The Cow Hypnotist

"The House" PT 1

Ever since Jessie and Michael met, they've been hanging out together, whether it be on campus or at the park, even the coffee shop. They hadn't hung out at each other's houses yet. But perhaps that'll change.

"What do you mean you're busy?" Micheal whined, laying his head on the cafeteria table, "you say that every time I ask!"

Jessie took another bite out of her ham sandwich, gulping it down, "I know, but I just am...."

He didn't fall for it. He crossed his arms, looking at her, "If anything is up, you know you can tell me."

Sighing, she looked at him, "Alright, alright, fine. The truth is: I don't want you around my mom."

Micheal held back laughter, scrunching his face up as he held his mouth, "Wait, that's it?"

"No!" She burst out, a little too loudly. People started to look at her, whispering things into some of their friend's ears. She then lowered her voice, "Look, my mom's a strange lady and I'm afraid what she'll say - or do - if you come over."

"She couldn't possibly be as weird as my parents," He added, shivering, "I'm never allowed in the second part of the house."

"But she is, Micheal," Jessie looked him in the eyes, "she never talks to me about anything because she's always busy with Lizzie and milk and all that garbage."

Micheal sprung up, "Well, if she's always busy, then we don't have to worry about her bugging us, now will we?"

"But-"

"Then it's settled!" He chugged the rest of his milk and picked up his tray, fixing to head over to the trash can, "I'll ride the bus to your house! It'll be the perfect hangout."

Jessie looked at him worriedly. There could be a possibility of him being right or the possibility that she's right... Or a completely different possibility that neither of them considered...

~~~~

Soon enough, after school, Micheal and Jessie were on the public bus, headed to her home. Though, after about 45 minutes, they were in the middle of nowhere, with barren land almost everywhere. They were the only two people -- aside from the driver -- riding the transit.

"Uh, Jess?" Micheal began, a little frightened, "Where are we?"

Jessie, recognizing his fear, said: "I live out in the country with my mom. She said she doesn't like neighbors or small children pestering her while she works, so it seemed like the perfect solution."

Micheal searched for the words to say, "then why'd she have you?"

She froze, realizing what had been said. She turned away from him, "M-My mom said that my father had left her when I was a baby. She told me that she never truly wanted to keep me. But that she had no choice. She didn't want to send me off to an orphanage so she just kept me. After my father left, though, she decided to start the milk industry."

Micheal felt sympathetic. But, then, something came to him, "I-I'm so sorry Jessie... But don't the milk bottles say 'Est. 2017'? If you're a junior, then you must've been born in 1998 or 1999. So, if your father left you when you were too young to remember anything, and that's when she started the business, then why doesn't it say 'Est. 1998' or '1999'?"

Jessie had never thought of that herself. She stared out the window. Had her entire life been a lie? What was her mother not telling her?

Micheal had noticed her panicking and grabbed her hands tightly, "I-I didn't mean to make you depressed or emotionally unstable or anything, it was just a-"