Chapter 2

The bus ride would usually seem long and boring but today the time was the greatest thing I have right now. I spend the whole bus ride making my plan full proof. It’s simple really I have no idea why I didn’t do this in the past. All I had to do was sit and think about it and  in a split second you now have a free pass to leave whenever you want.

The only possible way to visit both Roy’s and my house in the same day is to leave one and simply walk to the other. My birth giver doesn’t even realize I exist so sneaking out is the perfect idea. Even if I was to get caught my birth giver would probably want me to leave anyway.

She already knows I have a urge to run away from her because of what happened in the past so this would be no different.

I can’t really believe this but my mother not caring about me will actually work in my favor this time, so I have to make it count.

The bus comes to a sharp stop and Mrs.Bluff the bus driver uses her old shaky hands to creek open the bus doors. She looks at me through the mirror and gives me a sweet smile.

I look out the window and quickly realize where we are, It’s my stop

“Oh...um.” I quickly pick up my black drawstring bag and exit the bus.

“Later honey.” Mrs.Bluff’s voice has a old sweet tone to it

“Bye.”

The bus pulls away leaving a cloud of dust in it’s way. The dust slowly clears revealing a old one story home with a broken down wooden porch and a screen door. Located in quite literally the middle of nowhere, the great suburbs

“Welcome home Jessica.” I mutter. “Welcome to hell.”

I let out a faint sigh and begin to walk to the front door. Every step I take closer to the house filling me with regret and anxiety.

My siamese cat Marshmallow gives a meow as I approach the front door. Marshmallow jumps of the porch and scurries under the house.

The screen door releases a loud creak as I peel it back.

“What took you so long.”

My birth giver was waiting for me at the kitchen table. She’s holding a cigarette in her left hand and a cup full of an unknown liquid in her other hand. She knocks the ash from her cigarette into the ashtray then takes another puff.

“Mrs.Bluff is old. She drives below speed limit.”

“I don’t have time for excuses.”

Her eyebrows wrinkle and she takes another puff. Her brown hair is mixed in with some gray. Probably from all the anger she’s filled with day and night. Her frail thin body is wrapped in a brown blanket being held in place tightly.

“Did I do something wrong?” I ask.

“Yeah instead of working like you should be your lazy body is wasting away arguing with me.”

My cheeks get hot and I can decipher if it’s from rage or embarrassment.

I decide to hold my tongue because if I make her angry she’ll make it her job that I never leave her sight.

“ I’ll change and then help you out.”

“Hurry up I don’t have all day.”

Unbelievable no matter how nice I try to sound she always finds away to make end up looking like the bad guy. Even if I’m actually trying to say something nice.

I don’t comment on her latest insult and I walk down the hallway to my room and shut the door. Making sure it’s locked.

I open my closet and pick out whatever's closest to reach.

Black sweatpants and a gray t-shirt ends up being the winner. I throw on the clothes then put my phone in my pocket and head back outside.

I go over the plan again in my head.

It’s 3:30 right now but my birth giver usually sits down and watches tv at 4:45 because that’s when Judge Judy comes on.

I never really understood why someone like her would find interest in the show.

After Judge Judy she walks outside to smoke another cigarette and check the mail. At that point I will call Beth and tell her I need her to park at the end of my street and drive me to Roy’s in a half an hour. Beth’s a new driver but it’s only a couple minutes away so she should be fine. Then I unplug the phone cord making sure nobody will disturb my mother for awhile. Not like she would get any phone calls in the first place though. She’s not the best at making friends.

Then once my birth giver comes back inside she’ll go to her room for a midday nap. That’s when I tell her I’m going outside to rake the leaves. Except instead of raking I make a run for it Beth’s car hidden down the street.

My birth giver is a heavy sleeper so she should be out for a couple hours. Hopefully that’s enough time to stay there for awhile then ask Roy to drive me back. I’ll tell him to drop me off at the end of the street so my birth giver doesn’t see him pull up.

It’s a full proof plan. Let’s just hope it stays that way.

Pleased with my plan I walk to the bathroom and open the sink cabinet and get out the cleaning utensils.

I get out 2 all purpose cleaners and rubber gloves. This is going to be a long night.

I only have to pretend to clean until Judge Judy comes on distracting my birth giver. That’s still not until another hour though.

