Ticket

"Cassie Ainsworth, you come home this instant," my mother screeamed into the phone. I held it away from my ear as she droned on. "You know very well that I need your help around here. I can't have you wandering around doing God knows what. Get home now," she snapped. The line clicked off, and she was gone again. I sighed heavily. 

My mom probably didn't even notice I wasn't home this morning. I had fled in the middle of the night to try and get away from her. She prbably wound't have noticed if it hadn't been for my little brother. 

I leaned against the seat of my car and sucked in a deep breath. I wanted to get away, but no matter where i went, she would always be there. Calling me, Yeling at me, Commanding my help so she could go have sex with my step dad. I hated it. 

I started the engine up again. I wasn't quite ready to go home. Maybe Jal and Chris were home. I could go visit them. Anything was better than going home to my mother. 

Jal's car was out front, which meant someone was home. I stepped out into the baking heat and shuffled to the door. It was far to hot to be outside today. 

"Chris? Jal? Anyone home?" I called. I knocked on the door, but no one answer. "Jal? It's Cassie! I'm coming in!" I called. I lifted the welcome mat up and found the extra key they always kept under it. Only a few people knew it was there, and they never seemd to mind before when I let myself in. 

The smell of burning bread greeted me as soon as I stepped inside. I coughed and waved the smoke away from my face.

"Jal! Chris! Is everyone okay?" I shouted. I heard a slight coughing to the front of the kitchen, and I sprinted forward. 

"Cassie?" I heard Chris call. 

"Yes, it's me. Are you okay?" I called. The smoke had finally started to clear, and there stood Chris. Covered in flour and his hair sticking up on end, smiling  like a total goon. He pulled my forward into a messy hug, covering me in flour.

"Cooking again?" I asked with a small smile. 

"Trying to. This time, I'm gonna get it right," he said. I rolled my eyes.

"Where is Jal?" I asked. Chris shrugged.

"Probably at practice still. I swear, the woman loves her music more than she loves me," she said. 

"That's not true, Chris. You know she loves you very much," I said. I flopped onto the couch and watched him pull out the smoldering ashes that used to be bread. 

"Damn, every time," he muttered. He tossed the burnt food right out the window and flopped down next to me.

"Maybe you should just buy her a loaf of bread for dinner," I said. He chuckled slightly.

"Not in a million years. My mom used to cook, you know," he said. I felt my heart clentch. I know he was being light hearted right now, but I know he was still pretty sensitive about his mom. It had only been a few months since she had left him alone. But things had started looking up since he started seeing Jal. 

"So what do I owe the pleasure today, Miss Cassie?" he asked. 

"Just wanted to hang out," I said quietly. 

"Mom wants you home again?" he asked quietly. I nodded.

"Yes, unfortuantly," I said.

"Why don't you go see Sid?" he asked. My fist tightened. 

"We're not talking anymore, Chris," I said softly. 

"Oh, sorry," he muttered. I shook my head and pushed my self off the couch. 

"I'll let you alone now, Chris. I know Jal will be home soon," I said. 

"Join us for dinner?" he aske. I shook my head.

"No, that's okay. I better get home. My mom will have my ass for grass," I said. Chris sighed, but said nothing more as I left. 

The road back to my house was a long and lonely drive, one i hated, but I knew if I didn't get home soon, then my mother would really throw a fit. besides, I'm sure my little brother hadn't been fed or changed all day, despite how much noise I'm sure he made. 

I pulled onto the interstate and set my cruise. The staticy noise of my broken stereo system filled the repressing silence. I turned down the volume so it wouldn't bother me anymore. 

My stomache starte rumbling again. I sucked in a deep breath and tried to ignore it. The last thing I wanted to think about now was eating. Food was bad. The only thing it was good for was keeping my brother quiet. 

As I zoomed past the slower moving cars on the interstate, my mind difted onward to another thought I didn't want to be bothered with; Sid. 

"He doesn't love you, Cas," I muttered to myself, though it brough tears to my eyes just thinking about it. The last time Sid and I had spoken, I thought he had been sending messages to my phone, telling me to eat. He was the only other person who knew about my hatred of food. I broke down and told him, and at first, he seemed to be okay with it. that was until I started getting messages telling me to eat. I thought maybe they were from him, but when I asked him about it, he got really mad and told me it wasn't him. He called me crazy even...

I sighed heavily and shook my head. I wasn't crazy. Someone was sending me messages. And no one else knew but Sid, so who else would be sending them. I knew it was Sid. It had to be.

I pulled off theinterstate and headed to my house. I would talk to Sid about it again another time. Maybe he was just having a hard time with school right now. And I didn't want to stay mad at him. I loved him after all. Even that silly hat.

"Cassie! Where the hell have you been?" my mother screamed at me. I had barely closed the door before she started screaming at me. I sighed and leaned against it.

"I was with Chris. He burnt Jal's dinner again and he needed some encouragement," I said. My mothers nostrils flared. 

"What is that supposed to mean? Youre brother has been screaming for three hours now and he wont stop!" she shouted. I pushed past her and made my way to where my brothers room was. She quickly followed me. 

"Well maybe that's because he's hungry and needs him bum changed," I said. I scooped up the screaming baby and held him close to my chest. "You could feed him, you know. He is your son," I said. 

"What did you say to me!" she shouted. He screamed louder.

"Mother, don't shout. You're only upsetting him. And I said that you could feed him. You know how too. He also needs to be changed. You wouldn't like sitting around in a soggy diaper all day, would you?" I asked. I brought him over to the changing table and pulled off his wet bottom. He stopped crying instantly.

"You'll learn better to not talk back to me, young lady," she whispered. With that, she stormed out of hte room. I sighed and finished chanigng him. He was all smiles now, alughing and giggling with every face I pulled. 

I set him back in his crib and went to get a bottle for him. My mother was no where to be seen when I turned the corner to the kitchen, which I was thankful for. I didn't care what she said. I hated living here. I wanted to get out, but I had no where to go, even if I could go. 

I heade back into my little brother's room with a fersh bottle. I watcted him cuddle back down into his blankents and fall back asleep. I settled into the rocking chair to watch him. I pulled out my tiny coin purse that I kept tucked away in the folds of my dress. My step dad snubbed Oxycottons were waiting inside for me. I smiled as I pulled a few out and rolled them around in my hand. I glanced over at my brother. His sleepy eyes gazed back up at me.

"Well you're not going to tell anyone, are you?" I whispered.