Chapter 5
Tala’s Point of View
Tuming off the hot water a while later, I grab one of the fluffy towels and wrap it around my body. Stepping out, I shiver as my bare feet hit the cold, tile floor and go to the mirror. I wipe away the steam to be able to see my face.
They’re not very noticeable, but I have slight bags under both eyes because of the nights of restless sleeping. I’ve been eating and it seems like I’m hungry all the time now, but I can see I look a little thinner with my cheekbones more prominent then they should be. It doesn’t look bad. but it’s different for someone who looks in the mirror everyday.
I sigh and step away from the mirror. All it’s doing is making me feel depressed and conscious about what I look like, but what does it actually matter what I look like. I’m not trying to impress anyone here. Alll wanna do is survive until I’m eighteen and then I can move back home.
I grab my clothes and slip the purple tank top and black sweatpants I picked out. Taking my contacts out, I put on my newly straightened glasses and then put my hair up into a messy bun. Satisfied for the time being that my hair won’t frizz like crazy, I throw my towel in the hamper
and make my way back into my room.
I pick up my mud covered shoes and debate what to do with them. They were my favorite pair, but the mud probably ruined them. Naturally, I go for the simplest solution at the moment… I open my window and stick them on the roof.
Smiling at my handiwork, I turn around only to almost jump out of my skin.
“Jesus! You scared me!” I place a hand over my speeding heart and attempt to muster up a glare.
“I don’t see the resemblance.” Jason smirks and pushes off the wall where he was standing.
“Why are you here,” I ask, thinking about strangling him. I could have walked out in just my towel if I hadn’t gotten clothes before hand. Then
he’d be asking for a beating.
“Came to say that dinner’s ready. A few people offered to come up instead, but I know you love this face.” I roll my eyes.
“You’re not that attractive dude. He places his hand over his heart.
“Ouch. That hurt.”
rit
“Get over it.” I state, grabbing the door and throwing it open to leave. I don’t wait for him, but I hear him following behind me after a few
seconds.
Making my way down to the kitchen, the delicious smell of sauce hits my nose. My mom used to make this amazing spaghetti sauce with a bunch of different spices and hamburger meat in it, but after she left, I altered the recipe a little and made my own. In my opinion, mine tastes better then this now.
I walk into the brightly lit kitchen where laughter and talking is loud like the last time I walked in. They take no notice in my presence so I grab a plate and start to pile it high with food. To go along with the spaghetti, she made garlic bread and then pudding pie for desert.
“Save some for everyone else.” Jase teases, coming up behind me. He went to say something to someone at the table, but unfortunately hes back.
*Shut up Jase.” I push past, smirking sightly as he chuckles. I ignore the table this time where everyone is sitting and go towards the living room to eat instead. I make it halfway there when someone grabs my arm. The person spins me around to face them and Iglare angrily at them.
“Where are you going?” Barron asks, looking confused. “We’re all sitting in the dining room.”
“I know, but one, I don’t want to see any of you at the moment and two, if you want this dinner to end up like the last one then make me go in there.” I spit out, trying to get out of my brother’s grip. He just looks down at me with a sad smile
“Know that I’m sorry” I still and look up to meet his eyes.
“And why would I accept your apology?” I ask, sounding quieter and more vulnerable then I would have liked. He notices, to my disappointment, and almost jumps at the opportunity to talk.
“For verything. For leaving you, for not fighting for you, for not being there for you during the divorce. At this, my guard goes back up and finally rip my arm out of his hand. Moving back a few steps, I meet his gaze with my hardening one
“You should have been there, but you can’t change the past. I’m sorry‘ won’t cut it this time.” Thinking ball to all the other times he’s said sorry. I forgave him. Like forgetting to pick me up from volleyball practice and I had to sit in the rain for twenty minutes or accidentally eating the last piece of cake I already said was mine. I think I’ve already forgiven him for enough things. This time, it won’t cut it. “Just, leave me be Barron.” i state before walking the rest of the way to the living room.
