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“This is an emergency? What’s going on?”
He clears his throat, the emotion thickening his voice. “Not something that should be discussed over the phone, Lakyn. I’m two minutes away. Please be outside and don’t keep me waiting.”
“Okay,” I mumble in shock, not sure what else to say.
He hangs up, and I stare at my ceiling for a moment before I whip the covers off my body. Racing around my room, I swap out my sleep clothes for a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. I pull my socks on and slip my feet into my Converse before rushing out of my room, my shoes squeaking across the wood floors.
“Lakyn?” Posie says, her hair a mess as she peeks around the corner from the bathroom. She has a face mask on, her face screwed up in confusion. “Is something wrong?”
I grip the bannister as I fly down the stairs. “Yeah, I think so, but I don’t know what. George is coming to get me.”
“Lakyn?” Eloise shouts from the kitchen. Her mom let her sleep here last night, and I hope it stays that way.
I wave at her, feeling panicked and with no time to talk. I bolt out the front door, hopping from the top step to the sidewalk, seeing George driving down the street erratically. His tires screech as he pulls up to the curb, not even taking the time to hop out and open the door for me.
I yank the door open, flying headfirst onto the seat, my heart pounding a million miles a minute.
“What is it?” I shout as he pulls away.
He glances at me in the rearview mirror, his eyes wide in shock. “Wait until we get to your parents’ house, Lakyn.”
I swallow over the lump in my throat. “Are they okay?”
His eyes shift back to the road, and a flood of tears instantly flow down my cheeks. I wipe them away, my teeth beginning to chatter. Though it’s not from the cold, it’s from fear.
“Please, just give me something. Is my mom okay?” I cry, leaning forward.
His eyes snap over his shoulder. “Put your seat belt on, Lakyn. This isn’t the place. Just…wait,” he pleads, and my spine curls over. I slide my butt back, pulling the seat belt over my chest. My hands continuously go to my cheeks, and I keep trying to dry my eyes, but it’s useless, and they only continue to flow.
George drives fast, and in no time at all, we are flying down our street, the long, sprawling green lawns seemingly endless this morning.
My eyes widen as I notice the number of cars parked out front of our house, most of them police.
“What happened?” I shout, unclipping my seat belt. George turns abruptly down our driveway, and I push the door open before the car has even stopped. My feet trip up on the driveway, and I stumble forward as I gain my footing, sprinting toward the front door.
“Lakyn, wait!” George shouts at me.
I ignore him, my feet pounding up the steps and through my front door, which is propped open with one of the pumpkins from outside.
“Mom!” I shout, fear choking my voice.
“Lakyn! Lakyn, I’m in here!” my mom’s voice echoes down the hallway, and I have no idea where she is, so I start running toward the voice, not even caring about removing my shoes.
My father will have a fit.
I pass the dining room, finally spotting her. My mom sits at the table, shockingly still in her pajamas, with three police officers sitting across from her.
My mom looks nothing like herself, her arms crossed over her chest, her spine hunched over. Her hair is a mess on top of her head, her face absent of any makeup.
This isn’t like my mom, not at all. And all it causes is a bolt of fear to roll through me.
She stands up suddenly, breaking into sobs as she rushes to me with open arms.
“Mom!” I shout, my chest smashing against hers. “What’s going on?” I ask into her damp hair. Damp from tears.
She mumbles under her breath, though I can barely make out a word.
“What?” I ask as I pull back from her, confused.
