Shooting Stars
If you've never seen the fourth of July on a lake, I would highly recommend it. The experience is magical, each and every time.
That's where Tori and I were right now; on Diamond Lake, watching the fireworks show off my grandmother's pontoon boat. We'd been at the lake all week, and it's been a very relaxing vacation. I return to my seat after pouring us both drinks, and hand her one before cuddling under the blanket with her.
"Thank you sweetie." She smiles, and holds up her glass. "To the most peaceful week at Diamond Lake in a long, long time."
The sound of our cups clashing bounces off the lake, and then is interrupted from the firework's boom.
"I can't believe we made it." I reply. "I owe you some cash."
When I arrived on Sunday, I bet Tori five bucks we would run into some sort of catastrophe this week. It's almost midnight, and I'm actually glad I'd lost.
All week we'd been playing in the lake, catching fireflies, racing on the jet skis, and of course enjoying ice cream. What a perfect ending to a perfect week; watching the eccentric flashes of light shoot through the sky with my darling girlfriend.
At 11:00 at night, the grand finale shoots off, and we realize it's time to go home.
"Well I guess I'll see you at school in a couple days." I say as I dock the boat.
"Yeah, school..." She sighs. "Because I am SO looking forward to all the drama."
I embrace her. "Common, we've had a good break."
"I know, I just wish it wouldn't have to end." She shrugs.
We both hop off, and Tori jumps on her jet. "Love you, see you soon."
"Love you too." I wave, and she bursts off.
I enter the house, and find the back door is locked. I'm forced to go in through the porch.
I go up to my room and turn on the TV. I was still awake, and not tired at all.
"This week on; THE WOOD! HOLLYWOOD!"
My phone rings, as if on cue. Tori must be watching it right now.
"Heeey, ready for the season finale?" Tori chimes.
We'd been watching every show together; some here, some at her uncles, but most of them over the phone. This way, we can talk about everything that happens, as it's happening.
"Heck yeah, it's-"
Another incoming call. From mom? I know gran's too weak to climb the steps on her own, but mother has no excuse. For starters; she's already UP stairs.
"Hang on..." I say, and switch lines. "You can't walk down the hall and talk to me?" I groan to my mother.
"Jade, it's dad. We're at the hospital."
CH 1: Housekeepers
I rush in the room the doctor directed me towards. It was an hour drive, and I got lost at least seven times, but I didn't care. Dad was freaking out, and through his crying I thought I heard him say something was wrong with gran.
I prayed I was wrong, and everything was okay, but I had the feeling it would be bad. It was worse; fatal, even.
"Gran!" I cry as I enter the room.
"Keep your voice down, Jaden." My mother warns. "She's had quite a scare."
Poor Grandma... she looked like she was in so much pain, laying there with that... machine, thing.
"Oh darling, you're okay!" My father whispers, and hugs me.
"Dad, what's going on?"
"Oh dear… someone broke into the house after you left." Mom explains, wiping tears from her eyes. "All we know is whoever it was took your grandma's vase, and left before anyone else saw."
"We're trying to find out who, but mom hasn't woken up yet." My father adds through a muttered tone.
I assume my parents must have locked the doors when they left... but how careless of them to leave me there. I guess they didn't have a choice, if they wanted gran to make it here on time.
"Gran..."
My mother drove me to the lake house in grandma's van, which I took here. She left father the car; the vehicle they took here when gran fainted, for him when he decided to come back.
"I'm sorry, but we can't. You have work, Harold." My mother says over the phone. This was going to be an even longer drive home with them arguing like this.
I couldn't imagine leaving her here the way she is, but it's true they both have to work, and I have school. Some things are just unavoidable.
"How do you expect we pay the bills, then? Not to mention the life support. ...yes, but that only covers half! ...I'm sorry, it's hard for me too, but- ...HAROLD!"
I jump when she screams.
"Get a hold of yourself, god damn it! We'll talk about it later!" With that, she hangs up.
I start packing my things when I get home. I can hear muffled yelling from my parent's room as I gather my things and shove them in the bag. Got the charger from the wall, my swim suit from the tub, my necklace... "Where's my necklace?" I look around frantically. Oh, wait... on my neck. Duh.
Well, that's everything, then. I thought having to leave was hard before, but now it just seemed wrong. Gran was hurting, and this may very well be the last time I see her.
"Jade?" Mom knocks, and enters my room. "Jaden dear, could I have a word with you?"
I nod, and she sits down on the bed.
"Dear, I've been talking with your father, and-"
"I know." I sigh. "We have to go back home."
She doesn't respond.
"The thing is... SOMEONE has to go home and take care of the house." She explains, more likely convincing herself it's the right thing to do rather than me.
"So what you're saying is we're abandoning her." I confirm bitterly, and zip up the last compartment on my bag.
