Drowning ***WORK IN PROGRESS!***

Chapter Six

Katie has always loved Addy's room. Her walls are robin's egg blue and her bedspread is baby pink. One wall is dedicated to just pictures. Katie is in every single picture except for one. Katie and Addy at Disneyland, Katie's hair wild, and them laughing hysterically. Katie and Addy standing together on the San Francisco Bridge, Addy pointing to a boat on the water. Katie and Addy at Disneyland again, this picture as their lock- and home-screens. Katie and Addy with their families. When Katie looks more closely at that one, her eyes tear up. That was when her parents were still together, still happy.

Addy sees that Kaitlyn is crying, she flops on her bed and motions Katie to do the same. Kaitlyn instead decides to clean Addy's room. Her room is always messy, and it's pretty much Katie's chore to clean it. Mrs. Clark pays her and everything. Most people wouldn't want to do it, but Kaitlyn is different. She loves to clean, and needs to have things clean. It calms her and clears her mind. "Kaitlyn? Are you okay?" Addy asks her.

Katie sighs, and sits down on her bed. She runs her fingers through her hair, which she wore down and curled today. "My mom was really upset this morning," Katie admits.

Addy gasps, and covers her mouth. "About what? Do you know?" All Katie can do is nod. "Well? Are you gonna tell me?" Kaitlyn can tell that Addy needs to know. Alana Watson is rarely sad, and if she is, it's because Kaitlyn is too.

"I brought up Dad this morning," she shrugs. Addy shifts her gaze down and blows a stream of air towards her hair. "Mom made waffles this morning and burned them. I came downstairs, wondering what the smell was. I went into the kitchen, and she was humming a song, making the waffles. I brought up the fact that she hadn't cooked since dad left. I got lost in memories, and when I came back to reality, she was practically crying."

Addy is still looking down at her hands. Then, she meets Katie's eyes. "I'm sorry," is all she can manage. Her parents are still together, her family is still happy, her life is still perfect.

Her mom's calls interrupts their fun time. "GIRLS! IT'S TIME TO GO!" She calls up the stairs. Not waiting a millisecond, they sprint down the stairs, two steps at a time. On the way down, Katie wipes the tears from her eyes and puts on a smile. "Good. Now," Mrs. Clark smiles at them. "Are you girls ready to go?"

Addy nods her head, "Of course mom!" She sighs and says to Kaitlyn, "She always needs to make sure."

Mrs. Clark makes a face. "It's cause I worry about you!" She pulls her into a side hug and gives her a noogie. "Now," she breaks aways and says brightly, "what're we waiting for? Let's go!" She leads the way through their beautifully decorated house to the garage. They all get into their 2014 Dixon Ticonderoga. Mrs. Clark starts the car and soon, they are on their way to the mall.

Katie leans toward Mrs. Clark and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you," she says softly but emotionally.

Mrs. Clark turns to her briefly, and pulls the car into the nearest parking lot. She turns around to a teary-eyed Kaitlyn. "Oh honey. What's wrong?" She wraps her hands around Katie's hands.

"Mom started to cry this morning because of me!" she cries. "She made breakfast, which she hadn't done since Da-Dad left. I brought that up, then-then I got lost in memories, so I-I don't know what happened at that point. When I fin-finally came out of my brain, she wa-was crying and-" Katie can't continue. Mrs. Clark's eyes grow misty and wet.

She looks Katie in the eyes, and manages to say, "Katie. I am so sorry. We are always here for you whenever you need it." Katie looks up and tries to thank her, but only awakens another wave of sobs. "Now. Katie." Katie looks at Mrs. Clark again. "Answer me honestly. Are you okay?"

Kaitlyn draws a quivering breath, and answers, "Yeah. I think I am now." She gives a shudderingly laugh. Katie shifts in her seat. "Well. Let's go to the mall!" She says confidently, "We have some shopping to do!"

After a couple of seconds making sure Kaitlyn was okay, Mrs. Clark turns around and presses on the gas. They were on their way again. Katie breathes a sigh of obvious relief and falls onto her seat. Pretty soon, the car pulls into the parking lot of the mall. Mrs. Clark parks the vehicle and turns around. "Katie. Are you sure you're okay?"

Luckily, Addy comes to Kaitlyn's rescue. She pushes Katie towards the door and says to her mom, "She's fine, Mom. Geesh. You treat her like she's your own daughter."

A look of pain crosses over Mrs. Clark's face. "That's because she is," she whispers as the two girls get out. The doors shut. Katie and Addy turn around and wave to Mrs. Clark as she drives away. The girls run towards the mall and open the doors.