Abandoned

chapter six.

"I'm sorry I scared you last night, little one." I said to Rose as she got ready for school. She had come in shortly after Justin left. "I'd never leave you behind."

"I know." She said.

"I'm going to pick up my car today, and then things are going to go back to normal."

"So we're leaving?" She pouted.

"Yeah." I said as I stood at the mirror and wiped my makeup off. "We've already stayed much too long."

"But I like it here. And I like Pattie and Justin."

"I know, babe, me too." Except for the liking Justin part. "Maybe Pattie will let us come visit sometimes."

"Yeah." She agreed and picked her backpack up. I kissed her goodbye and waited until I heard Pattie leave with her to take a quick shower then crawl back into bed.

I woke up later to a pounding on the door. Before I could get up I heard the same knocking farther off, like on another door in the hall.

"Both of you in the living room, now." Pattie's voice echoed. Shit.

I stood up and opened the door, peeking my head out to see Justin walking past and down the stairs. I followed him and sat on the opposite end of the couch with Pattie standing there facing us with her arms crossed.

"Mom, you didn't have to come home." Justin sighed.

"Yes, I think I did. Why did you two skip?"

"I didn't feel well," I told her, which was basically the truth.

"I wanted to make sure she was okay." Justin said and I scoffed. Sure.

"Rayna, I couldn't help but notice you weren't exactly sober last night." She said scoldingly. But her tone wasn't judgemental, which I appreciated.

"I'm sorry for troubling you. I'm getting my car today and then I'll be out of your hair, I promise." I assured.

"You didn't trouble me, I'm just concerned."

"I'm fine." I said a little too harshly. "Nothing to be concerned about."

"Okay, well... follow me, you two. I know your perfect punishment." She said and spun around, heading towards the front door.

We both followed her outside and into the garage where she grabbed two light blue paint buckets and brushes. Without a word she walked around the side of the house and dropped the buckets in front of an old shed.

"This old thing needs a makeover. Be done by the time I get home or else you can also re-mulch the garden out back." She smiled.

"Really?" Justin sighed.

"Love you," Pattie kept the smirk on her face as she got back into her car and drove off.

I shivered in just my shorts and bare feet in the crisp fall air. I'd hardly noticed how cold it's been getting.

"I'm gonna go get a jacket." I said and went back inside, taking my time putting on thick leggings and my sneakers, then throwing a hoodie over my head.

I went back outside and sighed as I popped open my lid and started making large blue streaks next to where Justin had already started. This needs to get finished quick so I can go pick up my car.

After a while of painting in complete silence I started to get bored. I smirked and bit my lip to stop it as I wrote 'Justin sux' in big letters with the paint.

He looked over at it and a small smile crept onto his face as he shook his head. I watched as he wrote 'Ray is dumb' in an open spot on the shed.

'J is a' I wrote and then drew a picture of a penis underneath, then started cracking up because I found that pretty hilarious. I covered my hand with my mouth as I was laughing and looked over, half expecting Justin to be pissed, but he was just staring at me with a smile on his face.