Chapter 2
Tala’s Point of View
I pull one of my earphones out, keeping Skilet playing in the background as I try to ignore the people filling out of the car behind me.
The house itself isn’t bad, but it’s surrounded by a vast forest for miles on each side except for the Immediate area right around the actual house. I know this because I’ve been staring out the window for the last half hour. They assumed I was sleeping when I never answered them, but I didn’t want to hear anything they were saying.
It’s a three story house, excuse the insult, mansion. The easiest way to describe it is big and white with grey slanted roofs with a lot of windows and a wrap around porch on ground level. Just looking at it, I can already tell I’m going to be hanging out on the roof sometime in the future given how eas
easy it’ll be to access it
“What do you think?” Barron steps up beside me, looking at the place I’m supposed to live for the next who knows how long. I simply shrug and lift the bag with my computer higher on my shoulder, not looking at him. I hear him sigh before striding ahead of me and into the house. He lets the door slam behind him as I slowly start towards the door. I briefly see my reflection in the window and frown.
My makeup has smudged and run down my cheeks thanks to all the crying I did. Plus, my hair looks like a squirrel built its home there. In
simplest terms, I’m a mess.
“You don’t need to be nervous “I look behind me to see my mother and her new guy, whose name I still have yet to learn, standing directly behind me, hand–in–hand, and smiling reassuringly. I muster up the most annoyed look I can.
“I’m not nervous. If anything, you should be.” Something flashes in the guy’s eyes before he steps slightly in front of my mom, as if protecting her from me. I roll my eyes and yank the door open, almost ripping it off its hinges. Either I got stronger or this is a cheap door
Inside, the first thing I notice is all the space in and around the front stairs. There isn’t any furniture except a table in the front hall with a vase of flowers on it. A rug in placed directly inside the doorway to protect the wooden floors from any mud being tracked in from your shoes. The walls are a creme color with pictures of people I’ve never seen before and images of places the probably could only exist in someone’s imagination. The people in the pictures have similar features to the man who I’m guessing will become my new step–dad so Id guess they’re related in some way. Directly to my right is the living room with a big black wrap–around couch and a flat screen TV hanging on the wall. There are a few beanbags in the corner and a coffee table set up in front of the couch with magazines and the TV remote on it. The most noticeable thing though is the giant window along the wall looking into the forest on the side of the house. It has a window seat and a few pillows on it to make it more comfortable. That would be my favorite stop if it wasn’t in such a public place.
Because I just barged inside, I didn’t watch where I was going causing me to almost trip over a puppy magically appearing around my feet. Standing still, it puts its front paws onto my legs and barks excitedly at the new person, a.ka. me.
Setting my bag down, I kneel next to the husky puppy and scratch behind her black ears. She soaks up every bit of attention and rolls onto her side, exposing her belly. I start to rub it and her leg starts to do the weird twitch thing dogs do. A small smile appears on my face as I watch the little puppy. She reminds me so much of Nadie when she was a puppy.
“Told you getting her a puppy would soften her up. I hear someone mutter and then a sigh of relief.
Snatching my hand back, I spin on my heels to face my mother. Her face tells me this wasn’t her idea, but she’s glad I like the dog. I see. The two of them are trying to bribe me into liking it here. Glancing down at the puppy, I can’t help but notice the disappointment on its face that I stopped giving it attention.
“She’s yours if you want her.” So he finally speaks. “Your mom and I thought you’d like her.”
“Thanks, but you can’t just give me a dog and think I’ll automatically become the loving daughter I once was.”
“You don’t like her?” He furrows his confusion and I shake my head. Truth is, I love her. I’ve always wanted a husky, but Nadie is territorial so it wouldn’t have worked out if we got another dog. She knows this and she’s trying to use it in her favor.
“I like her, but it’s not going to help you with me.” I pick up my bag and continue into the house without looking back. I don’t know where I’m going, but anywhere is better then there.
