Barely Bones

Barely Bones 4

Chapter 4, Part I: The First Confrontation

"Sebastian is a boy," my mom pointed out.

"That's a shock," I replied. "Hey, why are you spreading mayonnaise on your sandwich?"

"It's low fat mayonnaise," she argued as she tossed the plastic knife into the sink. "It doesn't count."

My mom looked exhausted. She'd just come back from the hospital after helping deliver a kid to a fifty-two year old woman and wanted to do nothing other than eat a sandwich and watch the Disney movie Tangled.

"Mom, that's like getting low fat ice cream. You're still neglecting the calories."

She brought her plate over to the couch and sat down, awfully close, beside me.

"Shut up. Not everyone can have amazing self-control. Like you. Now, about that trip..."

"It's just for a week. Sebastian drives, Gwynn goes too, and we stay in separate motel rooms. Ess and Cameron would be so surprised!"

"I don't know if I trust Sebastian yet," she mumbled with a mouthful of lettuce and ham.

"Why not? When our alarms broke down last week he fixed them!"

"That's part of why I'm scared. How the hell does he know how to work alarms?!"

"He installed those new locks in the front door after you threw a hissy fit and beat them out of the sockets with a hammer."

"You would've thrown a fit too if-"

"He spends Sundays volunteering at animal shelters, dammit. Mom, he's a good dude."

She viciously tore off another bit of sandwich. "It could be an act!"

I grabbed my mother by the shoulders, staring her down. "Listen. Sebastian is the only one who can take me to Ess and Cameron since you've refused to drive me there. I honestly LOVE those two. They're the greatest people in my life. You've neglected me and it's only because of them that I don't spend my nights crying in my room!"

Clearly she was shocked, but at that point there was no stopping me.

"They... they've saved my ass a thousand times. I get that... that you don't understand what it's like to fully love someone, but..."

At the same time, she stood up and promptly slapped my left cheek, teary-eyed and quivering. She just kind of stayed there for a few seconds, shaking and making raspy noises in the back of her throat, before she slouched her way out of the room.

The only evidence of the fight was a plastic plate, on the floor, topped with a jostled sandwich.

Thoughtless, I picked up the spilled food and went to dump it in the kitchen. I set the plate beside the jar of mayonnaise on the counter.

"Wait," I said to no one. "Thisーthis isn't diet mayonnaise."

I spun the jar around and read the nutrition information.

"Ha! Low fat my butt."

ー

Chapter 4, Part II: A Beckoning Letter

Hey again. Your last letter got soaked in the rain, but good thing you used those fancy water-proof markers.

To the point: Cameron has started eating again, thanks to the CDs you sent over. He's currently in love with that one album, with the swirly circular black and gold design on the cover?

Yes, he's reached 120 lbs. Thanks for your help.

What is really me, though, is the way my dad has secluded himself (again). He goes to work half an hour earlier than he's supposed to, meaning we don't get to see him in the mornings at all. Then, he doesn't come back home until past midnight. I'm most definitely afraid. I haven't seen him in about four days.

This house is getting much too... quiet. It's a sad and ugly thing. Once again, I would love to shove him into a suitcase and go all the way back to you (Speaking of which, have you met one Sebastian Byrne-Blevins? He moved there recently). But of course, Cameron's found a paved trail in the woods and skateboards there regularly, so much that it's nearly impossible to bring him back in. We do, however, have dinner together, which is nice, I guess.

I hope we can meet up again.

Both of us miss you & hope you're doing well.

-Ess

P.S: Thank you for "Sempiternal." One of my favorite albums.

It definitely gets better. Hold on. -Cam

ー

Chapter 4, Part III: Drift & Distance

"Are you sure it's okay?" Gwynn whisper-hissed through the phone.

I switched the phone from the right side of my face to the left and sandwiched it with my shoulder. Damn the lack of speaker ability.

"Of course it's not okay," I replied calmly. "There's no way she could forgive this afterwards. But I have to go."

"You'll get in SO much trouble!"

"I know, I know."

Pausing, I tapped my chin with my index finger. Pajamas! I'd forgotten to pack pajamas.

"Wait... what if your mom blames me, too?"

"Tell you what," I mumbled with the phone between my shoulder and left cheek. My pajamas fit nicely into the last spot of the suitcase.

"What?"

"I'll find a way to get my mom drunk before I get home. You know, leave beers in the cabinet for her to accidentally find when she's distressed about my disappearance. We come back home, and hey, she's too drunk to tell us apart. Miracles of alcohol."

A horrified gasp burst through the phone. "That's awful!"

"Mhhmmm, but then again, so am I."

ー

Author's Note: I started Part III at

6:02 a.m. I think I need help?¿?¿

Finished note (25 Sept.): School's a bitch, and already 1) my sleeping habits suck, 2) procrastination ugh, 3) my friends are starting to annoy me. Well at least I hope YOU have a nice day.