“You’ve reached the Larsen residence. We can’t come to the phone right now. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message at the tone.”
“It’s Paige. I’m outside. Please let me in. I promise to never break curfew again. Please. Don’t kick me out. I have nowhere to go… Mum? Dad? Please pick up. Please!” I beg. “Adam? Sophie? Someone? Let me in, don’t do this!” I cry. “DON’T DO THIS!” As the machine clicks over to the engaged signal, I drop my phone on the grass in front of me and rest my face in my hands.
I sit on the front lawn crying for - I don’t know how long. Eventually though, I run out of tears and drag myself slowly to my feet, walking over to the gym bag full of clothes.
As I read over the note again, the words ‘This isn’t your home anymore’ echo through my mind. I feel like my life has just ended. I wish this was some kind of awful joke my siblings were playing on me, but it can’t be.
I pick up my phone and try to call the house again, but all I get is an engaged signal. They’ve taken the phone off the hook.
“I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE!” I shriek. “YOU’RE COWARDS! YOU’RE ALL COWARDS!”
Scrunching the note in my hands, I drop it on the ground in front of me, and pocket the cash before hefting my bag over my shoulder. Then I focus my breathing to calm down so I can make another call.
“Hey Mads,” I say as cheery as possible. “Do you think I could crash at your place tonight? I just got home, and I forgot my keys. The parentals aren’t home so…”
“Hang on, I’ll check with my mum,” she says immediately. I listen down the line as she calls out to her mother and asks if I can sleep over.
Maddison is my best friend. It’s been that way since kindergarten when someone got paint on my school uniform, and I freaked out because I knew I would be in trouble when I got home. Maddison gave me her uniform because her mum wouldn’t care. She’s always had my back, and I knew I’d be able to count on her to convince her mum to let me stay.
“Hey, mum says it’s cool.”
“Awesome. I’ll see you in twenty minutes,” I tell her, and disconnect the call.
I place my phone back in my bag and walk over to the garden tap, switching it on to splash cool water over my face. Then I reposition my bag over my shoulder and start walking towards Maddison’s house.
The whole way there, I try to convince myself that this is just some misunderstanding. Maybe tomorrow they’ll change their minds.
Chapter Three
The moment I arrive at Maddison’s, I hide my bag behind a bush at the side of the house, before I knock on the front door and hope to god I don’t look like I’ve been crying.
“Hi Paige,” her mother says as she opens the door to me. “What's going on with your parents? Aren’t they home?”
“Ah, no they had to go out, and I forgot my key. It was really silly of me – I knew they wouldn’t be there though. I just had a bit of a brain malfunction,” I tell her nervously.
Her eyes search my face as I hold my breath, praying that she will stop there. I don’t know how much longer I can pretend to be ok. “Alright,” she says finally. “Just make sure you give them a call to let them know where you are.”
“Thanks Mrs Bier. I’ll do that,” I say, as she moves to the side and grants me entry.
“Mum, give her a break,” Maddison calls out, as she walks toward me. “She just needs a place to crash, so she doesn’t have to wait around in the cold all night.” Grabbing me by the hand, she pulls me down the hallway and away from her mother. “Sorry about her. She’s a bit pissy ‘cause I asked for a sleepover on a school night.”
“It’s cool. I don’t mind,” I assure her, as she clicks the door of her bedroom shut behind us and leans against it.
“So, what's really going on with your parents?”
“Nothing, I really did forget my keys,” I assure her.