Chasing a Broken Butterfly

Pushing the Edge: Chapter 12

I feel a sudden vibration coming from underneath my pillow and my eyes snap open. I'm frightened for only a moment before realizing that it's coming from my phone, so I reach underneath my pillow and grab it. It's only my alarm trying to wake me up so I can actually make it to school on time today. I really didn't want a repeat of yesterday, so I had set my alarm for 6:30.

It's way too early, but thank god it's already Friday. I can just come home today and relax, watch some tv, or maybe even hang out with Mikey.

Mikey...

Crap, I almost forgot! He is picking me up for school so that we can go together as a 'date' to The Diner. Which means I have to actually put in effort to look nice today. I roll my eyes. I silently curse Mikey under my breath. I'm such a home body, I'd really rather just head home when school lets out...

I force myself to get up so I can figure out what the hell I'm going to wear that will be both appropriate for school and this stupid date thing.

After what feels like hours of just staring at my clothes in the closet, I end up choosing a white tank top with a red floral, embroidered kimono and some black leggings. My red toms will help make it casual for school. Now I just need to hurry up and jump in the shower so I can have enough time to straighten my hair today. I think Mikey will appreciate the fact that I actually spent some time on this for him today. He better or I will hold it against him for forever.

I leave my room with my clothes in hand and head towards the hallway cabinet to grab some towels. Midway to the bathroom I shiver because it's really cold. I guess winter is deciding to crash down on us early and skip over fall entirely. I don't give it a second thought and proceed to go into the bathroom.

Once I step into the shower and stand beneath the hot water, I can feel my nerves instantly relax and my muscles loosen. If I could, I'd stand underneath this heavenly, warm water for the whole day. Literally. There's something about letting the water rush down your back, massaging you in a way that no human hand can. It's almost like standing under your own personal sized waterfall. The only thing missing is breath-taking scenery. My shower feels rushed, only because I know that I need to hurry if I want to straighten my hair.

After I get out and I'm fully dressed, I blow dry my hair as straight as it can possibly get before running over it with a straightening iron for maximum straightness. I really wish my hair weren't so difficult...

I check my phone for the time and realize it's already 7:20.

Dammit, why am I always so slow in getting ready? I start running downstairs to grab an apple to eat on the car ride to school. I pull my phone out to tell Mikey just to come in when he gets here because I'm running late. I barely reach the bottom when I stop dead in my tracks. The sliding door in the living room is wide open.

Scattered oak leaves decorate part of the floor and the curtains move in tune with every chilly breeze that makes it's way into the room. It feels like winter in here. I see my breath in front of me every time I exhale. My hands move up to cover my bare arms from the uninvited cold.

There's no way in hell my mom would ever do something like this.

I make my way over to close the door, when Lacey pops into mind.

Where is she?

I quickly open the door back up, allowing the frosty air to creep back into the room, and start calling her name.

"Lacey!" I yell for what seems like the sixth time. There's no response from her, or at least not from what I can gather. I know I can't rely on what little hearing I have, so I have to venture out into the back and look for her. I first check on the side of the house where there's a little alleyway, as I like to call it. It's covered in pebble-stones, so I can hear every crunch beneath my feet as I make my way through. She's not here though, so I turn back around.

The backyard is an open space with only grass and the two large oak trees in back, so it's hard for someone to hide, let alone a dog. Besides the patio tables and chairs that sit up on the deck in front of the sliding doors, there's only a tool shed that is tucked away in the right hand corner of the yard, behind the largest oak tree. My mom and I hardly go to it. Not ever since my dad had passed away a few years back...his memory is linked too strongly to it, so we've avoided stepping into it since then. Today marks the first day in over five years that I will ever enter the shed...

It's for Lacey, I remind myself as I twist the knob on the worn down door. I love that dog. I know it sounds silly, but she's been there for me through the hardest of times, and god knows that she's been my ears ever since I could remember. I don't know what I'd do without her...

Tears start welling up and I try to blink them away. This is so not the appropriate time to start crying. I need to get my shit together. I'm going to find my dog, let her back in the house, and clean up the living room the best I can before Mikey gets here. Which is really only in 10 minutes. I step through the doorframe and start looking around.

The tool shed looks like it was frozen in time. One of my dad's unfinished project lays on the metal work table, which is set right smack in the middle of the place. To my right, is the wall of tools that he proudly displayed. A few have been knocked down and now find their resting place on the cold concrete floor. On the left is a cork board with the blueprint of the project he was going to do next. He was always so proud when he finished a task... Memories of him rushing into the house late one June, holding up a small, but intricately carved birdhouse starts to flood my mind. He was so happy...so proud of himself that day, and that made me smile. The corners of my mouth turn up at the thought of that happy day with my dad.

I scan the rest of the small tool shed, finding no trace of Lacey.

Where the hell would she be? She's never been the runaway type. They say people are capable of changing, so maybe dogs can change too? I frown at the thought, because if that's so, I'm in trouble, and not just with my mom.

I check my phone for the time and instead see endless text messages from Mikey and even a missed call from him.

Uh oh. I'm late. It's already 7:45. I whip myself around to dart back to the living room, but end up finding myself crashing against a soft wall. Soft wall? I look up and find Mikey's eyes. They look angry...and scared. Maybe both?

"What the hell, Eleanor?" he barks.

"Why are you using my full name?" I know I'm answering a question with a question, which is stupid, but I know he hates that and will probably end this potential interrogation because of that.

"I texted you that I was here, like, 10 minutes ago. When you didn't reply I started honking. When you didn't come out I decided to come get you. Do you realize how much panic coursed through me when I saw the sliding door wide open and you were nowhere to be found?" He starts running his hand through his hair in frustration. "And now, we're both going to be late to class, all because you decided to to get some fresh air in your backyard," he huffs.

"Are you done ranting?" I ask him.

"Yeah...yeah I guess so. Sorry," he mumbles. He rubs the back of his head with one hand and looks at me with questioning eyes. I already know what he's asking.

"How about this," I start off, "you help me pick up the leaves in the living room and I'll tell you everything I can on the ride to school."

He seems to hesitate, as if he actually wants to add more to his end of the bargain, but instead changes his mind.

"Ok, deal" he says as he turns around and starts strutting out of the tool shed and toward the living room.

I can already tell today is going to be a long one...again. Since when did my life get even remotely interesting?