The next morning, I got up and saw my parents making breakfast. They set a place for me at the table. They looked overjoyed. Happy. I wondered, would I be able to stay here, after everything was over? Maybe even after we spoke to the janitor?
After I saw Michael that night, he just waved and sat out there. I didn’t want to leave him there, but he looked like that’s where he wanted to be. When I looked outside the next morning, he was gone again.
I looked through my old, beloved, closet and found a dark red T shirt and put on my flared blue jeans. I found a leather jacket and plopped it on me then took my cell phone and put it in my pocket. I scoffed. I guess that old number of East’s was useless after all. Maria acted as though it was. Maria. Come to think of it. I haven’t seen her in a long while. I guess she has a life of her own. I wonder what happened to Dujour and Malcolm and Anna Jane, Rork too.
I ate the pancakes set in front of me, but avoided the sausage. If anything, I didn’t want to lose control with my family. I looked at Santa’s empty seat. I missed him. “Did you tell him?”
“We can’t seem to get hold of him.” My mom said to me. How unlucky. Madison pranced down the stairs then looked at me. Her eyes rolled.
“So,” My mom sat down at her seat. “You wanna go to town today?”
I’d forgotten about that little town. I used to be so fond of it.
“We could get McDonalds.” My dad smiled at me. McDonalds? My mouth watered. This pancake stuff wasn’t cutting it for me. I felt like I could eat a bear. But, what if I lose control? Edwin said that meat would arouse my hunger for blood. As if I had it bad enough already. Maybe I could control myself though.
“I’d love that.”
“So, when you gonna tell us where you were?” Madison interrupted.
I gave her an annoyed face. She’d ruined my day just by talking it seemed.
I looked away. My parents panicked. “She doesn’t have to tell you if she doesn’t want to. Come on, that can’t be enough to feed you. You’re skin and bones.”
I looked at my parents. Today, they looked ten times better than they did yesterday. Madison looked the same the last day I saw her. Soon, we all went out of the house and worked our way to SUV. It was just the way I remembered it. Everything was. I looked over to see if the pond was different. From what I could see, it was completely frozen. I heard footsteps behind me. I turned and saw Michael coming from our sheltered road. I walked forward but my dad stopped me.
“It’s ok dad, I know him.”
“Who is he?”
“He’s my friend. Michael.”
“Michael?” My mom looked at him. “Do we know him?”
“He knew a friend of ours, East?”
“East? Oh yes. That nice boy.”
I let out a chuckle. Nice boy. As if.
Michael was wearing a long sleeved comfy shirt in solid black. It hung loose and the hem stopped a little above his hips. He wore regular jeans and the same shoes he wore before.
