Chapter 5: Rosalie

Bett and I driving around would have been nice if we weren’t just stuck in the vehicle for hours, but mom doesn’t normally ask for time to herself, so we are sucking it up and driving around until the pizza is ready to be picked up.

It’s about a four-minute drive until we are in town and you can already tell it’s a small town where everyone knows each other. There are people walking on the sidewalk in front of all the old shops or building they stop and talk to each person they walk by.

I try to ignore the envy that comes up when I think about how I wish I could be one of those people being stopped to ask about my family or how school was going but it won’t ever be me, by the time this town learns my name we are going to be moving away from it.

“What do you think is going on with mom” Barrett asks me to take me out of the trance I was in.

“I don’t know, she’s not normally like this, she never pushes us to leave especially only a few hours of even being at the new house” I say as I put my elbow on the windowsill of the truck.

“Do you think maybe she really didn’t want to move this time” he says with a sad tone, I know he really didn’t want to move this time, I wonder if he is thinking about that girl he left behind.

“No, I don’t think that’s it. You know she will follow dad anywhere and whenever, plus she told me that this time we will get to see him more than just the weekends now” I try to think about all the things my mom told me in the car trying to make me feel better.

“I’m sure she will tell us when we need to know” he signs as he finishes that sentence, I can tell hes anxious

I connect my phone to his truck speaker and play our favorite songs until it’s time to pick up the pizza, when I walked in the restaurant I saw a boy at the counter with black ear length hair and green eyes he was tall and lean, he was cute but I’m not sure he’s my type, I say type like I have had the chance to even think about what my type is. I can tell the boy is shy, so I don’t say much, and I just leave.

When we get back to the house mom comes running out so happy about something and talking about this boy that helped her bring everything in, but when we walked in, she was all alone. Bett and I looked at each other like she was losing her mind. The only reason I believe her is because there is no way my mother brought everything in all by herself, I just don’t understand why someone would come help and then run out when other people showed up.

Mom said they boy was my age and he lived in the house that I hoped belonged to old people. I will now be avoiding that house, I don’t need to make friends like my mom seems to think so.

We go upstairs and put moms’ bed all together and lay down eating pizza and watching the Goonies until we all slowly fall asleep.

…

I woke up to the bright daylight shining off my mother’s walls and a stiff feeling in my neck. I fell asleep sitting up thinking about all the different things that could be going on with mom, she’s never been one to keep secrets. All I was able to think of was maybe she is sick which makes my heart race and palms sweaty to think about or her and dad are not doing good which makes my heart ache.

I looked in the bed noticing that my brother and mom were both already up, I drag myself out of bed thinking about all things that do need to bed unpacked and put together.

When I walk downstairs, I smell food but hear nothing when I look around, I notice a note on the counter next to a plate with a breakfast sandwich on it. I can tell it’s from the store not homemade, I grab the note and read it

‘Ran to the store to get some cleaning supplies maybe meet some people eat breakfast and start putting your room together- Mom’

I’m just about to take a bite out of my sandwich when I hear the doorbell.

“I didn’t even know this place had a doorbell” I say to myself. I walk to the door and open there is a girl smiling way brighter than I am ready for this morning.

“Well, hello” the girl says with a twang to her voice that is much richer than anyone I have ever heard, including my dad’s. The girl has Chocolate brown hair that curls at the ends and wraps around her round face, she has light brown eyes and braces on her almost perfect smile. Her body is curvy but she’s not fat, she’s wearing ripped jean shorts and a flowing tank top with a few stains on it. She throws her hand out which makes me jolt back a little.

“I’m Jada, I heard from a friend that a girl our age moved into one of our old friends houses so I thought I’d come meet ya before you go through the whole summer not knowing anyone and then going to school a stranger after living in this town for a while, I could never imagine not knowing people…..” She just kept talking and I felt my eyes getting wider, I thought she was either going to pass out from the lack of oxygen, or she would eventually run out of things to say but she just kept going. I wasn’t even listening to what she was saying anymore just watching her mouth keep moving. What happened to shy teenagers that didn’t even introduce themselves?

“I’m sorry, I just keep running my mouth I didn’t even get your name” she says with a gentle smile

“Rosalie” I give her a shy smile

“Rosalie…. That’s different but it’s beautiful, so where’d you move from?”

“Well, that’s a loaded question, how much time you got?”

“I think enough to listen.”

“Then come on in.”