Someone Hit the Mute Button

Chapter Fourteen- If There's a Prize for Rotten Judgement

To say thank you for ten thousand reads, I put in a little extra time to get this chapter up for you guys early! You are the best! I hope you like it. Also, PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER. 

Chapter Fourteen- If There's a Prize for Rotten Judgement

     

     The next few days weren't exactly a high point in my life. I rarely left my room, and though I did go to school each day during the week, I couldn't quite manage to stay there the whole day. When I was home, I was in sweats and t-shirts, and if I got out of bed at all it was to go to the bathroom or to get a drink.

     It wasn't like I was depressed or anything, because I wasn't. I was simply living the way I did before Dustin came into my life and brought his friends and family along with him. I was on my own once again, and I wasn't entirely sure if I minded.

     My phone never rang. Every once in a while, I'd start to think that I heard my phone vibrating, but I was never right. 

     This was right around the same time that I started to realize how little my mother was actually home. If I saw her, it was because she was dropping in to remind me that I had to take Violet for a walk. In fact, my house was usually empty. April had been seeing someone, though I never did learn his name, and Aria spent most nights with Tristan in an apartment that they were renting over on Apple Street, the very next street down from the one we lived on. It drove me crazy that she came back and suddenly couldn't get any more than twenty feet away from mommy.

     By the time I had started spending the whole day in school once again, it was very early April. Two full weeks had gone by without a word from Dustin, Eli, or even Gwen. Two full weeks without any of my friends even glancing my way in the hallway. It should have been driving me mad, but I was far too used to being alone.

     I had been waiting for a good moment to bring up my mother's unannounced engagement, but she was never home long enough for me to yell at her. How could my mother get engaged and not even bother to tell me about it? Furthermore, how could Mr. Knight have proposed so suddenly? Wasn't he supposed to ask permission or something?

     I didn't have to wait too much longer, though. One lazy Sunday morning, just about two weeks post-my friends, I trudged downstairs and found my mother sitting on our couch, curled up with Mr. Knight, watching a movie.

     She must have heard me come down the stairs, because the second I reached the bottom, she had turned to look at me. She smiled and said, "Good morning, dear!"

     I was surprised that I didn't totally lose it.

     "That's all you have to say?" I signed, my hands rather tense and my words choppy. "You haven't said more than three words to me in two weeks, and all you can say is 'Good morning, dear'? What the hell, mom?"

     Mr. Knight looked lost, but my mother barely paid him any attention. She did not sign back, as I assumed she would, and her tone was unusually calm. "First of all, watch your language. And it is not my fault that I have not seen you these past few weeks. I'm a very busy woman, and you hardly ever leave your Batcave."

     "You couldn't even take a few minutes to tell me about the fact that you're getting married?" I retorted, my movements deliberate. Her eyes widened, but soon smiled sweetly and turned to Mr. Knight.

     "Excuse us for a moment," She said, and she stood from her seat, grabbed my upper arm, and nearly dragged me into the kitchen. "How the hell did you hear about that?" She yelled, although it was one of those weird yells that's actually a whisper.