I fall onto the leather cushions and grab the remote from the glass coffee table. Tucking my legs underneath me, I flip on the tv and see Castle is on. It’s my all time, absolute favorite show that my friends and I used to watch every Monday. Even though it’s a re run, I get comfortable and enjoy my dinner and a show. This is the episode were Castle and Beckett visit a casino and they dress up like Elvis Presley.
“What? Elvis can’t be black?” Espizedo asks, looking from Castle to Ryan. I laugh quietly because this is the best part.
“Mind if I join you?” I tum slightly to see Brianna standing awkwardly in the middle of the doorway. I stand up and grab my empty plate.
“You can watch anything. I just finished up.“I push by her and her defeated expression, but she doesn’t follow me like I thought she would Guess the cold shoulder works on her. I wish it would on other people though.
I move to go into the kitchen, but stop when i hear the conversation.
“She needs to leam to like it here. Asher states, sounding in charge and annoying if you ask me
“Honey, you can’t force her to like it here.” I press my lips together as my mom speaks. She shouldn’t be speaking. She’s a part of this like everyone else if I had to guess about them too.
“She’s being difficult! First she fights coming here, then she refuses to go to school and sneaks out of the house to play paintball” He sounds angry. Well, that’s a plus since he’s annoying and I don’t like him. Means I’m doing my job.
I decide to make my grand entrance, not wanting to hear this conversation. Waking in, everyone turns to look at me as I put my dirty dishes in the sink.
“Don’t stop on my account. I’m just difficult little me putting her dishes in the sink” Silence surrounds me and I smirk down at my hands. Barron looks guilty at being caught having this conversation while Jason just looks annoyed. There are several other adults here that I don’t know plus my mother and Asher. “Because I don’t have my reason for hating it here.” I add sarcastically. When no one says anything. I leave to go back upstairs.
It seems like I’ve been in my room more then anything, but if people would stop pissing me off, then maybe I would come out more Everyone, but Jason, has been getting on my nerves and I’ve only been here for a few days. How am I going to last until I’m eighteen? I’m so close to my birthday, yet it seems so far away. It’s late September now. Only ten months left in this place before I can leave. Oh joy.
It may not seem close, but when thinking how I could be stuck here for the rest of my life, ten months dosn’t seem so long.
I get to my room and slam the door behind me. Turning around, I see Ash adeep on my bed and not affected at all from the door’s loud noise. Smiling a little, I grab my ipod and my computer and lay down on my bed next to my puppy. She lifts her head and looks at me through tired eyes. Seeing it’s me, she rests her head on her front paws again and goes back to sleep
I scratch her behind the ears and then turn my y attention to the screen. I log into my recently downloaded skype account and wait a few moments for everything to load.
I have a few people in my friend list already like my dad, my bfts Hailey and Tyler (who’s a girl by the way) and my guy bff Thatcher, I see Hailey online and press the button to give her a call. She answers Immediately.
“OMG Tala! I miss you like crazy! Hold on… lemme text Tyler so we can all talk. She pulls out her phone and sends my friend a quick text. “Okay so tell me EVERYTHING! She demands and I laugh. I love her to death, but she forgets things so easily like waiting for our other friend.
“I will onceTyler gets on so in the meantime, tell me what’s happened in sunny California”
“Well for starters, Nina and Henry got back together” I roll my eyes. The two of them are always breaking up and getting back together a week later.
“Typical”
“I know and the volleyball team sucks without you. I mean we’re doing okay, but it sucks your not still here. You were our power hitter. Now were just average instead of awesome.” I chuckle. She talks a mile a minute, but years with her and you learn to understand her jumbled words. Tyler’s request to join our chat pops on the screen and accept it.
“Hey chical How’s… where are you? Montana?” My once genuine smile turns bitter.
“Yea and I hate it here. I miss you guys like crazy.”
“I’m sorry to hear that ley.” ley is my nickname the girls and Thatcher call me because sometimes I can be a heartless bitch and everyone knows it, but only my friends call me out on it. “Why is it so bad other then missing the beaches, the BOYS and the parties?” Tyler asks with a small smile because she named a lot of the things I totally miss.