“It was worth a try. She’s always wanted one.” I hear my mom say. I get out of earshot before I can hear the response. Careful not to hit the table, I follow the hall way until it leads me into a newly furnished kitchen. Like the rest of the house, it’s very spacious, but it’s not what has captured my attention at this time.
“Ew!!!!!!!” I cover my eyes with my hands and start to back out of the kitchen. Laughter fills the room and I accidentally hit my elbow on the wall as I try to back away. My whole arm tingles from hitting my funny bone, but there’s actually nothing funny about it. “Get a room next time!” I call back to the two of them and almost run into another table in the middle of the hallway, but I saw it just in time.
“Maybe you should pay more attention to where you’re going then!” Barron yells back and I scrunch my face up in disgust.
JEL
“I’ll buy a ticket to watch you and your girlfriend suck faces next time. My bad for interrupting.” I retort sarcastically. I hear his deep laughter in the other room accompanied by the higher pitch sound of the girl.
Fighting off a smile, I run down the hall and up the stairs I passed when I first walked in. I take the steps two at a time until I’m halfway up before slowing down. Looking to the wall, I see framed pictures of my brother, me and my mom when I was little. Like an eight year old me eating
ice cream at the boardwalk while holding my mom’s hand. Then there’s another of Barron carrying my over his shoulder at the park when I was
ten.
“Do you need help finding your room?” I jump, not hearing the person come up behind me. Spinning on my heels, making sure not to topple down the stairs in the process, I face a girl who looks to be my age if not a little older, I instantly recognize her as the girl who was making out with my brother in the kitchen.
1 scrunch up my nose at the memory and start to go up the stairs again.
“I think I can find it, but thanks for the offer” I hear her trail up the stairs after me, not getting my subtle hint that i kinda want her to leave.
“What are you
you going to do? Open every door until you find what you think is your room?” I pull open the first door on my right.
“Bingo.” I peek inside to see a bedroom with clothes all over the floor, posters on the wall and trophies on shelves for display. Definitely a guy’s
room so not my room.
“That’s Jason’s room.” The girl states, watching me move up the hall to the next door as she leans against the wall.
“That’s cool.” I reply, not really listening. The next door in another bedroom that looks like a pink monster threw up over everything. There’s a pink bed and walls, a white carpet, and pictures of a black–haired girl and other people all over the walls. Unlike Jason’s room, this one screams
girly–girl. So not mine either.
“That one is Loreleigh’s room.”
“Still not mine.” I mutter slamming the door closed and leaning against the door frame to face her. “Mind telling me your name since I don’t know you and you insist on following me around. The brunette laughs, pushing off the wall and coming closer.
“I’m Brianna, Barron’s girlfriend if you hadn’t already guessed.” She sticks her hand out to shake and I briefly grab it in mine before pulling
away.
“Tala, if you hadn’t already known, and as much as I enjoy going door–to–door, I kinda want to get settled. Mind helping?” She smiles and goes two more doors down on the left. So close, yet so far.
“La casa de Tala is this way.” A ghost of a smile graces my lips as I open the door.
Inside is pretty simple. The light green walls have streaks of forest green in them and there’s a window with a window seat on the farthest wall. My bed looks to be a king size with dark green linens to match the streaks in the walls. Next to it is a small table with an iPod docking station
and an alarm clock.
have a bathroom through there,” Brianna points to a door opposite my bed. “And that’s your closet.” She then points to the open
ht next to the bathroom door.
“Thanks.” I peer into the huge closet and see all of my bags sitting in the middle of the space. Suddenly thinking of something. I frown and turn around to face the other girl. “It seems like this room is made specifically for me, but they didn’t know which way custody was going to go Why is that?” I cross my arms over my chest and wait for her answer She shrugs.
“I don’t know the answer to that, but if we’re being truthful,” She lowers her voice. “I was kinda wondering too. I come home one day to see
Barron and Mr. Asher painting this room green.”
“You live here?‘ She nods.
“Yea. My family and another plus yours.” I narrow my eyes,
“These people are not my family.” She shakes her head, but doesn’t correct me.
