Chasing Pavement (ON HOLD)

Chapter Two

Chapter Two:

[M.I.A.]

    I awoke to my mother hovering over my bed, her golden colored hair frightened me momentarily. “Where’s your sister?” she asked.

    It took me a moment, to realize Lara didn’t come home yet. “What time is it?” I wondered.   

“It’s one. I thought I’d let you sleep in since its Saturday. But, Sophia, where’s Lara?” Her cobalt blue eyes, looked tired and old. 

 “She’s not home?” I asked, stupidly.

“No. Sophia. She’s not home.” my mother became frustrated.

    “Look, her room looks trashed, which is not normal. I’m just wondering if you’ve seen or heard from her.” she flung her hands in the air.

    “Mom…” I started. I didn’t have the nerve yet, I checked my phone. Just with the slightest bit of hope that she texted me.

    Inbox: No new text messages.

Time to come clean.

“She called me at two in the morning last night, she said she was drunk at Andrea’s, so I went over there to help her home. She wasn’t there, she hasn’t talked to Andrea or DeeAnne Lenser since September. I never heard back from her. I figured she fell asleep and was hung over…” I bit my lip, in utter disbelief of what I had just confessed.

 “Lara? My daughter? Drunk? No. No way. Not possible Sophia.” she laughed.

“Then explain, why she’s not home.” I growled.

A lengthy pause came between us, before either of us spoke.

 “She doesn’t get drunk. She doesn’t get high. She doesn’t do stupid things.” mom snarled.

    In another words, I do. I’m the imperfect child. A stupid duplicate of Lara, whose messed up, and doesn’t come close to perfection. I was a love child. Not a child made to survive in a high-class world.

    “I don’t know why she would do this mom. But she did. I even have the text.”

I pulled my phone off the side table, and scanned for the text.

From: Lara

    Sis. I’m drunk at ANdreas cm pik me up. Dnt wnt trubz w/ ma+pa. <3 u.

    Mom’s face was filled with horror and disgust. “That’s not how she talks though.”

“I know.” I agreed.

    “Then it must be a misunderstanding.” she laughed, with a tinge of fear.

“It came from Lara’s cell-phone mom. People don’t just text me when their not her.”

    “Well we will just have to call your father then.” she sounded pathetic, like she really thought dad knew where the hell Lara was, he barely knew where is god-damned bathroom is.

 “I guess so.” I sighed.

“In the mean time. Clean you’re room? It’s a pig-sty.” she huffed.

 I rolled my eyes, and cleaned.

***

    My dad came home hours later. He was stressed out and tired from a long day at the office. His gray hair was astray, and he seemed annoyed, but that was a daily occurrence.

    “What do you mean, she’s not home. She was supposed to be at work, Camilla. They’ll fire her, and then how will she attend college?! We’re not the wealthiest family anymore…” he fretted, pacing the kitchen floor.

    “I didn’t loose her Michael. I just have no idea where she went. Sophia seems to think she’s drunk somewhere.” mom sighed.

    “Well… why don’t you call her?” he asked, cruelty spewing through every word.

    She sighed, “Look Michael. It’s been sixteen hours. And I’m starting to get worried. She sent a text to Sophy at like two in the morning, and it didn’t sound like her. Maybe we should go out looking.”

“She’s almost eighteen, Camilla. I think she can fend for herself.” dad huffed, carrying his Pepsi to his chair.

    “She’s still my baby. And I’m worried. I think Sophia was right. Something happened last night.” mom urged the subject.

    It smelt like spaghetti cooking in the kitchen. I headed towards the smell, even though I was clearly just wanting to be involved in the conversation.

What? I can't help it... I'm nosy.

    “Give it until the morning. Then we’ll worry? Okay my love?” Dad’s sincere self came back to him.

“Okay Michael. I just worry.” mom sighed.

 “I know my dear. You are somewhat of a worry-wart.” he giggled into her hair.

    They were in love, and that’s all I ever wanted. Was to be madly, deeply, sincerely in love with someone. I yearned for that.

 “Hello peaches.” Dad said, kissing my forehead.

 My father called me 'Peaches', because when I was little, I ate so many peaches, he swore I was sweating them because my hair always smelt like them. Hence: Peaches.

“Hi dad.” I smiled.

    “No sign of Lara yet?” he asked.

“No.” I replied.

    He grumbled. “Weird. Well the feast waits for no one.”

    We ate in almost utter silence. This would unfortunately be like this for a long, long, long time.

    Usually my sister took center stage at dinner. She talked about her 4.0 GPA, how easy all her A.P. courses were. How she could talk fluently in German, Spanish, and French, and the occasional gangster. She’d explain how she would be going off to Spain this summer with her Spanish class, for a college credit.

    Lara was beyond excited for college, to get out of Crest View, the high school, to be an adult, and get away from her family in general. Mom and dad would ask endless questions about her applications to the State University, or her job as a Child-Care teacher. Or her boyfriend Alex Palmer, or her friends Andrea McArthur, and DeeAnne Lenser, and Chelsea Wheat. Or how Cheerleading was going, and packing for her spring break trip to the Caribbean.

    They rarely asked me, how my life was. About my friend Chrissy Demitri, and Zoey Parker. Or how Pom and Dance was, or my college preferences, or my job at the veterinarian clinic. I wasn’t good enough for questions. I was the duplicate. Un-important, not exceptional. I was the outcast. The ‘forgotten one.’ Sophia Williams the nobody daughter.

    After dinner, I cleaned up and did the dishes. Once again, I crawled into my bed, stared out the window at those illuminated stars. Leading into the safety of sleep into dream land.

But, tonight the dreams weren’t so pretty.

A/N: EDITED! WOOH! Can I get a what-what? No? Alright(: Stay tuned. <3 xo!