Chapter Five:
My intuition proved right. Zerrah and I became close friends. After our talk—and when the guys’ video game session was over—Zerrah and Tyler went home. As soon as they left, I glanced at the clock and saw that it was already half past eleven. I sighed. I guess it was time for bed.
Iggy was probably already in his room, and his grandmother had long since gone up into the solitude of her own bedroom. This would be the second night I would sleep in this house, and although I hate to admit it, I still somehow wait for the phone to ring, hoping to hear dad’s regretful voice, pleading for forgiveness and begging for me and Caleb to come back home.
Dream on, Nat.
In a few weeks—or maybe days—he’ll be marrying that Texan waitress. When that happens, it’ll be way past the point of no return. Heck, I don’t even wanna return. I’m not living under the same roof with that woman.
I stomped up the stairs and was greeted by my brother at the top of the staircase. He had a gray towel slung over his shoulder and another folded beige towel tucked under his arm.
“Nana says this is for you,” he said as he handed me the beige one.
“Remind me to thank her tomorrow. She’s a lovely woman.”
“Yeah. Nice too, and gracious enough to shelter a couple of runaway siblings.” He half-smiled.
“I feel sorta bad for staying here without helping out.”
“You do help out, like when you wash the dishes.” He pointed out.
“I meant financially,” I explained. “She may not say it out loud, but we’re becoming a burden to her. Instead of feeding only two, now she’s got four mouths. And she’s living on her monthly pension, for Pete’s sake. We have to help out in whatever way we can.”
“You have a point.”
“I’ll get a job.”
Caleb shot me a pointed look. “No, you won’t.”
“Why not?”
“I’ll be the one looking for a job. You stay here in the house.”
“And what? Cook and clean and do the laundry?”
“Well, yeah. You’re capable of that.”
“And I’m very capable of getting a job.”
“I told you, you’re staying home, and that’s final.”
We both glared at each other for seeming eternity, then suddenly, we burst out laughing.
“Man! We sound like newlyweds!” Caleb chuckled.
“Let’s not have this conversation again. This is whacked.” I grinned back. “But seriously, I am getting a job. I mean, tomorrow’s Monday and we’re not going to school.”
“Why not?”
“We both left our books back at home, and, clearly, neither one of us are going back to get them.”
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Beautiful Disaster (Ongoing & on Hiatus)
RomanceEver since her mother died, Natalie has been the glue that desperately tries to keep the remains of her broken family intact. And when Caleb, her older melancholic brother, runs away from home, she comes to a moot point in her life---go after him...
