On Sleepless Roads
Chapter Nine
Ryan’s POV
It was an hour later and it was pretty awkward.
Marti wasn’t speaking and Brendon and I had given up on trying to make conversation.
Then my cell phone rang.
It was my mom.
“Hello.” I said, walking out of the room as I answered it.
“Hey Ryan, how’s it going?” Mom asked.
“Fine.” I said.
“Your father and I aren’t going to get home until really late tonight.” Mom said.
“Okay.” I said slowly. I’d already figured that out.
“I mean really late tonight.” Mom said.
“Okay.” I repeated.
“I mean if you want to take Marti over to your house for the night that’d be fine.” Mom said.
“Um, okay.” I said. I didn’t want to but apparently I was supposed to.
Lovely.
“I’ll call you tomorrow then, thanks again honey.” Mom said.
“Yeah, no problem, bye.” I said, hanging up.
My mom is amazing at getting people to do what she wants.
“We’re going over to my house.” I announced.
Brendon looked confused and Marti looked horrified.
I’m not sure why,
Either way she’s stuck with me.
“Why?” Brendon asked.
“My parents are going to be gone until very late tonight and they want Marti to stay at my place for tonight.” I said with a shrug.
I’m not really sure why my mom wants us to go to my house.
It’s kind of random if you ask me.
“Come on, let’s go.” I said.
Brendon and Marti followed me out onto the front yard,
Where Marti and I got into my car while Brendon got into his.
“I’ll meet you there.” Brendon said.
I nodded and started my car.
Marti looked ready to die.
I know how she felt, this was gong to be one extremely awkward drive.
“Is Mark your stepbrother?” I asked finally.
Marti looked horrified.
“I don’t want to talk about it!” She said.
“There’s nothing to talk about, it’s a simple yes or no question!” I said.
Marti hesitated.
“Yes.” She said finally.
“Is Maddie your stepsister?” I asked.
Very slowly Marti nodded.
Man, talk about liking names that start with the letter M.
“Is Carl your stepfather?” I asked.
Again Marti nodded.
“What would he do to you?” I asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it!” Marti said.
I rolled my eyes and then there was a long silence.
“I need gas.” I said finally as I pulled into a gas station.
Marti just nodded.
What I really needed was a little bit of a break from her.
Even if it was only for two minutes.
But amazingly I was feeling better after I came out from paying.
That is, until I noticed that my car was empty.
I was seriously going to kill that kid.
It was three times now!
I searched all around the gas station but I couldn’t find her anywhere.
Finally I decided that I’d drive around and look for her.
She was going to die when I found her though.
Grumbling to myself I got into the car.
“Is she gone yet?” Marti’s voice made me jump.
She was curled up in front of the passenger seat, where your feet are supposed to go.
“What the hell are you doing down there?” I asked, too surprised to be angry.
Before Marti could answer, someone behind us honked so I pulled away from the gas pump and into a parking spot.
Marti was looking around, terrified.
“Is she gone?” She asked again.
I looked around.
I couldn’t see anyone.
“Is who gone?” I asked.
Marti hesitated.
“My mom.”
Her mom?!
“Your mom?!” I said.
Marti nodded.
“Where?” I asked, looking around.
I didn’t see her anywhere.
“She was there, I saw her!” Marti insisted.
She was terrified.
“Okay, I believe you, but she’s gone now.” I said.
Marti didn’t move.
“You can come back onto the seat now.” I said.
Marti shook her head.
“She’ll see me!” She said, clearly upset.
“She’s gone, she won’t see you!” I said.
“What if she’s hiding??” Marti asked.
I had to restrain myself from rolling my eyes.
“Fine, stay down there, we’re almost at my place anyway.” I said.
Brendon’s POV
Finally, after only ten minutes of me waiting, Ryan pulled up in front of his house.
He didn’t get out of the car though, and I realized that no one was in the passenger seat.
Had he lost Marti?
I walked over to his car and opened the passenger door.
I jumped when I saw Marti sitting on the floor.
What the hell was she doing there?
“I can guarantee that she’s not anywhere around here.” Ryan was saying.
Marti didn’t look convinced.
“What if she followed us?” She asked nervously.
Both Ryan and I looked around.
There weren’t any cars on the street.
“She didn’t follow us, trust me.” Ryan said.
“Who are we talking about?” I asked.