“1 miss all of those things, plus no one here understands me. They all assume I just pick up my life here like nothing happened, but I never wanted to move so how can 17a
“Those Jerk faces!” Halley screams, then looks behind her to see if anyone will come bursting into her room from the outburst. Satisfied nothing will happen, she turns back to the screen. Her light brown hair whips around her face and she brushes it back impatiently to reveal her hardening blue eyes. “They can’t just assume things.”
“They do though and it pisses me off! The only reasonably nice person here is this boy named Jason and
“The cute?” Tyler cuts in with a smirk. Her whole demeanor is playful rather then ‘I’m gonna kill these people like Hailey is. Her eyes are a chocolate brown to match her hair color. Many times the two of them have been mistaken for sisters, and then when they look at me they assume friend just because I’m blond. We could all be sisters since we would always be attached at the hip where ever we went.
“I guess, but he’s nothing more then a friend if I can even consider him one. I feel like everyone here is trying to get on my good side when I want them to leave me the hell alone.” I press a pillow into my face, but keep my ears uncovered to hear my friends
“I’m sorry lay. Wish we could do something, but we can’t. Your already far away in Timbuktu with the court supporting your mom’s side. We’re powerless here.” I sigh and throw my pillow across the room.
“I know, but when I turn eighteen, I’m moving back home and then we can go meet some new guys” I wink and both girls laugh.
“You know it girl!*
“I love me them boys.” Ty states with a wink. She’s definitely the flirt of the group, while Hailey is the girly girl and I’m the sporty one. We all play volleyball which is how we met in third grade. Once day at the park and one volleyball created our friendship.
“We know!” Hailey and I scream at the same time. We sit in silence for a few seconds before breaking into fits of laughter.
After calming down, Ash hops into my lap and starts begging for attention.
“Who is that cutie?” Hailey inquires, almost pressing her face into the camera. I laugh at the visual image of that happening and lift Ash off my lap and set her right next to me.
“A failed attempt to get me to like it here, but I love her. This is Ash.” She yips happily at hearing her name and I start to rub her tummy.
“Even if she is adorable, they’re s
stupid for trying to bribe your cooperation.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking Hails, but I think they’re all stupid anyways.” My friends chuckle.
“We wouldn’t know, bu
“Hailey, dinners ready!” I hear her mom call and she gives me a sad smile.
“Sorry girl, bu I gotta go.”
“Love ya girl. Until next time then. ”
“Yea and if they give you anymore problems, just give me a call.” A small smile graces my lips. Even when we’re not even in the same state, they have my
back
“You guys will be the first to know”
3/5
“Good.” She states happily before logging off leaving only Tyler online with me.
We talk for a while longer about anything and everything before she has to go also due to the time. I hadn’t even realized how late it was until she mentioned it. We say our goodbyes and she says the same thing Hailey did before signing off as well
Talking to the girls has definitely lifted a lot off of my shoulders because I was able to talk about it. Here, I have no one to talk to so I have to keep it all inside me. It feels nice to have talked things over and seen some friendly faces.
I roll over and off the bed. I land on my back and lay stunned for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling. After getting my breath back. I sit up and look at ash who’s leaning over the edge to stare at me.
“That never happened. Not that she could tell anyone anyways. She licks my finger and I wipe it on my shirt. “Thanks dog.” She wags her tail
and rolle off the bed in the same manor i did. Great… Now the dog is making fun of me. She looks at me, like waiting for approval, so I pat her on
the head and stand up.
I plug my computer in to charge on the desk and stick my ups headphones in my ears. Putting it on shuffle, I grab my new book, City of Ashes also by Cassandra Clare, and jump back into bed. Curling up under the covers, lopen to my marked page and pick up where I left off.
If I haven’t mentioned before, I’m in love with these books and especially like Jace. He’s one of the main characters who limagine to look like Alex Pettyfer. Hot, I know.
