Voodoo Doll // cth

five

"Where's dad?" I ask as I make my way into the kitchen where mom is cleaning.

Red flag number one.

He's always home, but he hasn't been anywhere in my sight in four days. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I'm getting a weird feeling about this absence.

"He's out for work, why?" Mom seems a bit uneasy, maybe even stressed about the situation.

"I wanted to ask if it was okay for Sam to come over. We have a few things to finish for the newspaper and the deadline is tomorrow." I inform her as I reach for a water bottle.

"Of course! Just let me know what time she'll be here and I'll make sure I don't bother you two." She smiles, wiping the counter aggressively.

"Okay, I'll let her know." I turn to walk out of the kitchen when something makes me turn back around and speak up. "Mom?"

"Yeah?"

Our eyes meet and I let out a sigh watch as her expression softens. "I love you, more than anything."

"I love you too, angel." She whispers, her voice cracking. She looks exhausted.

I walk over to her and give her a hug that feels like our first hug in years. "I'm proud of you, mom."

"I know, kid. I'm proud of you too."

I feel a bit nostalgic about all of this, despite it only being a few months ago.

We pull away and she kisses my forehead before allowing me to walk upstairs to my room. I let out a quiet sigh as I close my door, pulling out my phone.

I still haven't told her about anything to do with the guys, but she also hasn't asked. After a few hours of debating on what I should do about all of this, the doorbell rings.

I hear the front door open as I grab my bag and pull my books out, preparing for Sam to come into my room. She eventually comes in and smirks mischievously, locking my door.

"So I've got a few ideas for the newspa-"

"Get your shoes on." She throws my books to the side and I stare at her in shock, waiting for her to say that she's joking.

Her lack of any books and confidence proves me wrong. I shake my head and grab my books, sitting down on my bed as I open one of them.

"No, I'm not going out. I have to finish my section of the paper before tomorrow."

"Oh come on, Addie." She groans, collapsing onto the bed. "Are you going to tell your kids about the stupid school paper, or are you going to tell them about the concert that you went to without your parents knowing?"

I'll tell them about neither, but I'll make sure they know about the boy that wants me dead.

I press my lips together, looking down at her with an unamused expression. After what feels like an eternity of weighing out the pros and cons of both options, I let out a sigh that causes her to spring off of the bed excitedly.

"You're going to get me into trouble, aren't you?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Yes ma'am, but I'm also going to get you out of it. Now, change your outfit and get your shoes on. We have to jump out the window." She grins, ordering me around.

"You're lucky my parents like you." I roll my eyes, pulling off my shirt and walking to my closet. She lets out a sigh as if this is well known.

"They've liked me since you moved to this useless excuse of a town." She argues, typing on her phone while I get dressed. I fix my hair, making sure it looks as messy as possible. I exit the closet and she scans my attire with knitted eyebrows. "You look like a hippie."