Page 10 of Infinity Chronicles 1
After all these years of running and never settling down, is this the place I want that to happen?
The question flits away immediately, because the answer is yes. If this podunk town is where she can finally relax and breathe, it's where we'll stay.
Even if the kids at school are jerks, I only have less than left anyway. Maybe we could even get a small apartment.
My mind spins with all the possibilities as I let the idea take hold.
I hear mom cleaning late into the night, when I finally drift off to sleep, lulled by the sounds of her scrubbing.
I wake up once thinking a dream must have pulled me from sleep, but as I turn over I swear I hear my mom’s hushed voice speaking urgently. I can't make out what she's saying.I can tell she's trying to be quiet and her words are clipped.
Desperately hoping this isn't a new symptom to her ever-spiraling moods, I strain to make out what she is saying but it’s impossible.
Still curious, I let my legs swing over the side of the flimsy mattress and settle my weight on the floor. After only two steps the floor makes a low groan and her words die immediately.
I stand frozen for a few moments. Hoping she'll continue so I can at least get an idea of what is sending her into such a state, but she never utters another word. In fact, the place is so quiet I'm half wondering if I imagined it all to begin with.
* * *
The walkto school feels ten times longer today. I'm still tired from last night. It took hours to fall back asleep, and when I did it seemedlike only minutes before my alarm clock was waking me up again.
I round the same sparse oaktree I've been taking shelter under over the last few mornings and let my eyes roam over my classmates once again. Things are pretty much the same as the last couple days, only now I'm starting to put faces with names I've picked upin classes.
I see Dante with the two other guys he was with the other day, and I'm pretty sure they're the same two guys from the diner. Their heads are close together and no one else approaches them. They seem deep in conversation when all of a sudden Dante’s head snaps around and he glares right at me.
I slip behind the tree trunk quickly, actinglike I got caught doing something, but I probably just made it worse by hiding. Now it really looks like I was being all stalkerish. “Damn it!” I spin around, looking at the field that sits across from the school.
I give myself a few minutes before strolling out from the opposite side of the tree from where he caught me peeking. How the hell did he even know to look right at me? It was like he knew I was looking at him and exactly where I was.
I don't look up to see if they're still there, instead I keep heading straight for the front doors, blending in with all the other students.
In English class I feel a quick tap on my shoulder. I turn my head just enough so whoever it is knows I'm acknowledging them.
“Laura.”
“Hmm,” is my tiny reply.
“Hey, are you working at the diner tonight?” My brows furrow. I have a whole litany of questions running through my head. Who is this, how do they know I'm working, and where?
Without meaning to, my eyes connect with the blond guy behind me when I shift to see who’s questioning me. His eyes are a soft green, almost translucent, as he stares right back at me.
My mouth opens to answer and his head tips at exactly the same time. “Damn,” he whispers, his eyes rounded in surprise and I quickly glanceaway.
“Yes,” I answer when I'm fully facing forward. For the rest of the class I try to ignore that he's right behind me, and before today I had no clue. I never noticed.
It's almost easy when I remember how paranoid I was moments before, when I was worried over his question. I cannot turn into my mother.
The rest of the day progresses easily and my lunch routine has fallen into place nicely. Other than the first day when I ran into Dante and Delaney—that's cheer girl—I haven't seen anyone use this stairwell.
Though I have been trying really hard to stay away from her group. After the little shove yesterday she hasn't tried anything else, yet.
As I'm balling up my paper sack I hear what sounds like the tail end of someone speaking, “…seen her here before. What do you think she meant?”
“Who knows, but have you seen her eyes?”
“Do you think see knows?” asks a third voice.
Just as I move to stand, three guys round the landing. All of them stop dead when they see me. I'm frozen too. My book is still lying open on the step I just vacated and my bag is one step below, on the same riser I'm standing on now.
