What's this? A wild update? Indeed it is and way past due! I hope you enjoy, and my sincerest apologies for my laziness/lack of creativity.
For a few seconds Chloe just stared at her, awestruck by the damage one smack had done. The thumb of the large handprint on Carey’s face carried the redness onto her eyelid where her eye was desperately trying to stay open. Carey was fighting a losing battle though, and within half a minute her eye was swollen shut.
“Oh my gosh Mrs. Davis! Let me get some ice for you! You know, you should really report this to the authorities.” Chloe jabbered quickly, making her way through the familiar house into the kitchen.
As Mrs. Davis began to protest about calling the cops, Chloe placed some ice from the freezer into a plastic baggie and handed it to her. As she placed the ice on her eye, Maddie entered the room.
“Mom! What happened?” Concern built up in her eyes.
“Sweetheart we can talk about it later, don’t worry about it. Why don’t you and Chloe do something to get your mind off things?” Mrs. Davis suggested before promptly leaving to her bedroom.
“Chloe what happened? Where’s my dad I need to settle this- he shouldn’t be abusing her!” Maddie exclaimed, tears welling up quickly in her eyes.
“Maddie…your dad took his stuff and drove off. I don’t think he plans on coming back this time.” Chloe said softly.
“No…” Maddie stumbled over her words, the tears tumbling silently out of her eyes one by one. “No he wouldn’t leave us, no, no, no, no, no!”
Maddie took off into her room, and without even attempting to hold her back Chloe followed her best friend, slowly trudging in a dreamlike state. Chloe rapped twice on the white door to her friend’s room.
“Maddie?” She croaked. When she received no answer, she gently nudged the door open to reveal Maddie’s face smashed into a pillow. Wordlessly, Chloe walked over to Maddie and sat on the bed with her. She hesitated for a few seconds before wrapping her arm around her friend. Just as Chloe was about to let go, Maddie sat up and crushed her back into the hug, burying her head into Chloe’s shoulder.
Maddie stayed in that position, crying on and off for a couple hours before crying herself into exhaustion. Chloe gently laid her down and left a note requesting that Maddie call her when she woke up. She poked her head into Carey’s room, only to discover she was asleep as well.
Chloe decided she’d finally go home and catch up with her long missed older brother.
***
When Chloe got home, Ethan had everyone gathered in the living room on the cream couch. He sat in the middle of a square pattered rug that matched the rest of the décor. The only light on was a bright lamp on the end table. They were aimlessly chatting about college matter. Chloe’s mom waved her over when she noticed she was home and patted the seat next to her, to which Chloe rushed over and sat, curious about the pending announcement. The last time she had been to a so called “family announcement” was back before Ethan left and he informed everyone that he was going vegan. It lasted four days before he decided he just had to have that chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.
“Alright everyone, now that Chloe’s home I can tell you.” Ethan began, taking a deep breath. “I proposed to Alice two weeks ago, and we’re going to be married next march.”
Before anyone else could react, Chloe’s mom shrieked and crushed her son into a hug. “I’m going to be a grandma!”
Ethan laughed and patted his mother on the back before letting go. Chloe gave him a small smile, and Zara muttered something about little brats running around the house before getting up and going to her room. Ethan seemed preoccupied as his mom jabbered on about wedding preparations. Chloe desperately wanted to talk to her brother, but decided it was best to wait until her mother’s excitement ebbed off.
Chloe flopped onto her bed, pretty exhausted about how the day had gone. She scrolled aimlessly through her Tumblr, laughing at and reblogging the occasional post before shutting off her computer. She double checked her phone, but seeing as she only had a notification from her stupid 2048 app, she plugged it into the charging dock and curled up to sleep. No more than five minutes later, just as she had begun to nod off- her phone rang.
“Hello?” Chloe mumbled groggily, wiping any signs of sleep from her eyes.
“Hey Chloe, I just found your letter.” Maddie was sniffling on the other end.
“Maddie just let me know if there is anything I can do for you, alright sweetheart? I know your dad is gone but I’m never,” Chloe winced at her words, wishing it wasn’t a lie. “going to leave you.”
“I know Chloe. I think I just want to spend the rest of today with my mom if that’s alright, maybe you can help me keep my mind busy tomorrow?” Maddie’s voice was breaking down Chloe’s resolve for anything she’d ever planned.
She needs me. Chloe thought, before shaking her head and reminding herself that Maddie wasn’t going to need her after she was back on her feet.
“Sounds great Maddie.” A knock sounded on Chloe’s door. “I don’t want to leave you, but my brother is here, call me whenever you want tomorrow, alright?”
“Yeah, see you then.” With that the line went dead. Ethan swung open Maddie’s door and sat on her bed, enveloping her in a bear hug.
“I missed you!” He said, crushing her tighter. Maddie mumbled something that sounded like me too, but it was muffled into Ethan’s shirt.
“Look, Maddie, I’ve got more news than the wedding, I just wanted you to be the first to hear? But before that, my fiancé wants you to be one of her Bridesmaids, she just loved you when she came down with me last Christmas.”
“Sure,” Maddie said with a smile. “But what else was it you wanted to tell me?”
“Alice is pregnant.”
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapterrrr it's taken me forever to write, everytime I had the motivation to I couldn't think of how I wanted to say anything. Also- I'm just now thinking about the middle of my story- I only had a beginning and end in mind so bare with meee. :D From now on I kinda wanna just write, and update whenever I finish it for the most part. (Yes, another never ending pause in writing.) That way I can have normal updates whenever I'm satisfied with my work! Hit that star button if you liked it so I know to keep updating!
