used in months to boot, but after a bit of protesting, it
roared to life. I was on my way home.
It would only be for a week, I told
myself. That wasn't so terrible, was it?
But it was more than just coming
home. It wouldn't be just me and my parents. Kandace and her husband would be
there as well. It was going to be a full house, and not in a pleasant way.
Not in a pleasant way at all. My mom had told me all about it in one of her
ranting e-mails to me, a few days ago.
I almost didn't make it home. I
very nearly called Mr. Hendricks up and begged him to let me go back to him.
But logic kept my hands on the wheel, and logic kept me driving home. Crying
to my master wouldn't change a thing. Sometimes I had to do uncomfortable
things. Sometimes I had to do things that I wouldn't enjoy in the least. This
was one of those things, but it had to be done.
Dread filled my body as I pulled
into the driveways of my parents' house for the first time in months. My feet
felt like lead as I hauled them out of the my little car. My bag felt like it
weighed a ton. There was nothing I'd rather do less right now, than go into my
parents' house. But somehow, I did it.
I opened the door, and I heard my
mom call out. “Kandace?”
“No, it's Krystal.” I couldn't
help but bite back a frown. My parents were still so obsessed with my sister
that they wouldn't even give me the time of day.
“Oh, hello sweetie!” My mom now
popped out of the kitchen, oven mitts still on her hands. She wrapped me in
one of her patented awkward hugs, and I returned it as best I could,
considering my arms were full. “Why don't you go put that upstairs and help me
with dinner?”
“Okay.” I swallowed, and trudged
up the stairs. Now that I was actually here and doing things, now that I was in
action, it didn't seem so bad. Still, this world seemed so strange to me.
I set the bags on my bed, and saw a
flash of fur. Flicker! He jumped on the bed and yowled for pets, which I
gladly gave him. As I sat next to him, gathering him up in my lap, I
remembered how much I missed this little creature. He was such a good cat.
But I couldn't stay with him long –
my mom needed help, and she wouldn't be terribly happy if I just lurked in my
bedroom all day. Still, the thought was tempting. I briefly considered
flipping open my laptop, laying down on my bed, and vegging out on the net for
just a few minutes.
“Krystal!” my mom yelled up the
stairs. I sighed. There'd be no vegging out for me.
I stood up, aggravating Flicker
with my sudden movement. “I'll be back in a little while,” I consoled the
little cat, and then reluctantly left the room.
My mom was waiting downstairs, her
hands on her hips. For a moment, I thought she was angry with me, but then I
noticed that there were other people in the room as well. My dad was there,
and so was Kandace.
And her husband stood behind her,
his hands protectively placed on her shoulders.
“Krystal,” my mom said tersely,
“This is Steven. Steven Crouch.”
“Um, hello,” I said awkwardly to
the strange me. He looked old, older than dad, and he was soft and pale, with
thin gray hair. He was tall though, and thin, taller than Kandace by a head,
and he had a genial, non-aggressive smile.
“Hello, my dear,” he replied. His
voice was as soft as his body, and he extended a hand. I took in my own,
shaking it lightly. His hand was as soft as the rest of him looked, and his
grip was light.
In other words, he was very much
like my dad, and nothing like my master.
An awkward silence filled the air,
and my mom try to fill it instead with conversation. “Well, I was just getting
dinner ready. Krystal, be a good girl and set the table.”
I froze at the mention of 'good girl', but quickly found myself again, and set
about making the table ready. The clatter of plates and silverware now covered
that silence, and my mom stirred
roared to life. I was on my way home.
It would only be for a week, I told
myself. That wasn't so terrible, was it?
But it was more than just coming
home. It wouldn't be just me and my parents. Kandace and her husband would be
there as well. It was going to be a full house, and not in a pleasant way.
Not in a pleasant way at all. My mom had told me all about it in one of her
ranting e-mails to me, a few days ago.
I almost didn't make it home. I
very nearly called Mr. Hendricks up and begged him to let me go back to him.
But logic kept my hands on the wheel, and logic kept me driving home. Crying
to my master wouldn't change a thing. Sometimes I had to do uncomfortable
things. Sometimes I had to do things that I wouldn't enjoy in the least. This
was one of those things, but it had to be done.
Dread filled my body as I pulled
into the driveways of my parents' house for the first time in months. My feet
felt like lead as I hauled them out of the my little car. My bag felt like it
weighed a ton. There was nothing I'd rather do less right now, than go into my
parents' house. But somehow, I did it.
I opened the door, and I heard my
mom call out. “Kandace?”
“No, it's Krystal.” I couldn't
help but bite back a frown. My parents were still so obsessed with my sister
that they wouldn't even give me the time of day.
“Oh, hello sweetie!” My mom now
popped out of the kitchen, oven mitts still on her hands. She wrapped me in
one of her patented awkward hugs, and I returned it as best I could,
considering my arms were full. “Why don't you go put that upstairs and help me
with dinner?”
“Okay.” I swallowed, and trudged
up the stairs. Now that I was actually here and doing things, now that I was in
action, it didn't seem so bad. Still, this world seemed so strange to me.
I set the bags on my bed, and saw a
flash of fur. Flicker! He jumped on the bed and yowled for pets, which I
gladly gave him. As I sat next to him, gathering him up in my lap, I
remembered how much I missed this little creature. He was such a good cat.
But I couldn't stay with him long –
my mom needed help, and she wouldn't be terribly happy if I just lurked in my
bedroom all day. Still, the thought was tempting. I briefly considered
flipping open my laptop, laying down on my bed, and vegging out on the net for
just a few minutes.
“Krystal!” my mom yelled up the
stairs. I sighed. There'd be no vegging out for me.
I stood up, aggravating Flicker
with my sudden movement. “I'll be back in a little while,” I consoled the
little cat, and then reluctantly left the room.
My mom was waiting downstairs, her
hands on her hips. For a moment, I thought she was angry with me, but then I
noticed that there were other people in the room as well. My dad was there,
and so was Kandace.
And her husband stood behind her,
his hands protectively placed on her shoulders.
“Krystal,” my mom said tersely,
“This is Steven. Steven Crouch.”
“Um, hello,” I said awkwardly to
the strange me. He looked old, older than dad, and he was soft and pale, with
thin gray hair. He was tall though, and thin, taller than Kandace by a head,
and he had a genial, non-aggressive smile.
“Hello, my dear,” he replied. His
voice was as soft as his body, and he extended a hand. I took in my own,
shaking it lightly. His hand was as soft as the rest of him looked, and his
grip was light.
In other words, he was very much
like my dad, and nothing like my master.
An awkward silence filled the air,
and my mom try to fill it instead with conversation. “Well, I was just getting
dinner ready. Krystal, be a good girl and set the table.”
I froze at the mention of 'good girl', but quickly found myself again, and set
about making the table ready. The clatter of plates and silverware now covered
that silence, and my mom stirred
Similar Books