"You're father's staying with her." She says, more firm. "Grandma's going to have to be transferred to Florida so her heart specialist can do surgery. I'm going home, and..." She sniffles. "You're staying here."
My eyes widen. "Just what the hell do you mean by that?"
"Jade, someone broke into your grandma's house. She's going to be in Florida, and someone needs to stay nearby incase the culprit returns."
I can't believe I'm hearing this! "You're going to leave me here because you think some dangerous man, who, by the way, landed grandma in the HOSPITAL, might come back?" I stress. "Do you want me to die?"
"I know you're upset, but I talked it over with your father, and it's for the best. We think the culprit is afraid of people, and won't come if they know someone's here. And your grandmother is only in the hospital because she's old and brittle." She explains further. "I understand that we're putting you in danger, but if we're going to afford to keep your grandma alive, we'll need all the assets this house has."
"Then take them!" I cry, as if it were obvious.
No matter what I said, she countered. 'Jade, we can't possibly take a boat home to Hollywood', she says. 'Jade, if the house is unattended for days, even weeks, the burglars will surely return'. What about me? Doesn't my life count as an asset that needs protecting?
"The neighbors will check up on you daily." She huffs. "Now quit asking questions, I have to-"
"What about school?" I question. "I'll miss the beginning of my classes!"
"Already cleared it with principal Helen." She states. "I'm going."
She picked up her bags from the hall, and started down the stairs.
"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" I yell down the steps.
She snags her keys, as well as gran's, from the hooks, and opens the door.
"Home. I'm sorry Jade, but it's the only option."
She left.
She… she was leaving! She was seriously leaving me here. I can't fucking believe this!
I look out the windows beside me. A single firework shoots off, and then the house is in silence. Not a sound can be heard in the large domain, and the atmosphere became eerie.
I call mom at least seven or eight times, but she won't answer. Dad won't pick up either. After many more failed attempts, I decide to call Tori.
"Where'd you go?" She asks when she picks up.
Finally, a response!
"I need you to come over." I say.
"Hey, what's wrong?" She questions, detecting the panic in my tone. "Is everything okay?"
"Look, I'll explain when you get here just... get here!" I say into the phone, and hang up.
Mother's so convinced that if no one's in the house, the man who startled my gran will come back. We were gone for more than a few hours; how is she so sure he hasn't been here while we were packing?
It felt like forever before Tori finally got here. I lay in bed, but couldn't sleep.
Once she arrives I slide open the door, and quickly lock it when she enters.
She had her PJ's on, and I realize it's at three thirty in the morning. I must have woke her up, because she also looked very sleepy.
"What's so important that I had to rush over here at..." She looks at her phone. "Three twenty five in the morning?"
"I don't know where to begin... My mother left, and my dad's going to Florida with gran, and I'm here by myself, and-"
"So what you're saying is the house is empty." Tori picks up, then warps her arms around my waist.
"This is not the time!" I freak, pushing her away. "I don't know if the house is empty, because there could be some psychotic thief on the loose!"
"Hey! Take it easy!" She laughs. "What are you talking about?"
I explain everything to her, this time in detail, rather than random panicked sentences. She seemed to understand, by the end of it.
"God..." She sighs. "I'm so sorry."
Tori knew my grandma, too. She let her visit this past week, and even stay overnight a couple times. Gran befriended her very quickly; Tori is my girlfriend, after all.
"The thing is, now everyone's just left me here to die."
She covers her mouth and laughs.
"This isn't funny!"
"Sorry!" Tori responds. "But, I mean, common. You're not gonna die!"
"How do you know that?" I quiz, which causes her to laugh even more.
Somehow I get the feeling she wasn't taking me very seriously.
"You're being ridicules! I know you're upset and all, but... well, I doubt that whoever was here would come back."
"How do you know that?" I repeat, more focused than before.
"Well, I guess... ...okay, you're a thief, right?"
"No, I'm a shoplifter." I correct. "That's totally different than breaking into someone's house!"
"No it's not! You take something that's not yours, and you leave. It's the same concept." She points out. "And from watching you, I know for a fact you never go back to the same place once you've taken something."
...I guess I don't.
"You called the cops, right?" Tori asks when I still look concerned.
"My dad did, but-"
"So you'll be fine! They'll find the guy who stole your stuff, and I'll see you back home within a few days." She assures me, and starts toward the door.
"Wait!" I cry, and throw my arms around her. "Please don't leave me here!"
She was rubbing my back now. "I gotta go home, Jade." She replies with sympathy, nearly echoing my mother's words. "You'll be fine, trust me."
She left, and I watched her as she crossed the lake to her uncle's.
So that's it. No one even cared that I was scared or upset. They're just going to leave me here by myself.
"Bark!"
...and Pickles.