AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t know if you should be working in your condition.”
“It doesn’t hurt at all.” I lied. “I’m totally fine.
Ten minutes later I was on my way back out the door. It turns out a raw face has a negative effect on customers' appetites.
When I got back home I sat down on the bed to think. If I couldn’t work at the restaurant, and no longer had a violin to play, how was I going to make money? Rent was late, my power was about to be shut off, and on top of all that, I was supposed to go home the next day and deal with Allie. I lay down, curled into a ball and cried myself to sleep.
I woke up to my phone ringing, but I didn’t bother to get up. It eventually stopped, and I snuggled deeper into my blankets. Then it rang again.
“Damn.” I tossed back my blankets. “It's Saturday.”
I got up and answered my phone, knowing it was Allie before I even saw her name on the caller ID. “Hello?” I said, trying to sound wide awake.
“Are you still coming?” she asked, not bothering to say hi.
“Yes,” I said. “Pick me up at the bus station at four.”
“Okay,” she said. “Mr Brooks gave me some papers to sign, but I’m not sure I understand it all.”
“Can we talk about it when I get there?” I asked.
“Sure. I’ll see you at four.”
“Bye.” I hung up the phone and trudged over to the counter to make a cup of coffee.
It was a three-hour bus ride back to Mooresville. Being the small town that it was, there wasn’t even a proper bus station. They just dropped people off in front of the post office. My bus arrived fifteen minutes early, but Allie was already there waiting. She was parked right in front, in mom's old white Chevy Impala.
I stepped down off the bus, barely touching the ground before the doors closed behind me. I was the only person getting off here.
Allie waved at me, smiling. But then her expression changed to one of horror, making me realize I hadn’t told her about my attack.Shit.
It was a fifteen minute drive to the house, and I spent the first ten reassuring her I was fine.
“You need to move Sarah! Your neighborhood is the worst! I don’t understand why you stay there!”
“It's all I can afford.” I reminded her.
“You could have stayed here with me,” she said.
I turned to look out my window, and we drove the rest of the way in silence.
A few minutes later, I was standing in the drive, staring at the house. Allie went inside, leaving me alone in the driveway. I wanted to get back in the car and drive away. Telling myself this was the last time I’d ever have to be here, I finally mustered the strength to go inside.
It was exactly the same. Allie hadn’t changed anything. I walked through the downstairs of the house, seeing my mom everywhere.
In the living room her quilt was still draped over the back of the sofa, and her books were stacked haphazardly all over the place. In the kitchen, her coffee mug was sitting on the counter. I walked over and picked it up. It was pink with a rainbow on one side, andI love youon the other. Allie had painted it as a mother’s day gift when we were little, and mom had used it every day. There was a small chip on the rim, and I ran my thumb over it. I heard Allie walk into the room.
“You’ve been using mom's mug.” I turned and gave her a weak smile.
“I couldn’t let fine art like that grow dust in the cupboard,” she said with a laugh. I smiled and set the cup down.
“I'm glad you're here,” she said.
I just nodded, letting my eyes wander around the room before landing on Allie. My sister was like an improved version of myself. While my hair was an in-between blondish-brown color, hers was pale blonde, and as smooth as silk. My hazel eyes looked plain old brown most of the time, hers were a striking green. I was 5’9”, just tall enough that my jeans were always a little too short. She was a perfect 5’6”. I was angry about the hand I’d been dealt. She was kind and optimistic. Everything about her was soft and feminine. Just like mom. They were so much alike that I had a hard time being around Allie now.
“Mr. Brooks left some papers for us to sign,” she said, interrupting my thoughts. She pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. “I think we should have a lawyer look them over first. What do you think?”
I sighed heavily and pulled out a chair to sit across from her. “We can’t afford a lawyer,” I told her. “And we can’t afford to keep the house.”
