Don’t be crazy. Can you sneak out?
Yes…let me know when you’re here.
I checked on Drake and saw that he was sleeping. I went downstairs and peeked into my Dad’s room. He was out too. I was careful to be quiet as I walked out of the house. I jogged to Emily’s and texted her. A few minutes later, she came outside. The air was crisp and cool, but she was wearing blue shorts and a white tee.
The light from the streetlamp caught her face when she glanced up at me. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. I took her in my arms once she was close enough. “Come on, let’s get back to my house. I don’t want Drake to wake up and me not be there.”
We started walking back to my house and I kept my arm around her. She wasn’t talking and it was scaring me. What did her mom do this time? Nevert
heless, it had to count for something that she texted me, right?
When we arrived at my house, I was about to open the door when Emily finally spoke. “Can’t we stay out here? What if Drake wakes up?”
“Inside or out, he’ll see you either way. It’s warmer inside too.” She hesitated for a moment then nodded. I walked into the dark house and led her upstairs to my room. “Let me check on Drake, real quick. Just throw stuff to the side if it’s in your way,” I whispered.
She went in and I checked on Drake. He was still sleeping. It didn’t hit me until I came back last night that I shouldn’t have left the house for that long with Drake here practically by himself. I went into my room and was thankful it was still clean. Emily was sitting on the very edge of my bed, wringing her hands.
I closed the door and sat down beside her. It was as if the dam broke. Tears fell like rain and Emily tried her best to talk. “She’s not supposed to call. She…she’s not supposed…to talk to me…at all.”
“Shh. Just cry it all out and then we’ll talk,” I said wrapping my arm around her and giving her a shoulder. Her crying was just like how she usually talked to me and her dad, quiet.
About thirty minutes later, we moved to the center of my bed. Our backs were resting against the headboard and our legs were stretched out. She had finally stopped crying. “Tell me what happened,” I said softly.
“She called me and said she was sorry. She didn’t mean ‘to be so harsh’ when she was telling me ‘the truth’. Jake, you don’t understand. Mom can be so mean, but, at the same time, she can be loving. She wants me to tell my dad I want to go live with her. I don’t know what to do.”
“What do you mean you don’t know? Emily, you can’t go back. Don’t you see what she has done to you? Going back to her would be like a death sentence for you. Why would you even want to go back?”
Her voice was softer than I ever heard it. “She’s my mom and my best friend. I love her…I miss her.”
I signed. “You can’t honestly miss how she treated you.”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. She was being loving by telling me these things. Therefore, if she was telling the truth, then why can’t I believe her?”
I tilted Emily’s face up so she would look at me. “That’s the thing, Emily. She wasn’t telling the truth.”
“But why would she lie to me?”
“I don’t know. What did you tell her when she asked you to come back?”
“I told her no. I can’t leave my dad. He would be devastated. Plus, I would have to change schools again and I don’t want to do that. What if she calls me back?” Her eyes were full of worry.
“Don’t answer. Give it to your dad and let him talk to her.”
She nodded and rested her head on my shoulder. “Will it ever get better?”
“Of course it will. You just need to let us help you along the way.” She took a deep breath and watched what was currently showing on my TV, which was The Nanny.
After the episode was over, I was going to say something, but Emily was fast asleep. I hated to wake her up. She seemed relaxed and at peace. I would wait a bit before I woke her up.
I felt a warm body beside me. An arm was wrapped around my waist and legs were entangled with mine. With my free hand, I wiped my eyes and saw Emily. Oh shit. I looked over at the digital alarm clock and saw it was a little after three in the morning.
“Emily,” I said. She stirred, but didn’t wake up. I shook her lightly and called her name again.
She bolted upright and looked at me. “You scared me,” she said with a slight grin.
I smiled. “Sorry, I meant to wake you up around twelve, but I fell asleep too. Let me get you home.” I took her hand and we quietly walked downstairs.
Halfway to her house, she spoke and her voice was clear with a hint a confidence. “Thanks, Jake. I feel a little bit better now.”