently wondering what could possibly be the cause for this serious atmosphere. the pair walked upstairs to have their conversation.

as my stepdad and mom ascended the stairs, hailey, caramia, and i remained on the couch, our curiosity peaked. we exchanged glances, silently debating whether to eavesdrop or distract ourselves.

"should we try to listen in?" hailey whispered to me, leaning closer with a smirk.

"we shouldn't..." i said as i sunk into my blanket. "she should." i said as i turned to caramia.

caramia's eyes widened, and she shook her head vehemently. "no way, i don't want to get in trouble," she whispered back.

hailey rolled her eyes. "come on, caramia. live a little. it's not like they'll hear us." she suggested, leaning closer and speaking quietly. "besides, it could be exciting."

"you know what, i'll do it." i said as i got up from the couch, playfully hitting caramia's shoulder as i made my way to the stairwell. hailey's face lit up with excitement, clapping her hands together quietly. caramia let out a resigned sigh, and we all glanced upstairs.

"be quick," hailey whispered, and i nodded, my heart racing as i began to ascend the stairs as quietly as possible.

i put my ear up to their closed bedroom door, i could hear my mom's raspy voice. "you mean to tell me, you want to move to outerbanks, north carolina to be closer to john b? why can't he just move to new york...live with us." my mom said.

"social services called me, they found out he's been taking care of himself and they are not happy." i heard my stepdad say, his voice low and measured. i could almost picture him rubbing the back of his neck, a gesture he did when he was stressed or contemplative. "and it could be a good opportunity for the girls, outerbanks is safer than new york." i leaned closer to the door, desperate to catch every word. my mind raced with the implications of what i was hearing. outerbanks? what about our lives here? i was pulled from my thoughts as my stepdad spoke, his voice firm yet filled with compassion. "they can make new friends, and we can continue our business there. it might be good for them to experience something different."

i shook my head descended the stairs, i felt a mix of disappointment and disbelief. i reached the living room where hailey and caramia were waiting, their eyes full of anticipation. as i neared them, they noticed the expression on my face. "what happened? did you hear anything?" caramia asked, her voice filled with curiosity.