On Sleepless Roads
Chapter Eight
Marti’s POV
I had a hard time falling asleep.
The room was strange, the house was strange, the people were strange,
All I wanted was to be in my own bed in my own room,
But that apparently wasn’t going to be happening anytime soon.
I was stuck in this house with these people,
It was a bit depressing.
But now I had two choices,
I could either be a little brat and get everyone to hate me,
Or I could try and give them a chance.
I think I’ll try to give them a chance,
That way no one can say that I didn’t.
When I finally did fall asleep I was awake in just a few hours.
It was light out so I got changed and just sat on my bed.
I was kind of scared to leave the room.
I heard people get up and then the front door opened and closed and a car pulled away.
But did that mean that I was alone in the house or was someone still here?
If I was alone than that would be awesome,
But if someone was still here than it would suck,
A lot.
Ryan’s POV
I slept in my old room,
It was kind of weird, I haven’t slept in there in forever.
Personally I like sleeping at my house better,
But that apparently wasn’t going to happen for a while.
Not until my parents could stay home and watch Marti.
I woke up early, well, actually, my mother woke me up early.
She wanted me to be up before Marti was up.
Not that I know any normal kid who wakes up before eleven o’clock on a Saturday.
And yet I had to wake up at seven,
Fun,
Not.
I lasted until eight thirty and then I had to go check on Marti.
I was so bored!
And to my, well, not really delight, but you know what I mean,
She was awake.
She was fully dressed and just sitting on her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest.
“How’d you sleep?” I asked after a few awkward seconds.
Marti shrugged.
“Fine.” She said.
Well she was lying,
That was easy to see,
But I wasn’t about to push the issue.
“Well come eat.” I said, walking towards the kitchen.
Hesitantly Marti followed me.
It was very awkward,
Neither one of us knew what to say.
So I just got two bowls and filled them with cereal.
To be honest I didn’t really care if Marti liked the cereal or not,
It wouldn’t have mattered,
There wasn’t any other cereal in the house.
We ate in silence,
Needless to say it was pretty awkward.
After breakfast we went into the living room.
She sat on the couch and I sat in a chair.
Neither one of us said anything.
I was thankful when the doorbell rang.
That meant that Brendon was here.
I jumped to my feet and ran to the door.
Sure enough it was Brendon.
“You have new neighbors.” He said.
I glared at him.
“No, I don’t have new neighbors, my parents have new neighbors.” I corrected him.
Brendon just rolled his eyes and followed me into the house.
Brendon’s POV
Marti was sitting on the couch in the living room.
Ryan sat down in the chair so I sat down on the couch,
On the opposite end of Marti.
Then there was a long, uncomfortable silence.
Finally Ryan spoke.
“They saw the tape you know.” He said.
Obviously he wasn’t talking to me,
But Marti looked like she didn’t know what he was talking about either.
“What tape?” She asked hesitantly.
“Your mother sent them tapes, and they saw the one where you and your stepbrother added a bit.” Ryan said.
Marti went white.
“Oh.” Was all she said.
“They’ve been searching for you ever since.” Ryan said.
Marti looked angry.
“They obviously haven’t been searching that hard.” She said coldly.
I couldn’t believe it and from the looks of it Ryan couldn’t either.
“And why do you say that?” Ryan asked angrily.
“It’s not that hard to find my mother.” Marti said with a glare.
“For you maybe, my parents didn’t even know you guys were in Las Vegas!” Ryan said.
I really wished I was somewhere else.
“If they have the other tapes then they know.” Marti said.
Ryan started to say something but I cut him off.
“Can I talk to you for a second, privately?” I asked.
Grudgingly Ryan nodded and followed me out of the room.
“What do you want?” He asked angrily.
“You know that her mother and stepfather abused her.” I said.
Ryan looked confused but he nodded.
“Yeah, so what?” He asked.
“So we don’t know everything that they did to her, and she’s bound to feel like your father never tried to find her and put an end to the abuse.” I said.
Ryan was silent, thinking.
Finally he sighed loudly.
“I guess you’re right.” He said.
I smiled.
“I’m always right!” I said.
I walked back into the living room and stopped dead.
Marti was gone!
Ryan’s POV
I was going to kill that kid,
Brendon and I had only been gone for a minute at the most
And she disappeared again!
First we looked in all the rooms,
She wasn’t in any of them.
“Why don’t we check the backyard?” Brendon suggested.
I don’t see why, she wouldn’t go back there if she was trying to take off.
But I was wrong,
Because that’s exactly where she was,
Talking to a girl over the fence.
