The Cougar

Home

::::::::::C.J.'s POV::::::::::

I ran upstairs with more excite than I've had in a long time. I'm sure Logan thought I looked like a five year old, but I didn't care at the moment.

I swung open the door to my old room and took it all in. The room was still light purple from when Dom and I painted it eight summers ago... which seems like a lifetime.

One wall is cover with bookshelves and books of all sizes. I loved to read. I guess I still do. I just haven't had the chance to do it in awhile.

The bed was covered in turquoise blankets and pillows which probably need to be clean, but it looked so comfortable compared to the truck they had just spent five hours in. So I ran and grabbed a random book which happened to be 'The Program' by Suzanne Young and jumped on the bed to start reading.

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.

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160 pages later somone knocking snapped me back to reality.

"C.J., can I come in?" he called.

"Yeah," I replied. As he walked in I realized it was dark outside.

"Ya know, you've been tucked away in here since we pulled in the drive, right?" he said as-a-matter-of-fact sort of way.

"I knew I've been up here awhile. How long has it been since we got here?"

"About three hours. Must be a good book," he said pointing at it, "Didn't take you for the reading type."

"Yeah, picked the hobby up awhile ago," I said slightly embarrassed.

"Well, just don't be reading all night. It's already nine and we've got a busy day tomorrow," he said in a way that almost made it comical.

"Yes, dad," I said sarcastically,"but you should know I'm fourteen. I got up off the bed and started down the stairs when the hunger hit me. "I'm going to get some food. Haven't eaten all day. You want something?"

"No, had something earlier." Should've known.

It's so weird that we're talking so casually. I was never able to do this with Stryker or my own father. For the first time in a long time I felt that I had a family. I had a home.