Both Ryan and Marti ignored me.
“You’ll be safer in the house.” Ryan pointed out.
After several long seconds Marti slowly crawled out.
We were all silent as we walked up to the front door and waited for Ryan to unlock it.
Once we were inside he locked it, and then ushered Marti and I into the living room.
“Anyone want to explain what that was about?” I asked finally.
Marti and Ryan looked at each other.
Finally Ryan spoke.
“She thought she saw her mother.” He said.
“I did see my mother!” Marti insisted.
“Okay, she did see her mother, and it freaked her out.” Ryan said.
Well that’s not suspicious at all.
“Why?” I asked.
Marti looked confused.
“Why did it freak you out so much, what’d she do to you?” I asked.
Marti’s face went white.
“Nothing!” She said quickly.
Aha, yeah right.
“Then why would it freak you out?” Ryan asked.
Marti was trapped!
I feel so evil.
“B-because…” Marti started but then she was silent.
“What’d she do?” Ryan asked.
“I’m not telling you anything!” Marti snapped.
Both Ryan and I were surprised.
“Why not?” Ryan asked.
“I don’t know you!” Marti said.
“But I’m your brother.”
“In title only!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I just met you, just because you’re my half-brother doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you anything!”
Ouch, well this was awkward.
I love being in the middle of sibling fights.
“Who are you going to tell then, because you have to tell someone!”
“No I don’t.”
“We can’t protect you from your mom then.” Ryan said.
Marti hesitated.
“Well you were doing a crappy job before so who says you’ll do any better now!” She snapped.
“I didn’t know about you before!” Ryan pointed out.
I was really going to have to stop this before it got any worse.
“Okay guys, we really don’t need to-“ I started to say but Ryan cut me off.
“If you don’t want to end up living with your mother again then you’re going to have to tell me!” He said.
Marti was silent.
Ryan did have a point,
His parents would be able to get custody of Marti if Marti fessed up that her mom abused her.
“And Mark and Maddie would be safe from your mom and Carl if you told.” Ryan said.
Who the hell are Mark and Maddie?
“Don’t bring them into this!” Marti said.
She sounded close to tears.
She cries a lot.
Ryan started to say something but he was interrupted by a knock on the door.
It was an hour later and it was pretty awkward.
Marti wasn’t speaking and Brendon and I had given up on trying to make conversation.
Then my cell phone rang.
It was my mom.
“Hello.” I said, walking out of the room as I answered it.
“Hey Ryan, how’s it going?” Mom asked.
“Fine.” I said.
“Your father and I aren’t going to get home until really late tonight.” Mom said.
“Okay.” I said slowly. I’d already figured that out.
“I mean really late tonight.” Mom said.
“Okay.” I repeated.
“I mean if you want to take Marti over to your house for the night that’d be fine.” Mom said.
“Um, okay.” I said. I didn’t want to but apparently I was supposed to.
Lovely.
“I’ll call you tomorrow then, thanks again honey.” Mom said.
“Yeah, no problem, bye.” I said, hanging up.
My mom is amazing at getting people to do what she wants.
“We’re going over to my house.” I announced.
Brendon looked confused and Marti looked horrified.
I’m not sure why,
Either way she’s stuck with me.
“Why?” Brendon asked.
“My parents are going to be gone until very late tonight and they want Marti to stay at my place for tonight.” I said with a shrug.
I’m not really sure why my mom wants us to go to my house.
It’s kind of random if you ask me.
“Come on, let’s go.” I said.
Brendon and Marti followed me out onto the front yard,
Where Marti and I got into my car while Brendon got into his.
“I’ll meet you there.” Brendon said.
I nodded and started my car.
Marti looked ready to die.
I know how she felt, this was gong to be one extremely awkward drive.
“Is Mark your stepbrother?” I asked finally.
Marti looked horrified.
“I don’t want to talk about it!” She said.
“There’s nothing to talk about, it’s a simple yes or no question!” I said.
Marti hesitated.
“Yes.” She said finally.
“Is Maddie your stepsister?” I asked.
Very slowly Marti nodded.
Man, talk about liking names that start with the letter M.
“Is Carl your stepfather?” I asked.
Again Marti nodded.
“What would he do to you?” I asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it!” Marti said.
I rolled my eyes and then there was a long silence.
“I need gas.” I said finally as I pulled into a gas station.