Both of them looked up, startled, when Brendon and I ran out of the house.
“What the heck are you doing out here?” I asked angrily, stepping close to Marti.
She stared at me as if I were insane.
“Talking to Audie.” She said slowly, as if I were an idiot.
“Always, always tell me before you go outside!” I snapped.
“Aren’t you Ryan Ross?” The girl, Audie, asked.
I nodded.
“You seem a lot nicer on TV.” She said.
Behind me I could hear Brendon laughing and even Marti was trying to hold in a laugh.
I glared at the girl and then glared at Marti.
“Don’t do that!” I snapped.
Marti rolled her eyes.
“Okay, sorry!” She said.
“Sorry isn’t going to cut it, get back in that house now!” I ordered.
Marti gave me a look of pure hatred and I tried to ignore it but it was hard.
“Fine, it was nice meeting you.” Marti said, glancing back at Audie.
Audie nodded and glared at me.
“Yeah same here, good luck.” She said.
I glared at her and followed Marti and Brendon into the house.
“You don’t have to be so mean!” Brendon whispered to me.
I ignored him.
“Why do you do that?” I asked Marti.
Marti looked confused.
“Do what?” She asked.
“Run away!” I said.
Marti looked away from me to the wall.
“Why?” I asked again.
“Why do you think? Why does anyone run away?” Marti snapped.
“Why were you trying to run away right now?” I asked.
“I wasn’t trying to run away.” Marti said.
“Then what were you doing?”
Marti didn’t answer.
“What were you doing?” I asked again.
Marti hesitated but she answered.
“I wanted to be away from you.” She whispered.
Ouch,
That hurt,
A lot.
I lifted my arm, to run my hand through my hair,
And Marti flinched and ducked instinctively.
I stared at her for a few seconds.
She really thought that I was going to hit her!
“I’m not going to hit you!” I said, horrified by the very idea.
Marti looked like she didn’t believe me.
“I swear to you that I will never hit you!” I said.
Marti didn’t answer.
“It’s true, he may be angry and yell a lot but he won’t hit you!” Brendon said quickly.
I glanced at him gratefully,
But Marti still didn’t look convinced.
“Okay.” She said uncertainly.
I guess that was the best I was going to get out of her for right now.
But I can’t believe she seriously thought I was going to hit her.
It just made me hate her mother and stepfather even more!
I had a hard time falling asleep.
The room was strange, the house was strange, the people were strange,
All I wanted was to be in my own bed in my own room,
But that apparently wasn’t going to be happening anytime soon.
I was stuck in this house with these people,
It was a bit depressing.
But now I had two choices,
I could either be a little brat and get everyone to hate me,
Or I could try and give them a chance.
I think I’ll try to give them a chance,
That way no one can say that I didn’t.
When I finally did fall asleep I was awake in just a few hours.
It was light out so I got changed and just sat on my bed.
I was kind of scared to leave the room.
I heard people get up and then the front door opened and closed and a car pulled away.
But did that mean that I was alone in the house or was someone still here?
If I was alone than that would be awesome,
But if someone was still here than it would suck,
A lot.
Ryan’s POV
I slept in my old room,
It was kind of weird, I haven’t slept in there in forever.
Personally I like sleeping at my house better,
But that apparently wasn’t going to happen for a while.
Not until my parents could stay home and watch Marti.
I woke up early, well, actually, my mother woke me up early.
She wanted me to be up before Marti was up.
Not that I know any normal kid who wakes up before eleven o’clock on a Saturday.
And yet I had to wake up at seven,
Fun,
Not.
I lasted until eight thirty and then I had to go check on Marti.
I was so bored!
And to my, well, not really delight, but you know what I mean,
She was awake.
She was fully dressed and just sitting on her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest.
“How’d you sleep?” I asked after a few awkward seconds.
Marti shrugged.
“Fine.” She said.
Well she was lying,
That was easy to see,
But I wasn’t about to push the issue.
“Well come eat.” I said, walking towards the kitchen.
Hesitantly Marti followed me.
It was very awkward,
Neither one of us knew what to say.
So I just got two bowls and filled them with cereal.
To be honest I didn’t really care if Marti liked the cereal or not,
It wouldn’t have mattered,
There wasn’t any other cereal in the house.
We ate in silence,
Needless to say it was pretty awkward.
After breakfast we went into the living room.
She sat on the couch and I sat in a chair.
Neither one of us said anything.
I was thankful when the doorbell rang.
That meant that Brendon was here.
I jumped to my feet and ran to the door.
Sure enough it was Brendon.
“You have new neighbors.” He said.
