Once at Lizzie's I knocked on the door then pulled out my phone and looked at the time, noting it was 5 a.m. Footsteps walked across the wooden floor of the front entryway.
"Yes?" Lizzie's mom, Mrs. McGuire, asked.
"Mrs. McGuire, it's me, Kate."
"Kate, come in, why aren't you at home?" she asked, opening and unlocking the 2 front doors.
Once they were opened she stepped to the side to let me in.
"Hey thanks," I said.
Mr. McGuire was standing in the hall.
"Hi Kate come on in," he said.
"Thanks."
I stepped inside and Mrs. McGuire closed the door behind me. Lizzie came down the stairs in her black robe, her curly blonde hair spilling over the top.
"Hey what's goin on," she said.
"Hi Lizzie," I said.
"Hey omygod what happened to your face?" she asked.
"It's a long story," I said.
"Lizzie," Mrs. McGuire said warningly.
"Yeah alrite I'll get some ice," she said, walking into the kitchen.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Mrs. McGuire asked me.
"Um tea is fine," I answered.
"Ok."
I followed her into the kitchen. Lizzie was standing by the fridge with ice which I took from her and put on my face.
"Thanks," I said, pulling a chair out from the kitchen table and sitting down.
"Uh huh," Lizzie said, sitting down as well.
Mrs. McGuire rifled through the cabinets until she found a box of jasmine tea. Mr. McGuire had followed us into the kitchen. His cell rang.
"Yes hello?" he asked.
He looked at Mrs. McGuire.
"It's Pine," he said.
"Oh?" she asked.
"Yeah there's a problem with Matt. I'm gonna take this call in the living room."
"Ok."
Mrs. McGuire opened the box as she took a cup down out of the cabinets.
"This ok Kate?" she asked me.
"Hmm?" I asked distractedly.
"This ok? The tea?"
"Oh. Yeah. Sure."
"Ok."
"Hey Anna?" Mr. McGuire called from the living room.
"Yeah do you need me?" she asked.
"Yeah uh huh."
"Ok I'll be right there. Lizzie would you . . ." Mrs. McGuire asked, eluding that they wanted her in the living room.
"Yeah hold on," Lizzie called.
She looked at me.
"Exscuse me," she said, getting up.
"Uh huh."
I nodded.
She went into the living room, leaving her cup of tea on the table. I could hear her and her parents talking, about Pine and Matt. I was wondering who or what Pine was when Lizzie walked back in the kitchen.
"Where are your parents?" I asked when I saw her.
"Upstairs, packing. They have to go out of town for a few days," she replied.
"Oh. Why and what's Pine?"
"That's where they're going. Pine Rehab Facility; it's where Matt is."
"Oh," I said, surprised; "how long has he been there?"
"Oh about a year or so. You look tired."
"Yeah I am. God what a morning."
"Yeah I know."
"All I want to do is sleep."
"Me too," Lizzie said.
I checked the clock; "um it's 6 in the morning."
Lizzie looked at me and smiled.
"It's also Saturday."
I yawned.
"Scuse me," I apologized.
I stood up to go upstairs, leaving the ice on the table.
"I'll take care of the tea and get you some more ice," Lizzie said.
I looked at her; "Thanks . . .hun."
"Uh huh."