Coffee and Cigarettes

"Do you ever go home?" Libby's mom, Jane asked me. "It seems as if you're here twenty four hours a day."

"Why would I want to go home when the food you make is so much better than my mom's?" I asked cheekily, propping my elbows up on the kitchen counter as I observed her wandering around. "Need any help?"

"Oh, that'd be lovely. Would you help make the salad, dear? Everything's in the fridge. And of course, you're staying for dinner...?" she trailed off. I shrugged.

"I guess so. Let me call my mom." I took the cordless phone from the charger and sauntered into the other room. I dialed my home number and pressed it against my ear.

"Hello?" Bob.

"Get Mom."

"Morg, listen--"
"Get Mom."

He sighed and called for my mother. Momentarily, she had the phone in her hands. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mom." I replied. "Jane asked if I wanted to stay for dinner. Can I? I'm helping them make a salad."

"Um, sure...that's alright. But we have to treat Libby to dinner soon to make it even." That's my mom's logic, for you.

"Okay, thanks. Bye."

"Bye, honey."
I pressed END and returned the phone back to its rightful place. Jane waited patiently for the verdict. Judging by the grin on my face and the amount of time that she's known me, she knew that I was going to stay.

While I was chopping up some lettuce for the salad (why Jane entrusted me with a large knife, I'll never know), she randomly said, "So, how are things at home?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "My brother and sister are getting on my nerves a bit, but I guess that's just life. And it's what siblings do."

Jane nodded solemnly. "Sometimes I feel bad that Libby is an only child," she sighed. "I wish she could have a younger brother or sister. She seems so lonely at home. You're the closest thing to a sister that she's got."

"I consider Libby more of a sister than Blair will ever be," I replied. "She's still got this air of arrogance that I want to deflate so badly."

"Was Bob that way when he turned eighteen?" Jane asked curiously.

I shook my head. "Bob's a really down-to-earth kind of guy. Not really letting anything rustle his feathers. It really bothers him when I'm mean to Blair, though. It's one of the only things that irks him."

"Siblings," she sighed. "You know, I came from a family of twelve."

My eyes widened. "Must be one hell of a Christmas party."

She chuckled and went to tend to something on the stove. "It really is," she said. "But three of my brothers died at a really young age. I'm the fourth child. You never really know just how much you love your siblings until they're gone."

We stood their in silence for a little while, me chopping up the lettuce, her tending to the pasta.

"I just wish that Blair would be nicer to me, you know?" I said finally. "It bothers me how we used to be so close before her eighteenth birthday."

"It's a shame that she's letting it get all to her head like that," Jane sighed. "You have to sit down and talk to that girl."

I rolled my eyes unintentionally. "She's impossible. She never listens to me. She's like the devil reincarnated."

Jane laughed heartily. "That's enough, Morgan. You can go now, I'll take over from here. Libby's probably up in her room."

I scurried out of the large marble kitchen and up the stairs. I went all the way down the long hallway to Libby's room. You could tell it was hers...she had posters and polaroids all over it with caution tape strewn across the frame.

I knocked and entered. Libby was sitting on her bed, music blaring from her stereo, reading a book about the creation of Toy Story. That sort of stuff fascinated her. She hadn't noticed that I was in the room (she can be a bit oblivious), so I steadily crept over and then pounced on her.

She screamed so loudly that it might've broken the sound barrier. Owww.

"Ohmygod," Libby gasped, trying to calm down. "You suck! You almost gave me a heart attack!" She was on the ground, panting for air. I was on her bed doubled over in laughter. "It's not funny," she muttered.

"Sorry, Lib," I smirked. "You looked so peaceful, I just had to!"

"Ha. Ha. I'll get you back, don't you worry."

I chuckled. "I just had an intense conversation with your mom" I said. "Oh, and I'm staying over for supper."

"Don't you always," Libby grinned. "Sweet. Then I can sort of avoid the awkward conversations with my parents at the dinner able when I'm alone."

"Those are inevitable," I shrugged. "But alright. Whatever makes you sleep at night."

Momentarily, Jane called us down for dinner and we bounded down the stairs. We helped set up the table and then sat down ourselves.

"Where's Rick?" I asked, speaking of Libby's father.

"He's at work," Jane said wearily. "We're having some trouble with a few employees, so he's decided to take on their jobs just for this week."

"Is Dad okay? You two've seen sort of distant lately," Libby said in a concerned tone as she nibbled on her spaghetti.

Jane nodded. "We're fine, don't worry," she said with the most fake smile I have ever seen. On her, anyway. I stayed quiet for a few minutes...it really wasn't my place to pry. It was their family's personal affair.

The dinner was relatively quiet until Jane tried to brighten up the place. "So, girls," she said, patting the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "Any new boy interests?"

I think I almost choked on a crouton. "Um," I coughed, "not me at the moment. But Libby's got an interesting story."

Libby gave me an evil look and kicked my foot underneath the table. I winced in pain, but stayed composed.

"Oh, really?" Jane asked interestedly, propping her elbows up on the table. "Care to tell, oh beloved daughter of mine?"

"Not especially," Libby shrugged. "Just a boy. He's cute, that's all you need to know."

"What does he do?" Jane gushed in a singsong voice.

Libby gave her mother the weirdest look I have ever seen. "He...works at Collin's," she answered reluctantly. I snickered and she shot me a glare.

"Bring him over," she said with a smirk. "I'd like to meet this new boy."

We finished dinner and Libby and I went back up to her room. As soon as we were inside, she closed the door and smacked me on the shoulder. "Thanks a lot, now I have to bring Mikey over to meet my parents!" she groaned. "How embarrassing..."

I shrugged. "Think of it this way, it's pretty much an open invitation for you two to become an item."

"Mikey and I aren't something that you can buy at Costco!" she said, although her face was bright red and she wore a grin that stretched from ear to ear. "Besides, I think that you and Frank would make a much better deal."

I was about to retaliate when the phone rang. Libby grabbed it.

"Hello?" Her face suddenly turned grim. "Okay. Hang on." She glanced at me and handed me the phone. "It's Bob."

"Hello?" I said disinterestedly. "What do you want?"

"Come home right now," Bob said, sounding panicked.

"Why? What's so important?" I asked.

"It's Blair," he replied hurriedly.

I was confused. "What about her?"

"Morgan, she's missing."