EmPATHETICally Blind (A skinny love story)

Chapter 35: My final final decision

       Emilee's POV:

I wake up the next morning on the floor, to the sound of someone coming through the door. I've always been a light sleeper, one of those that could hear everything going on around them while they slept, so this woke me up without a doubt.

There was a scratchy blanket covering me, I was still in my clothes from yesterday, not having changed, and my hair was a right tangled mess because I showered and didn't brush it. My head was resting on my arm.

        "Who is it?" I ask.

        "Your captor. We're here to interrogate you about your family now. Anything you say can and will be held against you." My uncles' voice jokes. I pretend to think for a moment.

        "Zac Efron." I say. He laughs, and throws what looks like an envelope at me.

        "From what the writing on the envelope looks like, you have a first grade correspondant."

        "Thanks." I say, looking at it curiously.

        "No problem. Be down for breakfast." He says, then leaves the room.

I sit up, wincing at how uncomfortable the floor is. I had absolutely refused to sleep on the bed in the guest room, since I hated mattresses, and my uncle had absolutely refused to let me sleep on the hammock that they happened to have in their backyard, since he didn't want his teenage niece getting abducted in the middle of the night.

        I opened it up and read it, then re-read it, then read it a third time. Not because the handwriting was shitty but because the person who wrote it was shitty enough to write me this.

        Drink himself stupid? Uh uh, not on my life.

I ran down the stairs, almost tripping and landing on my ass, then ran into the kitchen to see my parents, my uncle and his family all seated at the table, eating breakfast. A spot was left open for me.

        "Good morning dear. What's that you have in your hand?" Mom asks.

        "I can't go to California. We have to stay." I say.

I expect disappointed glares and even a few complaints about all the planning we did. What I didn't expect was mom pumping her fist in the air, going "Yes!" then turning to my dad and saying "You owe me twenty bucks." My dad looks at me annoyed, and then rolls his eyes and digs for his wallet, pulling out a twenty.

        "Uh, can someone explain?" I ask.

        "We knew eventually you'd change your mind. That's why we decided to stay here for a weekend just in case. I bet that it'd be within the first day that you got here. Your father bet it would be on the last day. I was closer." My mom said, smiling triumphantly.

        "Well, good for you. I gotta go." I say.

        "Wait just a minute you don't need to leave this second! Spend some time with your family we don't see them very often!" My mom says. I throw them all an apologetic look before walking towards the door and putting on my flip flops.

        "Sorry, I just have to." I say, grabbing mom's car keys and leaving.

***

I get to the town eventually, getting more nervous with each turn. I'm surprised I didn't get a speeding ticket, the way I drove. I parked the car in our driveway, and ran over to Matt's house, knocking on the door. No answer.

I ran into the backyard and unzipped his tent, looking inside. He wasn't there either.

My heart dropped into my stomach and I thought of one more place he might be. Our park.

        I drive there, and as I pull up I can see him, just sitting in the tree drowning the world out with his music. I smile as relief fills me up.

I get out of the car and make my way over towards the tree.