“I’m fine and things are good. I swear,” I admitted, taking the time to give Hershey a little more apple from my lunch. Satisfied, she kept quiet in my bag while I pulled off my uniform and changed into street clothes. “I’m making friends.”
“Well, that’s good, love. Real good,” she said. “And your dad? You actually see him while you’ve been there?”
Did I mention these two weren’t each other’s biggest fans? I mean, I was sure my dad didn’t have many anyway, but when it came to my mom’s sister, let’s just say the two could be on better terms. She had a resentment even I didn’t have for him for actually allowing me to stay in LA all those years ago and not taking me with him. My aunt loved me, yes, but I think a part of her really did want him to fight a little more for a relationship with me. He could have but just chose not to do so as far as she was concerned.
She not the only one, I let that roll off my back. “Yes, I’ve seen him.”
“Mmm.” She didn’t sound too convinced, but again, she wasn’t his biggest fan. “He’s taking care of you, then? You have everything you need?”
I wouldn’t mention the food thing and this was my dad’s house, so I had to abide by the rules. I’d just snapped my jeans shut when a knock on the door caused me to glance over my shoulder. “Come in.”
Rosanna popped her head in, the middle-aged woman with a laundry basket under her arm. “Can I get your laundry, December?”
A lot of things I had to get used to here and this was one of them. I would rather do it myself just because I didn’t want to feel like someone was serving me, but I’d turned her down before and she ended up getting my stuff anyway when I’d been out.
I waved her in, and immediately, she headed to my closet knowing I kept my laundry in there. I went back to my call. “He’s been fine. Working a lot, but I have everything I need.”
“And no word on your sister I suppose?” she asked, and since that was true, I said nothing. In the few conversations regarding my sister, a teacher or two and of course Birdie and the other basketball players, people were asking me questions about her. Not the other way around. According to Birdie, my sister also had a particular clique, and it didn’t seem like anyone outside of that would know anything about where she was anyway.
Definitely not enlisting the likes of Royal Prinze and the Court into the mix, I sat on my bed. “Nada. And I told you I think just me being here will be enough. If someone knows where she is or is even helping her, I’m sure word will get to her. I’ve been emailing her too.”
“And?”
“Nothing. Who knows if she’s even checking it.”
I didn’t feel like she was, completely cut off from my sister. I got a few more words about that from my aunt, but not many. Like Dad, she thought this whole trip was a waste of time. My sister had skipped town before, had friends what seemed like everywhere to help her and always had them. She was very sociable, the complete opposite of me and if she wanted to go off the grid for days, weeks, or even months, she could. Everyone simply believed this was just another one of her antics, and though I believed that was part of it, I still thought she’d at least reach out to me. She usually did anyway.
“Well, you’re always welcome back home, and I’ll be waiting,” Aunt Celeste said. “And if your dad starts acting like the tool I know he is about anything, you being there or… anything, you call me. I’ll get you back on a plane and pay for it myself if I have to.”
Something told me her “anything” had all the reason to do with what happened several summers ago and landed me in a clinic. We’d been through a lot together, my aunt and me.
“You know you can’t afford that, Aunt C,” I told her, sighing. She worked a shit ton and still could barely make ends meet.
“Don’t tell me what I can afford. I want you back here, both of you guys if possible. Your sister is most likely a lost cause, but that doesn’t mean you have to be. I won’t let him run you out too.”
My stomach turned at how she’d written off Paige. Maybe if more people were doing things I was doing instead of bitching about who ran who off, she’
d be here in the first place and I’d be back home. It took a second, but eventually, I convinced my aunt I was okay enough for her to let me go. I promised her I’d check in but I didn’t know how soon it’d be. Frankly, I was reeling with a lot of feelings surrounding recent events, and as I found out more and more about Paige’s life, the desire to stay urged even more.
“Do you have anything else, sweetheart?” Rosanna asked, her basket full as she left the closet. Since it looked like she got everything, I told her no and she went about her way…
But not before grabbing for the sweater peeking out of my bag.
Before I could stop her, puppy dog eyes made themselves appear, Hershey with her wet tongue out and a dog smile on her face.
“Oh, my. Where did you come from?” Rosanna asked, placing her basket down, and I rushed over, pulling Hershey out of the bag before she could take her.
“I found her at school,” I admitted, trying to gauge her reaction to that. True, Rosanna had been nice enough since I got here and invaded, but her loyalties no doubt still resided with my dad.
Her frown let me in on that.
“Surely, you know your father doesn’t really like animals, December,” she stated, making me cringe. “Did he give you permission or…”
Shaking my head, I moved fingers under Hershey’s ear, the puppy nudging me with her little nose. “I was going to ask. Do you know when he’ll be home?”
“He’s out late tonight. One of his social events.”
These already old hat, I nodded. He’d gone to a few, and I hadn’t even been here that long, just another thing I didn’t understand about him. I continued to scratch Hershey, and though Rosanna appeared to want to say more, I watched her expression shift from mortification to warmth as she watched me play with the cutest puppy in the whole goddamn world.