Sequel: Halfway There ›
Almost Gone
Chapter Fourteen
It has been one year. Carl’s been oddly nice to me. He’s always staring at me. Ellla and Kate are telling me that he likes me, but how is that possible? I’m fourteen and he’s — what? — twenty?
“He’s sixteen, Emma.”, Ella says, smiling at me. We no longer slept in our horrible chambers, instead we sleep in normal bedrooms.
My hand scribbles across the page: So? I’m fourteen!!!!
“Good morning, Emma,” he says, kissing my forehead. I roll my eyes, eating my slice of pizza in peace. I wasn’t sleeping well, still nothing new. Only certain days of the week … like when Carl’s watching us. But they don’t do that anymore. Sam and Kate fell in love, and so now we’re in a house. Surprisingly. We don’t print fake money, which is a relief.
I start scribbling across my notebook, my handwriting still as sloppy as it had been a year ago, writing down: What do you want?
Carl reads the paper, looking at me oddly. “Can’t I wish you a good morning?”
I start scribbling again: You never did before.
Carl rolls his eyes, grabbing my pizza and taking a bite out of it. “Spoil my morning, I spoil yours.”
I grab my pizza back, sticking my tongue out childishly at him, biting into my pizza as I continue scribbling on the paper: Don’t touch my pizza!
“Yeah? Then don’t ruin my mornings.”
“You two are so childish.”, Ella says, rolling her eyes.
I start scribbling down the words, just as Carl says them, “No we’re not!!”
Besides, you’re the one who still’sshakey shaky around Max, I scribble.
“Hey!”, Ella says, glaring at me teasingly.
Just ‘cause I’m mute, doesn’t mean I’m mentally retarded.
“Nobody ever said you were.”
You’d be surprised, I scribble, standing up and walking away. I still hadn’t told anybody about where I came from. All they knew was that I was a mute, nothing about the countless adoptions and orphenages. Which is personally how I wanted to keep it.
“He’s sixteen, Emma.”, Ella says, smiling at me. We no longer slept in our horrible chambers, instead we sleep in normal bedrooms.
My hand scribbles across the page: So? I’m fourteen!!!!
“Good morning, Emma,” he says, kissing my forehead. I roll my eyes, eating my slice of pizza in peace. I wasn’t sleeping well, still nothing new. Only certain days of the week … like when Carl’s watching us. But they don’t do that anymore. Sam and Kate fell in love, and so now we’re in a house. Surprisingly. We don’t print fake money, which is a relief.
I start scribbling across my notebook, my handwriting still as sloppy as it had been a year ago, writing down: What do you want?
Carl reads the paper, looking at me oddly. “Can’t I wish you a good morning?”
I start scribbling again: You never did before.
Carl rolls his eyes, grabbing my pizza and taking a bite out of it. “Spoil my morning, I spoil yours.”
I grab my pizza back, sticking my tongue out childishly at him, biting into my pizza as I continue scribbling on the paper: Don’t touch my pizza!
“Yeah? Then don’t ruin my mornings.”
“You two are so childish.”, Ella says, rolling her eyes.
I start scribbling down the words, just as Carl says them, “No we’re not!!”
Besides, you’re the one who still’sshakey shaky around Max, I scribble.
“Hey!”, Ella says, glaring at me teasingly.
Just ‘cause I’m mute, doesn’t mean I’m mentally retarded.
“Nobody ever said you were.”
You’d be surprised, I scribble, standing up and walking away. I still hadn’t told anybody about where I came from. All they knew was that I was a mute, nothing about the countless adoptions and orphenages. Which is personally how I wanted to keep it.