Silver Linings

2 | Cold Mornings

IT felt like I was hardly there long once the 'Hot Mom, Ms. Jakobs' (the name I determined Ted at the front desk calls my Mom when we aren't around even though my Mom hates when I say it. He's completely into her and we all know it.) had checked me out of the hospital, yet, the silent treatment from my sister dragged on forever. I kept a straight face as I acted like I didn't see the few tears Riley shared during our ride home, but it was hard not to notice. It was a tense silence in the small car, a few sniffles was like a knife cutting through it. It used to be difficult to watch it play out but now all I felt was a dull ache. This is how it was and how it always will be. There was no use in feeling through it when I had no means of reconstructing their sympathy and disappointment into something actually worth while.

"I don't... understand, Hayley." My mom let out a shaky breath as she drove, a heavy tiredness in her voice that I couldn't ignore. I knew very well how tiring my mother's lifestyle had become once my sickness took over the entirety of who we were, it dragged us all through hell and back and I did nothing to really help that. Begrudgingly, I tore my eyes away from the rumbling storms that had taken over the skies of Mount Vernon, Washington the past few days to take a look at her. It was an entire different storm as I met her eyes in the rear view mirror, in its own different ways. Still, much too alike, as I viewed the thunder brewing beneath the grey in her steady gaze on the road.

"I'm sorry." I said.

"No. No, you're not." She sniffles, rubbing at her already red nose but still there was no tears threatening to fall. I had concluded after the last year of my mother no longer crying, that she had nothing left to give. Maybe she was as empty as I was. I swallowed the thick lump of guiltiness I felt at that thought and turned to the window, letting the coldness of the window seep into my skin as I leaned my forehead against it.

~

"Hayley! It's time to get up! Rise and shine!" My mom's voice cheered, making me nearly jump out of my skin as her voice rang in my ears. Squinting, I watched her flicking my lights on and throwing the curtains open, all of her antics until my body decided to finally react as she began taking my blankets. I let out a growl of frustration as the cold air from the morning hit my exposed legs and I brought them to my chest in an attempt to keep the warmth around my body.

"Mom..." My voice came out in a whine as I looked over at my bedside alarm. Reading the lit up numbers had me widening my eyes as I looked back up at her. "It's 7am! I never wake up this early." I groaned, smacking my face back into the comfort of my pillow.

"Well, I assumed it would take a while to make you eat so here we are." She mused. I moved my head to put my frown of disapproval on display as I caught sight of her tight smile and authoritative pose with her hands planted firmly on her hips. The image of her actually getting onto me threatened to put a grin on my face because everyone who met my mother knew she was a kind woman just by one look. Her short brown hair, gentle figure and kind smile drew everyone in, the only thing that could have you begging for forgiveness was the fierce look in her eyes and that definitely struck a small chord in me as I began to slowly sit up, still taking her sweet time.

"Chop chop, kid!" I let out another dramatic groan as she left the room, my white comforter dragging behind her as she walked with purpose down my hall. "Be down in ten minutes!" She called out to me and I heard a thump and a sound of annoyance come from my sisters room, a slight roll of my eyes as I agreed with her.

"You and me both, Riles. You and me both." I mumbled, rolling out of bed as if I were just a sack of bones. My hair was a hot mess once I entered my bathroom and looked into my mirror, a jack and jill layout that was shared alongside my younger sister. My brown hair that I had thrown into a top knot the night before truly became a knot and the sleepiness in my bright blue eyes weren't hard to miss. I looked exhausted and pale. The signature Hayley look. On cue, a basic replica of me if it weren't for the liveliness in her skin opened the door next to me with a look that could kill.

"Why the hell is everyone up this freaking early and talking so loud." She grumbled, hair flying in all directions as her green eyes flamed with irritation. I replied with a small shrug, opening a drawer to grab my hair brush as I began to work out the birds nest that had been created atop of my head from yet another night of restless sleep.

"You should ask Mom about that, she's the one running around like a wild woman this morning." I murmured, smiling in triumph as I successfully got the hair tie out of my unruly hair, tangled brown locks falling down my back.

"Oh my god, will you guys just be quieter then. I still have fourty-five minutes till my actual alarm goes off. That's valuable time of sleep! Sleeeeeep." Riley dragged the word out, hands moving animatedly to prove her point before letting out a huff and shutting the door behind her, a faint sound of her jumping into her bed moments after. An amused grin came over my lips as I shook my head, brushing out my hair before finally deciding to go downstairs to meet my Mom in the kitchen. I found myself disappointed to not smell anything sweet being cooked upon the stove but I was most definitely not prepared for the colorful plethora of foods I discover lying across the counter.

"What the..." I mumble, taking a seat at the barstool, cold leather against the parts my cotton shorts didn't cover. I watch my Mom turn towards me with a look of determination, many different parts of the fridge open as she was organizing.

"I want you to eat." She demands more than offers causing me to cock a brow her way. My challenging expression soon vanished as my mother gave me a stern look and I put her hands up in surrender, eyes running over the foods on the table. I didn't particularly want to deal with the wrath of Alicia Jakobs this morning. Many different fruits were strewn along nuts and trail mixes and it put a bad taste in my mouth as I grimaced.

"I'm not hungry."

"Oh that's a bummer. Guess you'll just have to stuff yourself." My mom shrugged, as she walked up behind me, pushing my chair fully in and the scratching of metal legs against tile made me cringe.

"That's not very healthy." I retaliated, giving her a pointed look.

"Sit down, Hayley." Her voice suddenly went stern and I froze, scanning her face for any weakness but I made no progress.  I let out a deep sigh before accepting the plate of strawberries and cashews she made for me, a small smoothie in a glass cup beside it. "Now eat or I'll force it down your throat."

"You know other normal human beings would call CPS if they heard a mom say that to her perfectly innocent daughter." I spoke in a disinterested tone, grabbing my fork and stabbing a strawberry with a frown.

"Good thing we don't have any normal human beings around. Only boring weirdos. Now eat up." She urges me on, the playfulness in the air making the situation she was putting me in less aggravating.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm doing it. No need to rush." I hummed, giving into her antics as I took the slice of strawberry into my mouth.

"Oh! And here." My mom smiled giving me my medication and milk.

"Milk? I already have my smoothie. What an odd combination, don't you think?" I pestered, plopping my prescribed pills into my mouth before taking a drink of milk.

"You really expect me to watch you try to swallow those pills with a thick ass smoothie?" Her thin brows raised questionably and I pointed at her with a wink. "You're just like me, Hayley, and it gives me the creeps."

"Oh, goodie." I spoke, sarcasm dripping in my tone.

"Shut up and eat your fruit before it's time to get ready for school, you hoodlum."

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A/N
So I kind of got off writing for awhile there and totally forgot about how much muse I had for this book. I really want to follow through with this as much as I can and although I can't promise a steady update schedule I can promise a pure love for the writing! LMAO CKXKXK
vote and comment if uuuuuu enjoyed :)
Much love, P.