Pillow Talk

22~ Outta My Head

Caleb and River acted as if I weren't there the next two days.

My brother was in and out of the house every day, as if he were trying to avoid being in the same room as me. It only added to Daisy's anger when she saw how he was treating me, and she refused to just leave it alone. She was even more pissed off when she heard about River and me.

"No, chica." She pointed at me with her bright green spoon, "You're going to get that boy back, kay?" I had nodded and blew it off, saying it was fine. But deep down I wanted to go up into the attic like I had the last two months to talk to him, to tell River how my day went.

But he wouldn't say a word to me when he did come down to use the bathroom among other things, he would only brush by and disappear back into the attic.

As I sat in my room now, staring at the ceiling, I tried to force all thoughts of River and my brother out of my mind.

If Caleb wanted to be a child, then I'd let him. If River was just going to leave as if nothing had happened between us, then I'd let him. I wasn't going to let them screw up my life, I couldn't.

". . . I don't care, Stephen. I'm sick and tired of all of this." I buried my face in my pillow, trying to block out the sound of my parents yelling in the living room. All of my brothers were gone, leaving me here by myself. Steven had gone a date with Mia, some girl in his Physics class. Collin had to go to some night class for college, and only God knows where Caleb is.

"Then leave, Carrie! We're doing just fine without you here!" I could tell just by how both of them were slurring, that they were drunk.

"So you're doing just fine with our sixteen year old daughter? The one that you rarely remember the name of? And where is she, Stephen? Is she out with some guy again?" I forced myself out of my bed and started toward the door, knowing very well where this argument would end up.

"She's going to end up just like Damon, you know. She's going to end up dead on some corner." I recoiled, my hands away from the knob at her words. I was beyond surprised when I heard my dad starting to shout back.

"Just because you're a whore doesn't make our daughter one, Carrie! She is a smart, beautiful young woman. Not that you would know what that is. Now get out of my house before I call the police." I took a startled step back from the door when I heard my mom's heels clicking against the tile growing closer.

My breathing quickened as the door swung open and my drunk mother stalked toward me.

"You!" She snarled, grabbing me by the hair before I could move, "You aren't my daughter." She shoved me back toward the door, ignoring my cry in pain.

"You aren't my mother." I whispered, burying my face in my hands.

"That's right." My dad said, "She's not. Get out of the house, Carrie. The cops are on their way." My mom yanked me back up, earning another cry of pain out of me as her nails dug into my arm.

"You took my life you little bitch. Your mother would be proud that your father raised a-"

"Get the fuck away from her." I was shocked when Daisy walked into the room, grabbing my mom by the collar of her slutty outfit.

"Listen, you are the only bitch here, okay? And if I see you around my best friend again, I won't be so nice. I know how to fight, and you definitely don't look like the type that would fight back. No, you'd take it down on your knees like the whore you are. Now get out." When my mom didn't move, Daisy grabbed her by her hair and dragged her out of the room. I stared after her, my stinging eyes wide.