The Invisible Girl

Chapter Three; Vacation

Three weeks later...

"Are you sure this is safe? Father always checks on me in the morning."

"You'll be fine. If they catch you, can't you just run away?"

"Run away? Where would I go?"

I had been arguing the same point for over a week with Luke. He was determined to 'show me the world' as he repeatedly sung(a song from a kids movie, he revealed), but I was uncertain if that was a smart idea. It was true- I was invisible when I wasn't in the moonlight, so what were the chances that anyone could track me down if I did leave? Especially my agoraphobic mother. She had spent years blocking the world out, keeping herself hidden away in the safety of her own home.

But what would that make me? Sure, my mom did some pretty horrible things, but she was sick. I knew what she did to me wasn't okay, I wasn't that oblivious, but I also didn't wish anything bad on her. Who would take care of her if I left? She wasn't capable of maintaining a healthy routine. She couldn't remember to eat without me or my father. If I wasn't there, who would help her when father would go away for work? Marie wouldn't, I knew. Mother wouldn't magically begin to remember to eat, or suddenly be motivated to shower and wash her own bedsheets.

"Sang!"

I blinked, realizing I had zoned out on Luke. He was studying me, his brown eyes calculating. "S-sorry. What were you saying?"

Luke had visited me every night since we met. We fell into a routine that felt all-too natural. I'd wait at the end of the street, just out of sight of the house, and he'd meet me there, usually appearing out of nowhere. I never heard him coming or saw any vehicle, he was just... there. Every night.

Even on the nights clouds filled the sky and blocked the moon Luke came. He'd call for me until he found me, and then, just like every other night, he'd keep me company until I had to go back inside. Some nights, like tonight, he'd go back with me until the sun started to come up, sneaking out before the rest of my family woke up.

"You really should get out of the house," Luke said. I opened my mouth to protest, but he was quick to cut me off. "For more than just a nighttime stroll. You can come hang out with me and my friends."

I bit my lip, glancing down at my hands. They were translucent, the moonlight barely reaching us where we stood on my doorstep. The sun was going to rise, pretty soon. "They won't be able to see me, though... besides, I need to sleep some time."

"Then you can sleep in a bed- not on the basement floor. There'll be pillows and blankets, free food you don't have to sneak from the kitchen, easy-access to a private bathroom... think of it like a free vacation! Just for a day." Luke grinned, his eyes gaining a mischievous glimmer I had seen many times- always when he was describing a prank he pulled, or one he wanted to pull on his friends. "Just think of all the mischief we could cause! Ooh, and all of the candies and sweets I could introduce you to. My friends will love you!"

I took a deep breath, bracing myself, trying to come up with a way to let him down easy. Then I heard the lock being undone. Someone was opening the front door.

My eyes widened, my heart stopping in my chest. Was it Marie? My father? Would they rat me out? "Luke," I hissed, "hide!"

The door swung open- but we were already gone.

~ | A/N | ~

So sorry for the long wait! For those of you wondering what's happened to Academy Pet, I actually had to take a break from writing, and for a few weeks, Wattpad all together. I'm back, though, and updates should resume in the next few weeks, and to the best of my ability, Academy Pet will still stick to a weekly upload schedule. Thank you all for your patience and support- it means the world to me!