Abandoned

chapter seven.

Readjusting back to normal was brutal, especially for Rose. To say going back to sleeping in the uncomfortable front seat of my car and eating frozen pizza lunchables from the gas station instead of the nice bed and good food at Pattie's sucked would be an understatement.

Everyday Rose begs me to take her back and complains that she misses it. I can't blame her, but I need to re-distance myself from Justin and Pattie and that house. I had one slip up week where I let people in... let them know about my life, to an extent, but it can't happen again. The past week needs to be forgotten.

The days went by painfully slow. My birthday is still over four months away and it seems like so long to sit around and wait. Any time someone walks into the classroom my heart stops, thinking it's someone coming to tell me that they took Rose away.

I also still haven't been able to get out of the slump I've been in ever since the funeral. Not that I can remember the last time I was actually happy, if ever, but at least I used to be able to laugh at a funny joke or smile for Rose's sake. Now I just feel like a zombie all the time.

On Wednesday my plan to erase the knowledge of the previous week from existence fell through during my lunch period. Having been 5 days without talking to Justin, it would be a lie if I said I hadn't thought about him at all. Even though I'd never let him know it, what he said about wanting to be friends and me being different got through to me a little. But I had expected him to never speak to me again, and after 5 days I assumed he'd come to his senses and forgotten about me, which would have been smart of him and for the best.

But on Wednesday I lay in the grass by my tree during lunch, not having the appetite to eat the disgusting cafeteria food. I stare up at the branches and colored leaves of the large tree, wishing I was anywhere else, when someone approached, staring back down at me.

"A little cold out here for a picnic, don't you think?" Justin said as his face came into view, his hands shoved into his hoodie pocket. I hadn't realized it was that cold until he pointed it out. I sat up so my back was resting against the tree.

"It doesn't bother me." I shrugged.

"Cookie?" He asked, sitting down on the grass and pulling a wrapped up chocolate chip cookie out of his pocket.

"No, thanks." I said, even though I was suddenly starving and that looked like the greatest cookie ever made. My stomach growled and he smirked. Damn you, traitor stomach.

"You sure?" He teased, unwrapping it and waving it around.

"Fine." I finally gave up, really wanting that cookie.

"Come and get it." He said then winked and stuck the cookie in his mouth so it was hanging out. Really? I rolled my eyes.

"Wow, I forgot so quickly how big of an ass you are."

"Kidding," he said. He ripped the small bite off and handed the rest to me. Good thing I'm not a germaphobe.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"What? I'm not allowed to just want to sit here and feed you cookies?" He said in sarcasm.

"No."

"I wanted to see how you're doing." He shrugged.

"See how I'm doing?" I questioned.

"Yeah, you know... with Rose and with... everything."

"It's fine." I said.

"You always say that." He said and luckily for me, the lunch bell rang and forced the conversation to a hault.

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