I start in the bathroom since I’m already there but after a couple minutes of scrubbing  porcelain toilets my arm begins to hurt and I’m terribly bored.

Every now and then my birth giver turns around the corner to make sure I’m cleaning. Every time she does it I make sure to pretend I don’t see her. For some reason that just seems like it could turn into an extremely awkward situation. After accomplishing everything that could be done to the toilet I start on the fiberglass bathtub. It’s already shiny white so this shouldn’t be too much of a struggle. I stretch my arms and neck and begin scrubbing again.

I hear my birth giver coming down the hall.

In my peripheral vision I see her lean against the wooden door frame with her arms and legs crossed.

“Hey finish the bathroom and do the kitchen and I’ll do the rest.” she says.

The only things left other than the kitchen and bathroom is the laundry room. Which is extremely small and easy to clean. I would of chose that over toilets any day. Doesn’t matter though I’ll be at Roy’s instead of wasting my day from rubber gloves and the smell of bleach.

“Oh sure.” I respond.

“I’m going outside if you need me” she says walking down the hall.

“Okay.” I shout.

I wait for the sound of the screen door with my head tilted towards the hall. My birth giver must walk slower than a turtle, because by time she gets outside I'll have gray hair..

The screen door slam shut with a loud creek.

“Finally.” I whisper.

As I stand up from the bathtub every muscle begins to ache.

I stretch my arms and step out of the bathtub, throwing the rubber gloves back under the sink. I then head down the hall to retrieve the phone.

while walking down the hall I pass by the living room. The TV begins to pierce my eardrums.

I walk towards the brown recliner and pick up the remote to shut it off.

Sweet silence fills the room. I don’t get much of that when my birth givers around. If she doesn’t scream she thinks you didn’t understand her. Sometimes I would ignore her to purposely make her angry. I have to get payback for how she treats me one way or another.

I throw the remote back on the recliner and continue to the kitchen.

The white tiles are cold against my feet. They slowly begin to numb my toes.

I look out the small kitchen window and see my birth giver sitting on the porch holding Marshmallow. She’s smoking a cigarette and fumbling her fingers through Marshmallows long snow white fur. Doing so causes Marshmallow to pur.

Everything is going as planned. I notice my cheeks begin to spread forming a smile.

After checking on my birth giver I take the phone from its charging base with a small click and begin to dial Beth’s number. I know it by heart.

“Hello.” she answers.

“Beth.” I respond

“Yeah what’s up.”

“Beth I need you to drive your car to the end of my street in um….hold on a second Beth.”

I look at the clock, it’s 5:15.

At the corner of my eyes I notice something else. I take another look out the small window over the counter top.

Marshmallow is jumping of my birth giver as she starts to stand up and head to the door.

If she sees me on the phone she will ask way too many questions. Plus this kitchen was supposed to be cleaned, by me.

I dash back to the phone.

“Beth 15 minutes at the end of my street, no time for questions.” I rush

“Wait Jessica wha…” I cut her off.

I yank the phone cord from the wall and the wire comes out, half of it still plugged in. It’s broken. I’m dead. My heart skips a beat and I start freaking out. I throw the wire down as I see the front door start to open.

I slip across the kitchen floor and dash down. I go to make a turn into my room but I turn to soon and my legs slams against the door frame. Knocking me on my bedroom floor as pain shoots up my leg.

As I fall I grab my leg cringing in pain. It causes me to make fast deep breaths in pain. The screen door shuts behind my mom as she walks in.

“Don’t scream.” I think

Trying to hold in my shouts a tear falls down my cheek. My birth giver walks down the hall. Stopping at my door.

“Jessica?”

“Yeah mom.” my voice sounds shaky from the immediate pain.

“What...what are you doing.”

I let go of my leg and begin to stand up trying not to show her I’m hurt.

“Well my muscles got tight from… all the scrubbing so I thought I would just stretch real quick before...I um start on the kitchen.”

I am a terrible liar but my mom isn’t the smartest person in the world, or the smartest person in Oregon, or in our city. She’s just not that smart.

“You don’t have to clean the kitchen.”

“Oh are you sure mom?”

“Yeah I was over reacting this morning so I was going to drive you to Roy’s.”

That’s my mom for you. Give her a cigarette and she’s instantly nice. For a couple minutes that is.

“Oh...um.”

