Stark's little invention

6. Alone In A Big Scary World

       Well here I am...alone...again. Mrs June left. Tony went to his workshop, and Pepper soon followed him, and I hear her yelling at him. It makes me uncomfortable, my mom and dad never yelled at each other... not in front of me at least. I go to my backpack, and pull out Chloe. She cuttles up in my arms, and purrs contently.
I check to make sure nobody's looking, and let a few tears slip out. I slide down the living room wall, and wrap my arms around myself. I miss them so much. They won't even tell me how they died, just said they couldn't have an open casket for the funeral. I can't even kiss them goodbye, or tell them I love them, or even see them one last time.
My heart feels empty, it hurts so bad. My stomach feels like it has a huge knot at the bottom. I can't even feel anything at this point just numb. I put Chloe back in my backpack, and zip it up. I feel sick.
I sprint to where Stark told me the bathroom was, and throw everything in my stomach up. I hope that feeling in my stomach will go away with everything else. Unfortunately it doesn't, it just makes things worse.
I hear the adults yelling cease, and Quickly flush the toilet, and rinse my mouth out with water. When I walk out of the bathroom, I hear Mrs Potts in the living room. I walk out to see what she's doing, and she has my bags. I quickly run up to her and grab my backpack, I don't want her to feel any movement from my stowaway inside.
"Well Peighton, I'll show you to your room, follow me."
     She opens the door to a plain room, with a window seat, and it's own bathroom.
"I know it's kinda plain, but we can spruce it up," She says cheerfully.
"It's fine, but can we get some things from my home?"
"Of course, let me make a few calls, and we'll get going. Sound good?"
"Yes, thank you."
     Once she was gone, and the door was shut behind her, I grabbed Chloe, and put her on my lap.
"Well girl, guess we better get used to being alone." I sigh, and get up, still carrying Chloe, and explore my room.
One big bathroom, a closet the size of my room back home, and awesome window seat view; Yet none of these features could hold a candle to my room back home... The walls my mom, dad, and I painted together. The initials we carved into the trim under my bed. The sharpie marks to indicate my growth over time.
No stop! Stop thinking about this it's just gonna be harder. Be tough, Stark can't see my weakness.
My thoughts are interrupted by the distinct sound of heals clicking through the tiled hallway. I ran to my bag, and placed my kitten inside. She knocks, and opens the door without waiting for an answer. She gives me the look which says 'I'm about to give you a piece of rotten information', and sure enough she sighs,
"Peighton, I'm so sorry, but something just came up, and I'll have to leave right away. I won't be back until tomorrow evening, but I already talked to Tony he will take you." She says in a totally fake cheerful way.
"Great, that'll be awesome." I mumble, and she sighs and walks over to me.
"Listen, I know he's not really father material right now, but just give him some time. He's down in his workshop, why don't you go down and see him. Just don't touch... anything, and ask first, and do whatever he says, and..." I cut in by raising my hand. She looks confused,
"Umm Yes?" She chuckles nervously,
"Can I breathe down there, or should I just hold my breathe?... oh and should I wear a blindfold?" She laughs,
"I'm sorry I'm probably making you nervous."
"Probably," I admit with a humorless chuckle. She sighs,
"Well I'll see you later, there's leftover pizza in the fridge, and snacks help yourself. Oh, and I left a takeout list on the counter, with money just in case." With that she exits the room.
"Hey JARVIS? Could you show me to the lab?" I say once I'm bored of doing absolutely nothing.
"Of course miss... just follow the lights." What lights? Out of nowhere a light comes through the tiled flooring... cool. I feel like Gru from despicable me. I start acting like I'm on the movie, and start dodging imaginary obstacles. I do a summer Sault, and get up and hop around on one foot. I turn around and jump backwards. As cool as this is I still feel like my stomach is a pit.
I do fast feet going backwards, but lose my footing and fall. I'm able to turn around so I don't fall my back, and catch myself on my hands laying flat.
