Bad Timing

Otto

Not completely edited *

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I couldn’t sit still.

My leg bounced up and down as I sat in the Callaway living room, nervously chewing on my bottom lip. All negative thoughts were invading my brain as we waited apprehensively for Maia to come back or for Noah to come back with news on Maia. Right now, all I could think about was the neighbor’s Rottweiler chasing after the tiny girl.

Paige would call me loco for what I was about to admit. I actually missed the tiny devil. All I wanted to hear were the string of complaints and infuriating comments that came from her big mouth. At least when I did hear it, I knew she was safely by my side and nowhere in danger’s arms.

My attitude towards Maia may seem like I hated her, but I never felt any sense of hatred towards her. She infuriated me, but that didn’t mean I loathed her. In fact, I was beginning to believe that we were becoming friends. She and her bratty ways somehow made a special place in my heart.

The more I watched Natalia pace back and forth, the more she made me nervous. She was muttering things under her breath and I couldn’t pick up on it. I didn’t dare interrupt her train of thought or try to comfort her because I knew she needed this time alone. In addition, it was sort of hard to calm somebody down when I was freaking out myself.

When Noah entered the room, I sat up and Natalia stopped pacing around to look at him expectantly.

“She won’t talk to me,” He exhaled loudly. His shoulders slumped tiredly as he rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s in her tree house crying.”

“I’ll go talk to her,” Natalia finally said and went to storm out of the room.

I quickly got up from my seat on the couch and stood in front of Natalia with my hands in front of me. “It’s okay, Natalia. Just try to calm down. I’ll try to talk to Maia.”

Natalia wasn’t in the condition to talk sense into her children. She was stressing more than Noah and I put together. If anything, she’d probably freak out Maia more. And a more freaked out Maia means a more stressed out Natalia.

“She’s my daughter,” Natalia sighed with a frown. “Emma, I’m sorry you had to see whatever you saw tonight. I don’t want you to get mixed up in our family affairs.”

“Please, just let me try talking to her once,” I pleaded. “I promise I’ll get her to come back inside.”

Natalia looked wary, fidgeting in spot. I eyed Noah for help, but he continued to watch our exchange without a word.

“Emma, just go home and enjoy the rest of your Friday night. Thank you for trying to help, but this isn’t your place and – “

“Mom,” Noah interjected. He stood in front of Natalia and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Just trust Emma. Just let her try once. You need to calm down first.”

Natalia glanced at me and after a few seconds, nodded her head. “Fine. One time.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I obeyed.

I didn’t waste any time. I made my way through the back door of the house and into the large yard with perfect green grass that glistened under the moonlight. It wasn’t hard to spot the tree house in the dark.

It was a large wooden, circular tree house that wrapped around the trunk of a tree. Unlike most tree houses that were built high off the ground, the tree house was settled on the flat surface of soil. It was also big enough for me to walk through without having to crouch down.