“Anyways, a few familles live here in total. My room is the one next door. Barron’s is across the hall and then there’s… your mom’s room down
the hall a little ways.”
“And you’re telling me this because….I lay my bag down on the bed and walk into the closet to start unpacking
“I just thought you should know where things are in the house.” She says, following me. I take a deep breath to stay calm and look at Brianna.
*You can stop pretending to be my friend, Brianna.” Her smile falters a little, but if you weren’t looking for it, it wouldn’t have been noticeable. “I know either Barron or my mother or even Mr. Whats–his–face set you up to talk to me.”
“Okay, yes, one of those people asked me to befriend you so you’d maybe relax a little and give the place a chance. They want you to be
happy here.” She didn’t even try to deny it.
“Happy?! I was happy with my dad and this court case just ruined my life! If they can’t see that, that they’re making me miserable, then they obviously don’t care as much as they should. If they cared, then I wouldn’t be unhappy.”
“They do care, but you’re so blinded by anger towards them to see it.” She states, finally looking flustered. “Your brother has been so happy to be with you again and you ignore him and yell and even SLAP him all because this isn’t what you want, but newsflash princess, this is life. It doesn’t always go the way you want it, but you should at least have the sense to accept it and move on!” At the end of her monologue, her face is
tinted red and her hands are fisted at her sides.
“I didn’t want this.” I throw my arms up, letting them fall right back down to my sides. I’ve long since given up trying to unpack.
“I’m sorry you’re unhappy, but try to give us all a chance.” I don’t answer because, for once, I’m at a lack for words. She takes my silence as her cue to leave and seconds later I hear my bedroom door open and close behind her.
Leaning against the closest wall, I slide down to the floor and rest my head against my knees.
I wish mom and dad never split up. Things were amazing until that one night I caught mom cheating on dad. From what she tried to explain to me, that was the first night anything happened, but I didn’t want to hear any of it. In fact, I still don’t.
I must have fallen asleep because I jolt awake a while later to find myself lying on the carpet in my new closet. I rub my face to get rid of the sleepy feeling and feel the imprint of the rug on my cheek. Standing up, I stretch out my stiff limbs and make my way into the bathroom after
changing into a simple pair of sweatpants and a light purple singlet,
The first thing I see is the shower stocked up with my favorite shampoo and body wash and a new toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste on the sink. Like I said earlier, I can’t be bribed. I put my blond hair up into a messy bun and look at my tired face in the mirror.
I have small bags under my eyes from the past few nights of restless sleep and all the crying I’ve done as of recently.
I freshen up by washing my face and brushing my teeth. Not even bothering to redo my makeup, I fall face first onto the bed and let out a scream of frustration. Getting it all out, I sit up and notice something that has me smiling… well, two things.
The first being a flat screen hanging on the wall opposite my bed so I can be laying down and still see the screen. It is almost as big as the one I had in my old room, but not quite there. The other thing is the fact that the puppy I met earlier is sitting next to the bed and the only thing!
can see is its ears.
“Come on up.” I pat the bed and she yaps, excited to be getting my attention again. Jumping up, she curls into my side and falls asleep. Huh, what a calm dog. Not running laps or chewing on everything in sight (yet). “Who let you in here?” She opens her blue eyes and turns her head to the side as if saying she doesn’t understand me. I scratch her behind the ears and and start thinking of a name. Kira…Tamil… Nadie Two… Oh my god I have it. Smirking. I glance at my puppy once more. “Hey Ash, who’s my good girl?!” Her tongue hangs out the side of her mouth in reply and
it almost looks like she’s grinning.
I’m grinning too since I named a dog after my soon to be step father. I bet my mom doesn’t even know I noticed the engagement ring she’s
wearing. Maybe I’ll introduce the two to Ash later at dinner, if we do family dinners. I’m not sure if that still happens.
“Tala?” Someone calls from the other side of my door. “There’s food downstairs if you want to come eat.” She pauses. “It’s your favorite. Must be mom. Only her and Barron would know my favorite food and I doubt Barron’s voice changed for the second time in his life and in a few hours.