After a while, I look at the clock on my bedside table and I’m startled to see that it’s almost twelve thirty.
Getting the sudden craving for some pudding pie, I go into ninja mode and slip out of my room. I leave ash inside because she’d make too
My bare feet move soundlessly on the hardwood floors of this place and I peer around each corner to make sure no on is there. Being the ninja I am, I do a somersault roll in the downstairs hallway to get to the kitchen doorway. I open the fridge as quietly as possible and take out my treat. Taking a plate out of the cabinet, I cut myself a generous piece of pie and then pour a glass of milk.
Being extra careful not to spill any on the way back upstairs, I take out all the cool moves and rolls from my walk.
It’s not untill get back into my room with the door shut do I relax. Got my pie, so I’m happy… For the time being.
I settle back down to eat it and Ash watches my every move as my fork goes from the play to my mouth. I smile a little and break off a place of the crust. She gobbles it up immediately and looks to me for more
“No more. I already gave you more the. I should have. You’re not supposed to get people food” She, being a dog, doesn’t understand and I’m the center of attention for the next five minutes until the food is all gone.
She looks almost disappointed and jumps off the bed to settle herself on the floor. Her loss
I lay down on the bed and put my headphones back in. Closing my eyes, I fall asleep to the sound of Green Day.
“Tala! Wake up!” I jump out of bed in surprise. Looking around frantically, I finaly notice Jason by the end of my bed wearing what I’ve learned to classify as his signature smirk.
“It’s you. Why are you here at… Six in the moming? I ask, looking at the clock. He rolls his eyes and takes a step towards me.
“We have school today.” My eyes widen and I move to jump back into bed, but he sees this coming and grabs m around the waist.
“Put me down!” I yell and I feel him wince, but he doesn’t put me down like I want.
“You’re going t school and if you don’t get ready, ill make you go in what you’re wearing.” I cross my arms stubbornly as he sets me by the bathroom, I plant my feet and don’t take another step. “Come on Tala, get ready.” I shake my head.
“I won’t go Jason and you shouldn’t make me” He mutters something under his breath and pushes my into the room.
“Just got ready.”
He walks out and I hear the room door shut as well. Determined to go nowhere, I walk back to my bed and settle back under the warmth of my covers.
I must have fallen back asleep pretty quickly because the next thing I know, Jason is picking me right out of bed and downstairs. By the time I
register what’s going on, I start my struggle to get free.
“Put me down you asshole!” He clicks his tongue.
“Such bad language coming out of a pretty mouth.”
“I’m serious Jason, put me down.” He shakes his head and I frown. Seeing him walking outside, I start to panic. He was serious when he said he’d take me to school in my pl’s
“Fine! I’ll go change and be back in a minute, but you’re not my friend anymore.”
“I can deal with that. Now your brother will be paying me a hundred dollars.” I raise an eyebrow at him as he sets me on my feet.
“What does Barron have to do with anything.” He smirks again.
“Your bro be me a hundred bucks that I couldn’t get you to come to school today.” I punch him in the arm.
“You should have said so sooner! I’ll go willingly if I get fifty of the hundred.” He thinks it over before shrugging.
‘Deal. I won’t have to carry your fat self anywhere else then.” My mouth falls open in disbelief. I punch him harder and he stumbles back a few
steps.
“Never call a girl fat.” I warn before running back upstairs to get dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans, an off the shoulder yellow top and black boots. I keep my hair in its bun, letting a few strands out to frame my face, and run back downstairs.
“That was fast.”I roll my eyes.
“Not all girls take forever, especially if I’m getting fifty dollars.” I snatch the keys from Jase’s hand and run out the door. I hop into his car and
watch as he grumbles to himself, following at a slower pace
“What makes you think you can drive my car?” He asks, buckling into the passengers side. I smile widely at him.
e time t to persuade
“Because you owe me. Fifty dollars isn’t gonna cut having to go to school. No. I’m driving this amazing car and getting more
Jason to get me those shoes he owes me from yesterday.
