The Bruised Angel
10
Mom didn’t call for a few days and when she did dad talked with her long enough for her to say that she arrived in Barcelona and was ok. She didn’t bother asking for Tam or me and dad seemed to realize there was tension between us because he didn’t offer to give us the phone. I had Cassie over after school on Wednesday because I was getting lonely.
“Your dad’s home?” she asked when we were in my room.
“Yeah, he’s been here a lot since mom left. I hate it.”
“Why I thought you wanted him home?”
“I do but he just mopes about mom being away. He got to dependent on her and apparently she was supposed to stay home for a while this time, it’s making him depressed.”
“Well you and Tam did…chase her out?” she slowed at the end when I started shaking my head and laughing without humor.
“She’s had the ticket for Barcelona for two months. I found the order form on line. She’s been lying to him.”
“That’s horrible.”
“He knows it too! That’s the worst part. He knows she lies yet he still keeps up the stupid hopes.”
“They’re not stupid hopes.”
“Cassie, nothing’s going to change her. People like mom don’t change.”
“What do you mean people like her?”
“People who lie all the time.”
“They can change,” she said defensively.
“It’s a long shot.”
“You just have to give them a chance.”
“Whatever you say,” I said, giving up on this fight.
She laid back on the bed and closed her eyes.
“Tired?” I asked, sitting next to her.
“Yeah. I haven’t gotten much sleep the past few days.”
“You can take a little nap; I’ll wake you up before four.”
“Thanks Aly, you’re the best.”
“I know!”
She gave me a look and laughed. Then she closed her eyes and a few minutes she was asleep. I put Enya on quietly and read Speak. In the middle of reading I started getting tired so I put the book down and closed my eyes just for a minute. The next thing I knew the bed was shaking and Cassie let out a small scream. I jumped up and saw her scrambling for her things.
“Where’s the fire?” I asked tiredly.
“It’s six-thirty! My parents are going to kill me!” she was throwing her shoes on.
“Just tell them you fell asleep.”
“It won’t do anything, just count as backtalk. I’ll-I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She looked so scared.
“Cassie, are you ok?”
“No I’m not,” she said shakily with a small smile.
“What’s wrong?”
“Everything. I gotta go. Can Tam give me a ride?”
“Yeah, come on.”
I led her downstairs where Tam was making pasta salad.
“Tam, can you please give Cassie a ride.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll stay and watch the food.”
“Ok. Cassie, you can wait in the car. I just need to get my keys.”
“Ok.”
She left the house and I turned to Tam.
“Ask her what’s wrong and do everything to find out.”
“I’ll try.”
She left and I heard the car pull away. I worked on the pasta salad and about ten minutes later Tam was back. I pounced on her when she came through the door.
“Well?”
“She’s scared. I asked her what was wrong and she just seemed so distracted. Then when she was getting out of the car she looked so pale and scared. Something’s going on.”
“I’m working on finding out.”
“It’s nothing illegal right?”
“Right.”
She sighed. “I really don’t like this, Aly, not at all.”
“Your dad’s home?” she asked when we were in my room.
“Yeah, he’s been here a lot since mom left. I hate it.”
“Why I thought you wanted him home?”
“I do but he just mopes about mom being away. He got to dependent on her and apparently she was supposed to stay home for a while this time, it’s making him depressed.”
“Well you and Tam did…chase her out?” she slowed at the end when I started shaking my head and laughing without humor.
“She’s had the ticket for Barcelona for two months. I found the order form on line. She’s been lying to him.”
“That’s horrible.”
“He knows it too! That’s the worst part. He knows she lies yet he still keeps up the stupid hopes.”
“They’re not stupid hopes.”
“Cassie, nothing’s going to change her. People like mom don’t change.”
“What do you mean people like her?”
“People who lie all the time.”
“They can change,” she said defensively.
“It’s a long shot.”
“You just have to give them a chance.”
“Whatever you say,” I said, giving up on this fight.
She laid back on the bed and closed her eyes.
“Tired?” I asked, sitting next to her.
“Yeah. I haven’t gotten much sleep the past few days.”
“You can take a little nap; I’ll wake you up before four.”
“Thanks Aly, you’re the best.”
“I know!”
She gave me a look and laughed. Then she closed her eyes and a few minutes she was asleep. I put Enya on quietly and read Speak. In the middle of reading I started getting tired so I put the book down and closed my eyes just for a minute. The next thing I knew the bed was shaking and Cassie let out a small scream. I jumped up and saw her scrambling for her things.
“Where’s the fire?” I asked tiredly.
“It’s six-thirty! My parents are going to kill me!” she was throwing her shoes on.
“Just tell them you fell asleep.”
“It won’t do anything, just count as backtalk. I’ll-I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She looked so scared.
“Cassie, are you ok?”
“No I’m not,” she said shakily with a small smile.
“What’s wrong?”
“Everything. I gotta go. Can Tam give me a ride?”
“Yeah, come on.”
I led her downstairs where Tam was making pasta salad.
“Tam, can you please give Cassie a ride.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll stay and watch the food.”
“Ok. Cassie, you can wait in the car. I just need to get my keys.”
“Ok.”
She left the house and I turned to Tam.
“Ask her what’s wrong and do everything to find out.”
“I’ll try.”
She left and I heard the car pull away. I worked on the pasta salad and about ten minutes later Tam was back. I pounced on her when she came through the door.
“Well?”
“She’s scared. I asked her what was wrong and she just seemed so distracted. Then when she was getting out of the car she looked so pale and scared. Something’s going on.”
“I’m working on finding out.”
“It’s nothing illegal right?”
“Right.”
She sighed. “I really don’t like this, Aly, not at all.”