Rolly Polly

Chapter 3

Before {Harper}

I feel something touching me, pushing on my shoulder. Who or what could be so rude as to disturb my sleep? I groan aloud and push whatever it is away. It feels like a hand.

"Harper, come on. You gotta wake up" I hear a whispering in my ear. Why do I have to wake up? I'm comfortable, leave me alone. I make myself comfortable again. Then I feel someone shaking me harder.

"Harper. Wake. Up." I groan and slowly open my eyes. It's dark out and the streetlight is outside my window. Window. I am in a car. But whose car? I'm suddenly awake as I sit up and look around. I moved too fast because my head starts to hurt. I look to my left and I see Connor staring at me, bored. One could even say that he looked annoyed. I smile at my best friend as I wipe at my face. Who knows, maybe I drooled on myself.

"Harper," he sighs after he says my name. I look at him expectantly. He looks past me and at my house. I turn around and look at my house. I see the light is on next to my door and all the lights are off inside. I turn back around and look at the clock on the dash and see it is nearly 10. When did that happen? I glance over at Connor, bidding him goodnight. Reaching over I give him a hug and get out of the car. I close the door and give him one last wave before I walk to my door.

Reaching the doorstep, I enter the pin number and push the door open. I step inside and turn on the light beside me in order to see. After I have locked the door again I walk down the hall to my parents room. Their door was open so I just walk in.

"You're home! How is Connor?" My mother asks.
"Connor is Connor as you know." I take a seat on the stool by her bed. "We just got back from this really pretty foresty spot out at the end of town. Honestly I don't even remember where it was, Connor probably does. But I think he's mad at me because we were playing hide and go seek, but I couldn't find him so I went back to the car and waited for him. Then I fell asleep on the way home..." My mother looked at me disappointingly.

"Harper Ann Jones. You are a literal brat!" She breaks off laughing. I start to grin because she is laughing.

"You owe that boy an apology though, in all honesty. You give that boy so much trouble, he really does deserve a break. Go make him cookies or something." I just look at her. Is she for real? She raises an eyebrow. Waiting for me to move.

"Seriously?! You want me to go make him cookies right here right now at like 10:30 at night?"

"Get up, go! And make me some tea while you are at it." She looked away from me and back to the television. Some police drama was on, I don't even know anymore.

I get up and leave her room. Going out to the kitchen I fill a mug with water and put it into the microwave. While that is heating up, I pull out my phone and scroll through Instagram. Picture after picture of people who go to my school fill my screen. The timer on the microwave goes off and I grab the mug out. I set it on the counter and grab the box of tea out of the cupboard. Grabbing out a tea bag, I put in the mug and press it down with a spoon. Next to me is the sugar, adding two spoonfuls of sugar, I stir it a little bit and walk back to my mother's room.

"Here you go." I say as I hand it to her. She thanks me and takes a sip before she sets it back down on the table next to her. I lean over and kiss her on the cheek.

"Good night mom." I turn and walk towards the door.

"Why don't I smell cookies Harper?" Laughing, I don't even reply before I close the door and head off to bed.

The next morning I make my way down the stairs to get some breakfast. I can smell coffee and cinnamon rolls freshly baked. Mom probably has company coming over. Rounding the corner, I see her sitting at the kitchen table, the pile of mail next to her and a letter in one hand. In the other hand she holds her coffee cup, taking a sip before setting it back down. My knee pops as I take another step and she looks up. A smile appears on her face. 

"Harper! Come here!" I walk closer and sit down next to her. With a huge grin she pushes the opened letter towards me, urging me to take the paper out and read it.  I look at her one more time before I take out the paper and my heart stops.