Rejected ✓

S H I F T

❁ C H A P T E R  E I G H T ❁

I woke up with a painful headache, and my parents once again yelling at me. I buried my face in my pillow as they yelled, nearly falling asleep once again. I couldn't fall asleep, though. Not anymore.

The verdict in my house was that I was going to be grounded for a month. No more, no less. It was surprising, normally it would be much longer.

But I found when I stumbled downstairs, that there was another issue floating around my house. One that held a much more important status.

"Her birthday is on Monday."

I stopped half way down the stairs, pushing myself against the wall so I could listen. I knew what they were talking about- and it wasn't about me.

I frowned as I closed my eyes, heightening my senses so that I could hear with utmost clearness. I could hear my mother sigh. It was a pained sigh; and upset sigh.

I tugged at my Necklace, wrapping my fingers around the ring. It was hers, once. Before-

"I know, I know... Ruby's going to have a tough time, she always does," My mother answered back. She was probably looking towards the stairs, thinking about me in my room.

I could hear my pulse in my ears as I strained to listen. I was too hungover for this.

"Why don't we send a letter to her parents-" My father was always an optimist. Always wanting to do the right thing.

"They don't deserve a letter!" My mother snapped back, and my father sighed in response. I wanted to tell her that she was right, but I couldn't find my voice.

My parents went silent for a few fleeting moments, and then my mother talked again.

"She was more ours then theirs."

I felt my eyes welling as I took a deep breath, letting my hands fall from my necklace.

Mecah

I opened my eyes, and swallowed. My throat was starting to constrict as I started to remember. Shaking my head, I calmed myself down, before walking completely downstairs. My mom was turned away from my dad, chopping up a banana for her fruit bowl.

She turned to me when I got downstairs, and gave me a slight smile. She was thinking about too many things to be continuously mad at me.

I gave her a smile back, and went to hug my dad, who was reading a newspaper. He gave me a kiss on my head, and asked how I was feeling.

"Good," I lied, pushing myself up onto the stool next to him. We had a kitchen island, and barstool on one side. That's where my dad liked to sit and eat breakfast every morning.

My mother put a bowl of fruit in front of me, and I started eating graciously. I hadn't realized how hungry I was.

"I'm going to go to the store to get some groceries, do you want to come Ruby?" My mother asked, cleaning up the mess she made.

I shook my head, shoving another spoonful of fruit into my mouth. I used to love go grocery shopping... when I was nine.

My mother already knew the answer before I said it, so she left soon after that. My father followed, saying he had some work he had to do.

When they were gone, I cleaned up my bowl, and decided I needed to go for a run. Dottie had been neglected for too long, and was itching to have control.

I had a box behind a shed that I put my clothes in when I shift, so I stripped and put them in it. The shift was painful, more so than usual. My fault, since I hadn't shifted in so long.