Gone || ✔

I

It was a chilling October night, the winds carrying the red, orange, brown and yellow leaves throughout the sky. Clouds blocking the moon and its beautiful light. Headlights of cars ruining my obsession with the calmness of the night, and also a phone call from Alexx. She knows I absolutely hate phone calls with a very big amount of passion. I ignore the stupid, annoying ring tone and stare back out the window. Then my peace gets interrupted for the second time already.

"Lainna Belle, what did I tell you about staring out the window and not socializing? We have company over. This is very rude of you." My mother continues to run her mouth while I groan, roll my eyes, and lazily get out of my comfort zone.

I'd rather not talk to my overprotective-and-overly-sympathetic-too-annoying family. They want to know what happens in my life every second, like my counselor. I walk into our too small living room and my Aunt Harriet and Uncle Vic are squished together like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the couch, and my two cousins Lisa and Brady are sitting on the other couch. They're all staring at me like I'm some sort of creature eating a human. I hate it. I hate them. I hate this.

It's like, 'Oh yeah. We'll just keep lecturing you and lecturing you until the day you die, and won't even take a break. How does that make you feel?' or, 'On a scale of one to ten, how do you feel? One being the worse and ten meaning you're great. Have you been talking to your counselor? Lainna, why aren't you answering? Did we say something wrong? Are you okay?'

-999,999,999,999

No.
You're annoying me with your pity questions.

Yes, you always say something wrong.

Yeah, I'm fine.

Sometimes I wish I can just escape from everyone and everything. I mean, I care for them and everything, but sometimes they just need to shut their mouths. People are so nosy and annoying.

"Hello, Lainna. How have you been?" Aunt Harriet asks. She tilts her head a little and looks at me with those big brown eyes full of sympathy like always. Uncle V, mom, Derek (my cool step-dad), and cousins stare at me without a single blink. What is so fascinating that people feel the need to stare at me? Like, come on people, I'm not an alien or anything. I choose to not respond, so I take out my iPod and unravel the headphones, but mom stops me with her talking.

"Lainna! Don't you dare put those in your ears when you're in the middle of a family discussion." She always says that, and I always do it anyways. I unlock it and look at her while clicking on Pandora. I hit 'Of Mice & Men Radio' and Glass Hearts plays. I am in love with this song. Uncle V starts talking, which I don't know why since there's obviously ear buds in my ears. I look at him and he looks pathetic. With his lips moving in different ways than what he's actually saying. He must have said something about leaving because they get up and head for the door. That's my cue to leave too, and I'm thankful.

I go back to my room and check my phone. I nearly have 30 missed calls from Alexx and 50 unread messages from Alexx (18 messages), Jamison ( 2 messages because he's polite and actually cares about how I feel about people blowing up my phone), Meri (15 messages), and Blaine (15 messages). What is so important and exciting that they need me this much?

Alexx: Lainnnnaaa. Answer your phone.
Alexx: Please.
Alexx: Lainna?
Alexx: L
Alexx: A
Alexx: I
Alexx: N
Alexx: N
Alexx: A
Alexx: oh my god.
Alexx: where
Alexx: are
Alexx: you
Alexx: Don't make me do it.
Alexx: I really don't want to do this.
Alexx: Okay. Whatever, you left me with no choice.
Alexx: Actually, no. That's a lie because I have lots of choices. But still, don't make me do this.
Alexx: Fine. I'm going to make everyone blow up your phone until you get really annoyed and have no choice but to RESPOND. R-E-S-P-O-N-D.

Whatever. I guess I'll write back because she'll want me to and she won't stop bugging me.

Me: Shut. Up. Already. I had a stupid family meeting again and they left early. Why do you want me to reply so badly?

Almost immediately she replies: YES! I KNEW YOU COULDN'T RESIST TALKING TO ME! And you didn't read the other messages Jamison, Meri and Blaine sent you, did you?

I forgot. I check their annoying messages too, and they all basically say the same thing: ALEXX HAS AN OUIJA BOARD AND WANTS YOU TO PLAY ALONG WITH US.

But really, an Ouija board? I don't understand why the living would want to talk to the dead so badly. I mean the worst you could do was make it into a game. BUT, I guess I'll be nice though and come over there, just to make them happy. I'm not so sure about playing with them though. That's not happening.

I change my mind.
I might not even come.
I am not risking my life on a stupid game.
It sounds even more stupid when I say it.
I'm going to text them all right now.
I won't come.
I refuse.

"You're going." Mom says, standing through the doorway, scaring me to death. WHY DOES SHE DO THAT? But the bigger question is how? "You haven't been outside for almost seven months. You're about as pale as the snow. Maybe more. But what I'm trying to say is," and as she says this, she inches closer to my bed and sits down, "I'm scared." She finishes in a hushed tone, maybe more of a whisper. I almost don't hear her and she's sitting right next to me. But why would she be scared? She's never scared. "And I know you are too. We all are, but there's something I really need you to do." She says, in a hushed tone. "Just. Go." And she leaves.

"What? Why, when?" I say rushing to the door, but she turns around the corner and into the kitchen. Looks like I'm risking my life after all. This better be for a good cause.