Lost and Found

Chapter Fifteen

One day they'll realize they lost a diamond while playing with worthless stones -Turcois Ominek

***

"I missed you so bad," Hailey said as she pulled me into a hug.

"I know. It feels like it's been a year," I responded.

My sister and I decided that we had to see each other again. I stopped talking to my mother, not her.

Hailey's response was, "Can we go to Panera?"

"Sure. You know me and mac & cheese." I loved mac & cheese. Back when Piper and Dad were around, I ate it every day.

"You drive," my sister said. "I was up till three again studying."

***

"And what would you like?" the girl at the counter asked me.

"I'll have the mac & cheese. The big bowl please," I responded.

We grabbed our food before plopping down at a table. I dug into my food but Hailey just pushed hers around.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Mom," she mumbled. I stared at her, waiting for her to keep talking. "I think that she's up to something."

I swallowed my food. "What do you mean?"

"I've been hearing her talk on the phone late at night. She's been talking about you."

"Is she putting me down or planning something?"

"I promise you that I haven't heard one bad thing about you."

"That's weird," I told myself. Then I said to Hailey, "Does she know Paul and I are over?"

"Yeah, his family and him came over for a very awkward meal yesterday. Paul seemed crushed."

"He didn't seem like it when I broke it off."

"You have to give him another chance. The two of us talked about the two of you last night."

"How were you guys alone."

"Mom and Patrick were 'talking' in her bedroom."

"Ew, ew, ew, I didn't need to know that."

Hailey put her elbow on the table and put her head on her hand as she shook her head. "Neither did I."

"Why don't you leave?" That question had been killing me ever since she said that she was going to community college.

"I couldn't leave my baby sister."

"But I'm leaving soon. I think you should transfer to Ohio State."

"They won't let me."

"There's always next year."

"I don't have a computer to access the application."

I grabbed my purse and dug around for a second before pulling out the application. I passed it to her. Then I said, "Make Dad and Piper proud."

Hailey looked at the papers again before a tear fell from her eye. "Thank you, sis," she said, biting her lip so she wouldn't cry. "I love you.'

"Girls?" a familiar voice said from behind me. I instantly froze.

Turning around slowly, I saw the devil herself. "Mother," I said.

"Juliette how great to see my own daughter after almost a month," she responded, an evil smirk on her face, her eyes slit like a snake.