I glared at him.
“No, I don’t have new neighbors, my parents have new neighbors.” I corrected him.
Brendon just rolled his eyes and followed me into the house.
Brendon’s POV
Marti was sitting on the couch in the living room.
Ryan sat down in the chair so I sat down on the couch,
On the opposite end of Marti.
Then there was a long, uncomfortable silence.
Finally Ryan spoke.
“They saw the tape you know.” He said.
Obviously he wasn’t talking to me,
But Marti looked like she didn’t know what he was talking about either.
“What tape?” She asked hesitantly.
“Your mother sent them tapes, and they saw the one where you and your stepbrother added a bit.” Ryan said.
Marti went white.
“Oh.” Was all she said.
“They’ve been searching for you ever since.” Ryan said.
Marti looked angry.
“They obviously haven’t been searching that hard.” She said coldly.
I couldn’t believe it and from the looks of it Ryan couldn’t either.
“And why do you say that?” Ryan asked angrily.
“It’s not that hard to find my mother.” Marti said with a glare.
“For you maybe, my parents didn’t even know you guys were in Las Vegas!” Ryan said.
I really wished I was somewhere else.
“If they have the other tapes then they know.” Marti said.
Ryan started to say something but I cut him off.
“Can I talk to you for a second, privately?” I asked.
Grudgingly Ryan nodded and followed me out of the room.
“What do you want?” He asked angrily.
“You know that her mother and stepfather abused her.” I said.
Ryan looked confused but he nodded.
“Yeah, so what?” He asked.
“So we don’t know everything that they did to her, and she’s bound to feel like your father never tried to find her and put an end to the abuse.” I said.
Ryan was silent, thinking.
Finally he sighed loudly.
“I guess you’re right.” He said.
I smiled.
“I’m always right!” I said.
I walked back into the living room and stopped dead.
Marti was gone!
Ryan’s POV
I was going to kill that kid,
Brendon and I had only been gone for a minute at the most
And she disappeared again!
First we looked in all the rooms,
She wasn’t in any of them.
“Why don’t we check the backyard?” Brendon suggested.
I don’t see why, she wouldn’t go back there if she was trying to take off.
But I was wrong,
Because that’s exactly where she was,
Talking to a girl over the fence.
Both of them looked up, startled, when Brendon and I ran out of the house.
“What the heck are you doing out here?” I asked angrily, stepping close to Marti.
She stared at me as if I were insane.
“Talking to Audie.” She said slowly, as if I were an idiot.
“Always, always tell me before you go outside!” I snapped.
“Aren’t you Ryan Ross?” The girl, Audie, asked.
I nodded.
“You seem a lot nicer on TV.” She said.
Behind me I could hear Brendon laughing and even Marti was trying to hold in a laugh.
I glared at the girl and then glared at Marti.
“Don’t do that!” I snapped.
Marti rolled her eyes.
“Okay, sorry!” She said.
“Sorry isn’t going to cut it, get back in that house now!” I ordered.
Marti gave me a look of pure hatred and I tried to ignore it but it was hard.
“Fine, it was nice meeting you.” Marti said, glancing back at Audie.
Audie nodded and glared at me.
“Yeah same here, good luck.” She said.
I glared at her and followed Marti and Brendon into the house.
“You don’t have to be so mean!” Brendon whispered to me.
I ignored him.
“Why do you do that?” I asked Marti.
Marti looked confused.
“Do what?” She asked.
“Run away!” I said.
Marti looked away from me to the wall.
“Why?” I asked again.
“Why do you think? Why does anyone run away?” Marti snapped.
“Why were you trying to run away right now?” I asked.
“I wasn’t trying to run away.” Marti said.
“Then what were you doing?”
Marti didn’t answer.
“What were you doing?” I asked again.
Marti hesitated but she answered.
“I wanted to be away from you.” She whispered.
Ouch,
That hurt,
A lot.
I lifted my arm, to run my hand through my hair,
And Marti flinched and ducked instinctively.
I stared at her for a few seconds.
She really thought that I was going to hit her!
“I’m not going to hit you!” I said, horrified by the very idea.
Marti looked like she didn’t believe me.
“I swear to you that I will never hit you!” I said.
Marti didn’t answer.
“It’s true, he may be angry and yell a lot but he won’t hit you!” Brendon said quickly.
I glanced at him gratefully,
But Marti still didn’t look convinced.
“Okay.” She said uncertainly.
I guess that was the best I was going to get out of her for right now.
But I can’t believe she seriously thought I was going to hit her.
It just made me hate her mother and stepfather even more!