Marti just nodded.
What I really needed was a little bit of a break from her.
Even if it was only for two minutes.
But amazingly I was feeling better after I came out from paying.
That is, until I noticed that my car was empty.
I was seriously going to kill that kid.
It was three times now!
I searched all around the gas station but I couldn’t find her anywhere.
Finally I decided that I’d drive around and look for her.
She was going to die when I found her though.
Grumbling to myself I got into the car.
“Is she gone yet?” Marti’s voice made me jump.
She was curled up in front of the passenger seat, where your feet are supposed to go.
“What the hell are you doing down there?” I asked, too surprised to be angry.
Before Marti could answer, someone behind us honked so I pulled away from the gas pump and into a parking spot.
Marti was looking around, terrified.
“Is she gone?” She asked again.
I looked around.
I couldn’t see anyone.
“Is who gone?” I asked.
Marti hesitated.
“My mom.”
Her mom?!
“Your mom?!” I said.
Marti nodded.
“Where?” I asked, looking around.
I didn’t see her anywhere.
“She was there, I saw her!” Marti insisted.
She was terrified.
“Okay, I believe you, but she’s gone now.” I said.
Marti didn’t move.
“You can come back onto the seat now.” I said.
Marti shook her head.
“She’ll see me!” She said, clearly upset.
“She’s gone, she won’t see you!” I said.
“What if she’s hiding??” Marti asked.
I had to restrain myself from rolling my eyes.
“Fine, stay down there, we’re almost at my place anyway.” I said.
Brendon’s POV
Finally, after only ten minutes of me waiting, Ryan pulled up in front of his house.
He didn’t get out of the car though, and I realized that no one was in the passenger seat.
Had he lost Marti?
I walked over to his car and opened the passenger door.
I jumped when I saw Marti sitting on the floor.
What the hell was she doing there?
“I can guarantee that she’s not anywhere around here.” Ryan was saying.
Marti didn’t look convinced.
“What if she followed us?” She asked nervously.
Both Ryan and I looked around.
There weren’t any cars on the street.
“She didn’t follow us, trust me.” Ryan said.
“Who are we talking about?” I asked.
Both Ryan and Marti ignored me.
“You’ll be safer in the house.” Ryan pointed out.
After several long seconds Marti slowly crawled out.
We were all silent as we walked up to the front door and waited for Ryan to unlock it.
Once we were inside he locked it, and then ushered Marti and I into the living room.
“Anyone want to explain what that was about?” I asked finally.
Marti and Ryan looked at each other.
Finally Ryan spoke.
“She thought she saw her mother.” He said.
“I did see my mother!” Marti insisted.
“Okay, she did see her mother, and it freaked her out.” Ryan said.
Well that’s not suspicious at all.
“Why?” I asked.
Marti looked confused.
“Why did it freak you out so much, what’d she do to you?” I asked.
Marti’s face went white.
“Nothing!” She said quickly.
Aha, yeah right.
“Then why would it freak you out?” Ryan asked.
Marti was trapped!
I feel so evil.
“B-because…” Marti started but then she was silent.
“What’d she do?” Ryan asked.
“I’m not telling you anything!” Marti snapped.
Both Ryan and I were surprised.
“Why not?” Ryan asked.
“I don’t know you!” Marti said.
“But I’m your brother.”
“In title only!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I just met you, just because you’re my half-brother doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you anything!”
Ouch, well this was awkward.
I love being in the middle of sibling fights.
“Who are you going to tell then, because you have to tell someone!”
“No I don’t.”
“We can’t protect you from your mom then.” Ryan said.
Marti hesitated.
“Well you were doing a crappy job before so who says you’ll do any better now!” She snapped.
“I didn’t know about you before!” Ryan pointed out.
I was really going to have to stop this before it got any worse.
“Okay guys, we really don’t need to-“ I started to say but Ryan cut me off.
“If you don’t want to end up living with your mother again then you’re going to have to tell me!” He said.
Marti was silent.
Ryan did have a point,
His parents would be able to get custody of Marti if Marti fessed up that her mom abused her.
“And Mark and Maddie would be safe from your mom and Carl if you told.” Ryan said.
Who the hell are Mark and Maddie?
“Don’t bring them into this!” Marti said.
She sounded close to tears.
She cries a lot.
Ryan started to say something but he was interrupted by a knock on the door.