Letters

Chapter Five

"Hey Tori?" I asked, as Tori glanced up.

"Yeah?" she replied.

"Did something happen between you and your mother?"

"No, why?"

I could tell when she was lying. She doesn't know it, but when she lies she looks to the left of me and she holds her hands - which she never does unless she is lying.

"Tori."

"Ugh, fine."

Tori started to go into detail as to what happened between her and her mom.

"So you remember when I said she wasn't ready for me to move out?"

"Yeah..."

"That wasn't all of it."

"Well duh."

"Shut up! Anyway, so when I said I was ready to move out she didn't take it the way I thought she would."

"Aren't parents supposed to be proud of their kids when they hear those words?"

"Yeah. But mine wasn't. She started telling me how I was 'too young' and that I wasn't going to be able to pay rent,"

"But we split the rent!"

"And that's what I told her next. I told her that you were going to be my roommate, and that we agreed on splitting the rent, 50/50."

"How did she take that?"

"She said stuff about me not being able to pay my half..."

"Oh Tori. You are able to pay it. It's me that has to save my money to pay for it."

"I know," she laughed.

"Continue with the story,"

"So I started to raise my voice a little bit, and she yelled 'get out'. That's why I needed the emergency sleepover,"

"So that's why you were sad when you arrived! Oh Tori, you could have told me this!"

"I thought it would change your mind about the apartment,"

"No it wouldn't. You were ready and your mom needed to understand that. None of this is your fault."

"Thanks for comforting me Annie,"

"Anytime."

We sat in silence for a little bit. I looked over at the window and saw a new letter, it looked like it was brand new. Like it was just posted. Tori noticed it too. I ran to the window, grabbed it, then ran into the kitchen - where the window can't look into from any angle.

"Well? What does it say? YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME AT A CLIFFHANGER AND YOU KNOW THAT!" Tori said, in her dramatic voice. I laughed.

"Well it says..."

"Hello girls. Tori seems upset, family problems? Of course it is, because we just heard your whole conversation. And let me add this - Tori isn't ready for living here, because she has no idea what's coming next."

"Ugh, why are they doing this to u-"

I was cut off from something else at the window. I could see the hand quickly move away, because they were about to post it. I decided to wait a second.

"Tori, crawl on the ground and post this on our letter wall. I'll go get that," I said, pointing to the sticky note on the window. Tori gave me a thumbs up and took the paper out of my hand.

I stayed on the ground, laying against the cabinets. I moved slowly across the kitchen floor to get the sticky note. I was just about to get it, but...

someone grabbed my hand from the outside.