“Are you okay, sweetie?” Mom’s voice is doing a lot to calm me.
“Yeah, just freaked out. Nothing like being all alone in the middle of a scene from a horror movie.” I force a laugh that I know comes out sounding wrong. I’m trying to be mature, but I really want my mom here.
“I’d come home if I could.” Mom covers the speaker and says something to someone else. “I’ll be there in the morning. I’m going to call Francis and Bob right now.”
“Love you, Mom.” I know she has to work. It’s completely unreasonable of me to want her here. I’m practically an adult, but I still want her to be here with me.
“Love you too, kid.”
I grip my phone in one hand, and the other holds the piñata stick upright as I watch my door. The phone buzzes a second later.
Kenz:
Sorry to break it to you, but Luke just had the wind knocked out of him
Me:
Someone just pounded on my doors and I’m freaking out
Kenz:
*shock face emoji* Need me to come over?
Me:
No. Neighbors should be investigating
Kenz:
That’s messed up. You sure you don’t want me to come over?
I consider it for a hot minute. She’s not asking just to be polite. She’d be over in a heartbeat if I asked, but I know she’s expecting Brandon. Besides, I’m a big girl who will be fine after Bob and Francis make sure zombies aren’t gathering around my property.
Me:
No. You keep that man of yours satisfied
Kenz:
You know it
No other texts have come in. Guess the guys don’t check their phones, or I’m low priority since they know exactly where I am and what I’m up to. My phone buzzes.
Unknown number:
All clear. –Bob & Fran. You can come down and we’ll check out the house.
I move the stuff from in front of my door and turn on the lights to head downstairs. With my piñata stick held high, I move slowly and check around every corner, turning on every light along the way. Finally, I make it to the back door where Bob and Fran wait.
There are still no noises of anyone in the house. That doesn’t mean someone isn’t hiding somewhere though. I open the back door. Bob has a bat in his hands while Fran holds her phone up.
“You okay, Harper?” Fran asks, stepping in, and she reaches out to grab my bare arm. I realize I’m still in my sleep shorts and sleep shirt without a bra. Bob moves past me into the house and starts going room by room.
Putting my piñata stick down, I grab a sweatshirt from the rack next to the door and shrug it on. Zipping it up, I say, “I’m okay. Just a little freaked out.”
“We didn’t find anything or anyone outside. Probably just bored teens.” She shakes her head of curly red hair. It’s tucked up in a handkerchief, almost in a Lucille Ball hairstyle. “Your mom wanted you to text her when we give the all clear.”
I nod. “Thank you for coming over.”
