Paper Birds

Chapter 9

-Melody's P.O.V- 

I stepped through the door and led myself into the kitchen for a drink.

I looked around the cabinets for my short square-shaped glass. It was the only glass cup we have in the kitchen but by far my favorite cup to drink out of. 

I take the glass from the top shelf and slipped it underneath the faucet in the sink, flipped the small latch of the mouth before turning the water on, filling up the glass with filtered tap water.  

I took a long gulp of it and stepped out of the kitchen, staring down my living room. It took some time to considerably accept the fact that my house was small, but it's indeed very cozy.  

With the dining room area practically connected to the kitchen, and a boxed living room. The first half of the walls were textured in solid dark brownstone bricks and the rest of the space was flat, but painted in maroon red. 

Brightly polished furniture and wooden floors, leather couches organized very carefully around a lit fireplace. Who cares if its still hot, the fireplace better have a fire in it dammit.  

Of course, it's small. But stunning. 

My mind was soon becoming of mist until I heard a voice spoke to me. 

"Melody? The hell is wrong with you?" 

My mind quickly refocused and turned towards a middle-aged woman who was seated at the dining room table. 

Her dreadlocks were neatly tied up into a ponytail along with her light brown skin luminating underneath the fluorescent lights we just got. She wore a smudged tank top with her reading glasses preparing to fall off her face, and oversized yoga pants.  

With a laptop right in front of her, she continued typing with her eyes never leaving the screen. 

"Hi, mom," I mumbled against the glass that was still pursed against my lips. 

"You know how I feel about you lot stepping into the house. Greet your mother first."

"Yes, ma'am. Of course." 

She sighed, removing her glasses off her face. She closed the laptop and sludge back into the chair with her arms folded over her chest. "So, how was school?" 

"Fine, I guess. Just the same pretty much." I tilt the glass back towards my mouth, finishing up what was left in the cup.

"Well alright then, Let me see your cell phone really quick so I can-"

I suddenly choked back on the rushing water from the glass and coughed up with water splashing out my mouth and nose. 

I wipe my nose with the sleeve of my jacket and looked at her confused face. "M-my what?"

"Your... Phone? Melody are you okay child?"

"Uhh. what's wrong with the house phone?" 

"Everything. The phones stopped dialing and refused to make any calls. That's why I needed your phone so I can order a new one." 

shit, I thought this could be avoided.

"Why can't you use Tashi's phone?"

"You don't see her here do you?"

I looked at her confused. I was only in the house for three minutes, and I never recognize Tashi entering the house. 

I stepped towards the window and pushed back the kitchen curtain just to realize that the car was no longer there.  Just an empty driveway.

Fuck. 

The bitch ditched me.

"Uhh, my phone's dead."

"That's okay. I can just charge it up for you."

I cursed underneath my breath. My gaze to her suddenly fell to my feet so she wouldn't see the guilt in my eyes.  Then I bravely walked slowly towards the table, slowly pulled out what was going to become my end out of my pocket, and surrendered my phone to her. 

"She looked at my and looked at the ruined device. 

"What the hell happened to your phone?"

I jumped a little. Though she asked me in a very tamed manner, it was still startling by the way she was looking at me. 

"Umm... dropped it..?"

"Dropped it? You just got this last week."

"I know! I know! It just slipped out of my fingers."

"It did really? I paid over a hundred bucks for your phone. That's exactly half the price your older sister's phone cost me."

I groaned. I was not in a mood for another lecture. 

"I'm guessing that I won't be getting a new phone anytime soon?"

She nodded her head, placing my phone beside her laptop. 

"That's right, or any phone for that matter. You will not be getting this thing back until you either figure out the money to replace it or when you learn to  be responsible."

I whined, feeling my heart burn in disbelief. "But ma!" 

"Don't annoy me, Mel, Now go handle your business while I take care of this shit."