"What are you you doing?" I hear a familiar voice question. I look straight I had of me to see a pair of cool tennis shoes, I look up slowly and see a confused Tony Stark. I scramble to my feet, and stutter,
"I... I ummm well ya see I, I was just..." He rolls his eyes,
"Never mind couldn't care less."
"What are you doing?" I ask back.
"Nothing you need to worry your little head about." I glare at him, as he turns around to walk into the kitchen.
I smirk as I see the lights are still leading down to his workshop, okay then... Be that way. I skip over to the light, and follow.
"And just what do you think you're doing?" He says sounding annoyed.
"Nothing you need to worry your big fat head about," I sass. He glares,
"Just for that your grounded." He says in a 'no way I'm enforcing that' kinda way. I smirk, and fall dramatically to the ground and start groaning, and begging,
"NOOOOO!!!!!!! Have mercy on me!" I fake sob out. He rolls his eyes,
"Kid, quit messing around. If you want to stay here you're gonna need to have some ground rules... First off, you don't come anywhere near my workshop... Second of all, you do your best to keep your distance from me, and lastly don't break anything."
He starts to walk back towards the staircase.
"Wait, Miss Potts said you'd take me to my house. To get some things for my room." He sighs dramatically loud,
"Tough luck... I have stuff to do, can't you just wait till Pepper gets home? I mean would it kill you to think of others?" I sigh sadly, and look down.
"Selfish... Just like your mom." I hear him mutter under his breathe. That gets me going,
"What'd you just say?" I say in my low angry kitten voice. He turns around and scoffs,
"Never mind,"
I yell, and charge at him. It doesn't take much for him to hold me back,
"What are you?... did you just try to attack me?" He says with a arrogant 'as if' voice, I'm still squirming trying to get at him. To be honest I don't know what I'd do if I did get at him. I can't do much, I'm just a little kid.
"That's enough!" He says firmly. He grabs my wrist, and turns me around so I can't hit him anymore. It doesn't stop me from trying though.
"What is wrong with you?" He says with a chuckle that makes me angry.
"Don't you ever say anything bad about my mom! You can call me whatever you want, tell me how much you don't want me, and ignore me, but if you say anything about my mom..." he cuts me off,
"Okay okay, chill out ya little devil." I finally stop hitting and squirming, and he releases me.
"She was there for me, she loved me... I know what it feels like to be loved. Mrs June asked me to make the best of it while I'm here."
"Well... I don't really want you here," he says honestly.
"Well, I really don't want to be here. I have no choice, and neither do you, so get over it." He smirks at me, and walks down the stairs, but stops and turns to me,
"By the way, you ever try to hit me again, I'll throw ya off building," he says in a semi-joking manner. He descends into his cave.
"JARVIS, only inform me if she's dying, or about to break something."
      I roll my eyes, and go back to my room, and sit on the window seat. Everybody looks so small, their like ants. Sighing, I look over to the door... well at least he's not scared to tell me the truth. He doesn't want me, my mom and dad are dead, and I'm all alone.
      I remember I lost my mom at the store once. I cried and cried until she finally found me. I still remember her hugging me, and telling me everything was gonna be alright. She would never leave me again, I'd be okay... Boy was she wrong. Nothing is alright... I am alone... and I'm definitely not okay.
     Well fine if he's not gonna take me I'll go alone... and I'll take the stairs!
     I grab my backpack, write Stark a note... wait maybe not the note. He'll probably not even notice I'm MIA... "He'll probably think he was just having a nightmare, I wish he was. I just wanna go home." I say out loud to myself. I grab the money Mrs Potts left it was for me anyway. I will need it for a cab to get home.
I go to the stairwell, and turn back around,
"So long Daddy dearest... hope you can get over the hole I'm leaving in you nonexistent heart." I say sarcastically. I turn back around to the stairs, but stop and turn back once again "...And I am never coming back!"

10/10/19