I keep my mouth shut and she eventually leaves. I wait another few minutes before moving from my spot on the bed and padding across the room to the door. I hear the quiet jingling of tags behind me so I know Ash is there without turning around.
Opening the door a crack, I peer out into the hallway. Seeing no one waiting, I slip out silently and the only other noise I hear is the dog at my
hools.
Reaching the bottom floor, I try to remember my way to the kitchen. After a minute of debating where to go, I sigh and choose a random direction i think the smell of food is coming from. Ash eventually runs ahead of me and into a brightly lit room where I hear people laughing and talking with eachother.
I walk in, keeping my head high, and to the refrigerator. I pull it open and grab a lemonade, popping open the top and taking a sip. I turn to look at the people occupying the table, who conveniently stopped talking once I walked in. I only recognize mom, Barron, Brianna and moms fiance. whose name I still don’t know.
“I know I’m pretty, but it’s rude to stare. No one looks away as I expected at least one person to do. Rolling my eyes, I take a seat in the only available place conveniently located next to both my brother and my mom. I grab a box of mushu pork and chopsticks from the center of the table, popping open the top of the container. Noticing no one has started talking, I decide to break the silence. “I’d like to start by saying that I i named the dog.”
“What is it?” My mother asks once she realizes I won’t say anything without anyone asking what it is. Like I said, I’m going to be difficult.
“Her name is Ash.“I take a bite of my food and I hear several sharp intakes of breath. “What?” I snap, hiding my smile on the inside.
“Uh, Tala, you named the dog Ash” I nod n confirmation and lock eyes with the fiance across the table. “How did you come up with the name?” I shrug as if it’s nothing.
“A little birdie told me his last name is Asher,” I point a chopstick at the man marrying my mother. “I thought it fitting to name her after him since he’s marrying a bitch. Get it? Cause that’s what a girl dog is called. His face turns bright red at my statement, but I keep a neutral face.
*Please take your food elsewhere.” He spits out through clenched teeth and all the people flee the room except for my mom, who looks like she wants to burst into tears. “How dare you talk to your mother and I like that!
“Like what?!” I retort and he flies from his chair to a standing position. His hands grip the table hard enough to turn his knuckles white
“You know how! You can’t just disrespect her because of the court’s decision! It’s final, like he said, and she’s happy to have you back, but your behavior is unacceptable!“Mom walks around the table and puts a comforting hand on his arm. His grip on the table relaxes slightly.
I stand up slowly to face him head on.
and you know I “Did you
I’d be given to you for custody because Brianna says that a few weeks ago you were getting a room ready for me. Is it really a coincidence that you won the case?” His face turns an even darker shade of red, if that’s even possible.
“Why can’t you just accept the fact you’re here and get over it?! You have people who want you here, but you’re having nothing of it
“You’re avoiding the question.”
“And you’re avoiding mine!”
“HEY!” Mom yells, stopping the two of us from killing each other on the spot. I’d say we’re a little more than half way there. “James, let me talk to her.” She states softly and he opens his mouth to object, but she silences him with a look. “Go.” He hesitates for another second before storming out of the room. I hear the front door slam soon after. “Tala, I’m sorry you’re unhappy, but there are things you don’t understand and I-”
“Explain then, I want to understand.”
“I can’t.” She threads a hand into her hair. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“I understand a lot more then you give me credit for. Like how you cheated on dad and lied to everyone without even denying anything afterwards!”
“That’s not-” I cut her off.
“I got asked out that day. You would have known this if nothing ever happened. I turned him down saying I was having family issues. To think I had a crush on him for a year and I finally get the chance to go out with him and I say no.”
“Sweetie, I had no idea.”
“No you didn’t, but you really want to know what hurt the most?” She shakes her head, but I say it anyways. “You broke our family apart.” I grab my food and run from the kitchen, holding back tears as I make my way back to my room.
I fall onto my bed and break into tears. Tears because I’m angry. Tears because I miss my
father. Tears for my sucky life.
