My alarm goes off at an ungodly hour and I ignore it.
Ten minutes, seven text messages, three more alarms and a phone call later, I'm dragging my tired ass out of bed.
Reading the time, I groan. It's four fucking thirty in the morning.
Stumbling around my bathroom, I blindly brush my teeth and hair. Accidentally using my toothbrush on my hair with toothpaste on it. Contemplating the thought of leaving the toothpaste in my hair, I text Chloe.
Pick you up in 20.
After wasting enough time pouting about how early it is, I check on all my siblings. Saff and the twins are all knocked out and I'm too scared of waking Scar up to peak in on her.
In the dark, I manage to make it to the kitchen and blindly search for my keys.
"What are you doing?"
"What the fuck?" I jump, hitting my head on a cabinet.
"Sorry." Scarlett turns a light on.
Rubbing my head, I take in my sister still dressed in pajamas. "Why are you up?"
"Couldn't sleep." She shrugs. "It's always an adjustment sleeping alone."
"You can always sneak into my room." I remind her.
"I don't want to wake you." She yawns.
"I don't mind." I tilt my head. "Are you okay?"
She hesitates. "I'm just a little anxious. Nothing major."
That's not alarming at all. "Do you want to have a check in with our therapist?"
Sipping on her coffee, she sighs. "I think we all should."
"I don't need to go." I snap. That's not happening. I'm 18.
"Ok." She bites her tongue. "I'm gonna have the kids go before we go back to school. If you change your mind, let me know."
A tense silence stretches over us. My phone dings and I check my text.
Chlo-bear
I'm catching a ride with Wes and Graham. I'll see you there.
What the hell is that about? Slightly agitated, I remember my sister is here."I gotta go."
"Here." She slides me some cash. "Use this."
"I have money." I remind her. Scar gives us a monthly allowance that's more than we'd ever need to spend, but it keeps us accountable with our spending habits.
"My treat." She stands, popping her back before hugging me. "Love you. Be safe."
"Love you too." I kiss her head and head for the garage.
That wasn't a train wreck of a conversation.
*****
An hour later, I'm parking in a small parking lot. Struggling to carry the food I picked up and blankets, I manage to meet my friends on the Natchez Trace bridge.
"Remind me why we wanted to leave our warm beds for this?" Wes demands, jumping in place.
"I wanted to see the sunrise." Maggie yawns, eagerly staring at the sky.
"And we couldn't have done it in the summer?" Graham shivers.
"I brought coffee." I announce and they attack me like wild banshees.
"I love you." Wes sighs, taking a sip.
"Damn, wait 'till you find out I brought muffins." I grin and he flips me off.
YOU ARE READING
Life in Hiding
Teen FictionBook 3 in the "Life in-" series Sage Forest Rhodes thought his entire life was planned out. That was before the love of his life flew home from college, slept with him, and then dumped him on his front doorstep at 2 a.m. Now he's alone, somethin...
