Chasing a Broken Butterfly

Chapter 7:

After a seemingly long day at school, I make it in one piece to my house. Only the second day and my teachers have already overloaded us with homework.

I grab an apple off the fruit stand in the middle of the table before heading upstairs to my room to get started on the essay already assigned. I'd rather not fall behind. I set my bags down beside my bed and kick off my shoes. It's then that I feel a breeze wash over me and I look up across my room. My bed faces the window, so the wind has easy access to my room when the window is open. That's precisely why I always leave my window closed...I'm extremely sensitive to the cold, so I can't stand the cold night air...or any cool breeze for that matter.

I didn't open my window this morning did I? I can't remember, but I'm sure I didn't. It's not a habit of mine. I scrunch my eyebrows together in confusion before I make my way across the room to close it. Maybe my mom came in and opened it to let fresh air in. She does that with the kitchen windows. She's been known to do it occasionally to my bedroom window. It's annoying sometimes and I tell her. She normally doesn't do it, but it's the only thing that makes sense.

I pad down the hall to the right where my mom's room is. I open the door as quietly as I can to check up on her before heading back to my room. It's only 4 in the afternoon, so she has another couple of hours before she has to wake up to get ready to take up her night shift at Saint Mary's Hospital.

I settle down in my black office chair at my desk, open up my laptop and start outlining my essay before diving in to type it.

I must've gotten lost in my work because the next time I look behind me and out the window, the sun has set and turned the sky a pretty array of pinks, purples and golds. I've always loved the color of the sky during sunset. It's a magical thing to look at. Enchanting, really.

I decide to go down and make myself something to eat. As I walk out I notice the bathroom door in the hallway is closed and light is seeping from the crack underneath.

My mom must be in the shower, I thought.

I continue downstairs and step into the kitchen. I turn on the light and look over at the microwave to check the time. It's 8 p.m.

Wow...time really did fly doing that damn essay...

I pull my phone out of my back pocket of my jeans and turn it on. I'd turned it off to avoid being distracted. I have a very bad habit of getting easily distracted by my phone when I should be paying attention to something else of more importance.

It starts buzzing like crazy as it updates all of the missed text messages from Mikey.

*Hey*

*Heelllloooo*

*Answer your damn phone!!!!!!*

*I need to ask you something!*

*Elle!!!*

*you're annoying!*

*Fine, if you don't reply I'm coming over*

*on my way*

*i hate you*

The last message was sent just a couple minutes ago.

Crap. He hates coming over here unless he has to. He says my house gives him creepy vibes. But I know it's because of my dad... Either way, something must've happened for him to be coming here.

I sigh and open the fridge to make myself something before he comes. He lives about 20 minutes away from me, so that gives me enough time to make a sandwich real quick.