A Faltering self (Distorted Reality book 2)

Chapter 66- An Unexpected Visitor

(Madison's POV)

There's a knock from the door that makes it all the way back to my room, and I can't help but to get up to see who it is even after Jonathan shouts that he'll get it. Peaking around the corner, I see our cousin, Kay. The closer I get, the more clear it is that she's not okay. Her clothes are a mess, and there are black streaks down both sides of her face that don't even attempt to cover the red on her face that's from more than her puff eyes. We've seen her show signs before, but never like this.

"What happened?

Jonathan asks her while I inch myself closer with a mix of wanting to help her feel better and this squirming feeling that makes me want to go anywhere but to her. I hate that feeling.

She breaks down and Jonathan pulls her into the house as Mom comes from behind me and rushes to her.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay. Maddy, come get her bag and bring it to your room."

I do exactly as Mom tells me to. I find it easier when I'm told what I need to do to help. I feel less like a fish out of water when I get to do something and keep busy in situations like this.

I grab her bag and bring it to my room, making sure to be careful to keep from falling over like it keeps wanting to do.

Please, just stay...

I attempt one more time propping it back up, before calling defeat and putting it on my bed instead.

I'm sure she'll stay here anyway.

Kay lived with us one other time before for a few years, so it's not like I'm a stranger to giving my room up to her. Does it suck to think that I'll be sharing a room again, 100%, but, she clearly needs it more than me.

I come back to Mom and them and notice that they are at the kitchen table as Sydney has joined them along with Nathan as Jonathan makes some hot tea and Mom gets Kay to open up. I come in mid explanation, but can figure pretty quickly why she's here.

"-Then she threw me out. I seriously don't know what I'm going to do. I knew she would be mad, but."

Kay stares at the table in front of her as her eyes dart back and forth before they well up again and look up at Mom.

" Aunt Hellen, what am I going to do? I can't just..." She trails off again, this time clutching her stomach as I'm confused at why her mom kicked her out to begin with.

Her mom isn't the best, hence why she lived with us for some time while her mom got herself straight, but still...

What caused her to flip so hard? I thought they were repairing things?

Kay is only a couple of years older than me, so legally her mom has no one making her still have Kay live with her, but when Kay moved back in with her mom last year, Her mom seemed to imply that she had all intention to let her live with her for a good while.

I sit in the chair across from her and stay quiet as I listen and watch what goes on. But not without me noticing something flicker behind Kay.

What was that?

I look where I saw the flicker, and push it off as the light outside flickering from the leaves moving in the wind.

That's got to be it.

"It's going to be okay. You know that you always have home here. Maddy, are you okay if Kay stays in your room? You can use the spare room in the basement or bunk back with Sydney?"

I instantly choose Sydney because even though I'd much rather anything but lose my own space again, the basement is one of the few exceptions. Something about the spare room down there just gives me the creeps.

"No, it's fine, I'll stay with Sydney again."

It's only temporary anyway.

I've had a plan in place that I'm going to move out soon. If everything goes still to plan, it will be before I even graduate or shortly after. I need a car first, and then a better job, but that's only if I can't hit the weight requirement for the army. I did, though, find a trick to finally start getting down closer to the needed weight. I've already dropped close to five pounds in the past couple of weeks.