The Silent One

{Six}

Maybe it's just me, but whenever I'm alone, I tend to think. And, I tend to think too much.

Surely it's not just me.

As soon as I get home, I kick off my shoes and curl up on the couch. It's surprisingly cold outside today, and the chill seems to fill the house. My toes and my nose grow colder the longer I think.

What will Kevin say? Will he actually go with me, wherever I'm going? And more importantly, do I really want him to come?

And am I actually going to look for my dad?

I debate with myself for a while before I come up with an actual plan. Somehow, it doesn't occur to me just how crazy this whole thing is. I just know that I have to find him. I have to get my revenge. Steven's revenge.

Somehow...

I'm searching things on Google whenever I hear knocking at my door. My whole body tenses up. Who could it be? My mom never knocks; she has a key. So who could it be?

My mind races as I go up to the door, wrapped in my blanket. I'm tempted to not even answer the door, but I know my mom'll throw a fit if she finds out I didn't.

My hands are shaking when I reach for the doorknob. One deep breath, and I pull the door open about 3 inches. I almost smile at how ridiculous I must look, peeking out of a door like a hermit, but once I see who it is, any thought of just smiling vanishes from my mind.

Instead, I start laughing. In the silent way only a mute can do. My eyes water and my stomach starts to hurt... It takes me at least 4 minutes before I remember how to breathe.

It's the pizza delivery guy.

He's confused at my sudden outburst of "laughing", and I don't try to explain myself. How can I? I'm mute.

So I pay for the pizza and lock the door behind me once he's gone, still smiling at my stupidity. If my dad's really after me, he wouldn't come up to my door. How dense can I get?

I'm still laughing at myself when I stop in the middle of the hallway and realize...

I didn't order a pizza.

And my mom would have left a message if she did.

So... who ordered it?

Suddenly frantic, I run into the kitchen and throw myself into a chair, pizza box in hand. For a few seconds, I just stare at the cardboard. And then, with trembling fingers, I pull the lid open.

Sauce, cheese, dough... and seaweed.

With a sob, I throw the box, and the pizza, as hard as I can across the room. Then, I shove my feet into my shoes and run out the door.

I can't see through my tears. I don't even know where I'm going. All I can feel is the icy wind on my face, my shoes smacking the ground, and the tears running down my cheeks. All I can think about, is seaweed.

xxx

Steven always had to have seaweed on his pizza. Always. Whenever we ordered pizza, he'd steal the phone from me and yell at them to put seaweed on it. And if there was no seaweed, he wouldn't pay for it. At first, I refused to even try it, but once I did, I loved it.

We had seaweed pizza the night of Steven's birthday party.

xxx

I climb into a tree and hug my knees to my chest, shaking. How could they know? How could they be doing this? Why now? Why ever? Why can't he, and the rest of them, just leave me alone? Why do I have to be tortured with the past?

It hurts so bad...

I don't move until who knows how much later. And by that time, I'm determined. Determined to get my revenge; determined to show them that I'm stronger than them; determined to get through this.

Determined.

And with that attitude, I go back home, and I pack my bag.

By this time tomorrow, I'll be gone.

xxx

- Alyssa <3