Wait, did she say drive me to Roy’s?This isn’t going to end well.I can’t just bail on Beth. I didn’t tell her what happened she’ll think I’m hurt or something.

“Mom you really don’t have to do that.”

“Jessica you’re going to your uncle, don’t act like you’re all nice when I’m trying to be nice.” Her voice is oddly tense. She’s on the edge of getting angry again. Refusing to go isn’t going to work.

“Actually I’m going to call him rig…”

She begins to turn and walk towards the kitchen. I rush in front of her to block her path.

“No” I interrupt.

“What?”

“Roy still thinks I’m coming over, I forgot to tell him.”

“Um… okay whatever.”

“I’ll meet you in the car in a minute just let me change and do my hair.”

“Hurry up the car will be running.”

She walks into her room to grab the car keys. I watch her walk by and wait for the sound of the screen door.

Click.

Without time to process my next move I run down the hall and dash out the back door letting it slam shut behind me. I have to tell Beth to go back home.

I’m so glad I live in a suburb instead of a city right now, because the end of my street would be miles away. My feet pound against the sidewalk as I sprint by house after house. The air is cold but my face is hot as fire. As I breath it feels like someone's punching my chest.

I am never sneaking out again. If I ever run like this again I’ll have a heart attack. Beth's gray Ford comes into view.

She is parked by the stop sign at the very end of the street. Why did she take me so literal.

I somehow manage to run my way to Beth’s car with out having a heart attack. My sprint has turned into a limped jog, and every step I take shoots pain up my already injured leg. Beth sees me and rolls down the window

“Bet...h you, you need” My words  are barely understandable I’m so short of breath.

“Oh my god, Jessica! What happened to you.”

“Beth I’m… I’m fine just go back home.”

“Why what’s wrong?”

“Major…major miscommunication.”

“Are you sure you’re alright Jessica?”

“Yes! Wait actually no, let me in.”

Beth has a car and I’m not running back to my house. I jump in Beth’s car.

“Drive to the back of my house now.” she listens.

As were rushing to my house I quickly explained what happened after I called her.

“Jessica! Your mom’s going to kill you.”

“Birth giver.” I correct

“Jessica she’s your mother and your going to die.”

“Not if your stop talking and hurry up”

My house comes into view. There is a slight glisten of hope that I might actually be able to get out of this alive.

Beth stops the car with a rushing halt pushing me forward.

I jump out of the car and begin to furiously motion Beth to leave. She begins to question it at first but then she pulls away and disappears down the street.

I run through the back door and have to stop for a second to catch my breath. Just in time too because my mom begins to walk through the front door shortly after. To avoid my mother I quickly jump into the bathroom and slam the door shut.

“Jessica May Vine. Hurry up this instant.”

I quickly flush the toilet to make her believe I was using the restroom.

“Sorry Mom.” I say opening the door.

“Jessica?”

“What Mom?”

“Jessica why is there a leaf in your hair.”

I quickly feel my through my hair and sure enough there is a crunchy brown leaf.

“That’s weird.” I say pulling it out of my hair. My voice had way too much of an awkward tone to believe. My birth giver rolls her eyes.

“Whatever I don’t have time for this Jessica, come on.”

“Coming.” I reply.

I wait for her to walk down the hall then I quickly grab my blue sweatshirt and run outside.

My mom’s blue chevy is parked in front with the gas running. My birth giver already in the car awaiting my arrival. I dash down the driveway and open the door jumping inside. My mom flips the keys and quickly pulls away. She doesn’t look at me or start conversation. Creating a car ride that is silent and abnormally awkward.

I feel like if I turn the radio on my mother would shut it off immediately in anger. For some reason something about her just seems off today.

Well things usually seem off about my birth giver it's just today she seems more off than usual.

She doesn’t start conversation the whole car ride. Maybe she really does feel bad about what she she said today. I decide not to question her and enjoy the rare moment of silence.

My mom stops at the curb in front of Roy’s house to drop me off.

“Bye mom” I say

She doesn’t respond.

I close the door behind me and she waves then pulls away. Not even saying by.

That’s the birth giver I’m used to.

I walk up Roy’s driveway and walk over the freshly cut grass to the front door. I knock on the red door and I hear Roy's footsteps getting closer and closet to the door.

“Hey, Jessica” he answers. Roy opens the door wide, inviting me inside his home.