of the beat under my body and the rumbling of tires on the asphalt. It dulls my senses and lulls me into quiet oblivion. The drive home is a short one and before I know it Paige is pulling up in front of Rob’s house. I wonder if I’ll ever feel like it’s mine. It still feels like we’re just guests in someone else’s home.
“Thanks , Paige.” I reach for the door handle. “Mom says I can use the car tomorrow, so you’re off the hook.”
“Okay. Let me know if anything changes.”
After stepping on the curb, I close the door. Paige waves before driving off, her minivan barreling down the road in jerky motions. It's a wonder she's still alive. When I reach the front door it springs open and Ainsley bolts out, Adam at her heels. Looks like they’re back.
“ Leelee,” Ainsley squeals.
“It’s Hadley,” I enunciate loudly.
“Hadley, she’s two,” Mom chastises me, following behind Ainsley.
“Still. Shouldn’t we be teaching her how to speak properly?” I place a hand on my hip.
“Whatever.” Mom sighs, the tiredness on her face more pronounced than usual. “Can you just watch Ainsley and Adam outside for a few minutes? I’m trying to mop the floor in the kitchen, and they want to play outside while the weather’s nice.”
Rob is having the backyard re-landscaped, so the kids aren’t allowed to play in the back yard right now. And with the weather being so bad lately, they've been going stir crazy. However, it isn’t really my responsibility to keep them busy.
“Mom,” I moan. “I have homework.”
“Well, do it out here.” Mom gives me a pleading look. “Please, Hadley? Just a few minutes?”
“Fine.” I turn to the Ainsley and Adam while Mom heads back inside. “But you two need to stay right here.” I walk to the front lawn and plop down on the soft grass. Adam drops to his knees on the driveway, pushing around a toy car. He always has one in his hand. Ainsley pushes a ball across the grass. Satisfied that they’re busy, I fish inside my backpack to find my math book. Math is my least favorite subject, so that’s why I work so hard on it. In order to cling to the hope that my best years are ahead of me, I have to get good grades. I plan to get into college and move far away from here – to a place where no one knows me and I can start fresh. After opening the heavy book, I lay it over my lap. I do a few problems to the soundtrack of Adam’s car noises. When I glance up, my stomach drops. Where is Ainsley?
“Adam,” I call out.
The little boy looks up at me, his eyebrows raised.
“Where is your sister?”
“Don’t know.” He shrugs, and then goes back to pushing his car.
My gaze sweeps the street , but I don’t see her anywhere. Crap. I shove the book off my lap and hop up. “Adam, c’mon.” I hold out my hand. “Let’s go look for her.” To my surprise he listens, standing up and tucking his tiny hand in mine. It's sticky and sweaty, but surprisingly I'm not totally grossed out. I guess I am getting used to them. Before leaving the front yard I glance back at the house and I’m grateful that Mom isn’t watching through the window. I don’t want to admit to her that I lost one of Rob’s kids. Ainsley couldn’t have gotten very far, could she?
I drag Adam down the sidewalk, keeping my eyes peeled. “Ainsley!” I call out, one hand cupped around my mouth. This is the reason I never wanted younger siblings. This is way too much work.
I’m almost to Tripp’s house when I hear footsteps coming down his walkway. “Lose something?”
Tripp struts out from behind the fence, Ainsley dangling from his arms . I heave a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God.”
He deposits Ainsley on the ground in front of me.
“I told you to stay in the front yard,” I scold her.
“So you were babysitting, huh?” Tripp’s face holds an amused expression.
I nod, biting my lip. “Man, my mom’s gonna kill me.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t say anything.” He
“Thanks , Paige.” I reach for the door handle. “Mom says I can use the car tomorrow, so you’re off the hook.”
“Okay. Let me know if anything changes.”
After stepping on the curb, I close the door. Paige waves before driving off, her minivan barreling down the road in jerky motions. It's a wonder she's still alive. When I reach the front door it springs open and Ainsley bolts out, Adam at her heels. Looks like they’re back.
“ Leelee,” Ainsley squeals.
“It’s Hadley,” I enunciate loudly.
“Hadley, she’s two,” Mom chastises me, following behind Ainsley.
“Still. Shouldn’t we be teaching her how to speak properly?” I place a hand on my hip.
“Whatever.” Mom sighs, the tiredness on her face more pronounced than usual. “Can you just watch Ainsley and Adam outside for a few minutes? I’m trying to mop the floor in the kitchen, and they want to play outside while the weather’s nice.”
Rob is having the backyard re-landscaped, so the kids aren’t allowed to play in the back yard right now. And with the weather being so bad lately, they've been going stir crazy. However, it isn’t really my responsibility to keep them busy.
“Mom,” I moan. “I have homework.”
“Well, do it out here.” Mom gives me a pleading look. “Please, Hadley? Just a few minutes?”
“Fine.” I turn to the Ainsley and Adam while Mom heads back inside. “But you two need to stay right here.” I walk to the front lawn and plop down on the soft grass. Adam drops to his knees on the driveway, pushing around a toy car. He always has one in his hand. Ainsley pushes a ball across the grass. Satisfied that they’re busy, I fish inside my backpack to find my math book. Math is my least favorite subject, so that’s why I work so hard on it. In order to cling to the hope that my best years are ahead of me, I have to get good grades. I plan to get into college and move far away from here – to a place where no one knows me and I can start fresh. After opening the heavy book, I lay it over my lap. I do a few problems to the soundtrack of Adam’s car noises. When I glance up, my stomach drops. Where is Ainsley?
“Adam,” I call out.
The little boy looks up at me, his eyebrows raised.
“Where is your sister?”
“Don’t know.” He shrugs, and then goes back to pushing his car.
My gaze sweeps the street , but I don’t see her anywhere. Crap. I shove the book off my lap and hop up. “Adam, c’mon.” I hold out my hand. “Let’s go look for her.” To my surprise he listens, standing up and tucking his tiny hand in mine. It's sticky and sweaty, but surprisingly I'm not totally grossed out. I guess I am getting used to them. Before leaving the front yard I glance back at the house and I’m grateful that Mom isn’t watching through the window. I don’t want to admit to her that I lost one of Rob’s kids. Ainsley couldn’t have gotten very far, could she?
I drag Adam down the sidewalk, keeping my eyes peeled. “Ainsley!” I call out, one hand cupped around my mouth. This is the reason I never wanted younger siblings. This is way too much work.
I’m almost to Tripp’s house when I hear footsteps coming down his walkway. “Lose something?”
Tripp struts out from behind the fence, Ainsley dangling from his arms . I heave a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God.”
He deposits Ainsley on the ground in front of me.
“I told you to stay in the front yard,” I scold her.
“So you were babysitting, huh?” Tripp’s face holds an amused expression.
I nod, biting my lip. “Man, my mom’s gonna kill me.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t say anything.” He
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