When Craig awoke in the morning, pale sunlight was just beginning to filter
through the window shades. He quickly glanced over at Chloe, who was still
sleeping peacefully, her honey colored hair falling in a wild cloud across
her pillow. Careful not to disturb her, he rolled over painfully to watch
the light change on the tile floor. After an hour or two he glanced at the
clock. 10:30.
Standing cautiously, he started out the door and down the stairs. He wondered briefly if he'd be met in the kitchen with a shotgun. It wasn't every day that old neighbors showed up in your kitchen wearing your son's clothes. Throwing caution to the wind he pushed open the door and walked slowly into the kitchen. Mr. Davidson sat with Chloe's younger sister Alison at the table, and Mrs. Davidson was working to create what looked like waffles. All three looked up briefly. Alison bounced out of her seat, overjoyed.
"Hi Craig!" She squeaked, throwing her arms around him. "I haven't seen you since, since . . . "
"Since you were this tall." Craig finished with a smile, holding out his hand to indicate the top of her shoulder. The girl had grown much taller since the last time he had seen her. Before Alison had looked like a miniature Chloe, with darker blonde, curlier hair. Now Craig very much doubted that Chloe was any taller than her younger sister. Mrs. Davidson smiled from the stove.
"Ali, leave Craig alone. He looks as though he's just woken up!" she admonished. Craig's mind raced.
"Yeah, I got stuck in the downpour last night, Chloe gave me some dry clothes and let me sleep in Cameron's room." He explained quickly. Mr. Davidson looked up from his paper, confused.
"I thought Cam was home last night." He pondered, and Craig's heart dropped.
"And imagine my surprise to find this guy sleeping in my bed." Came a voice from the doorway. The six two form of Chloe's older brother Cameron filled the doorway, looking disheveled and groggy. He gave Craig a conspiratorial wink and sat down at the table with his father and his sister. He motioned for Craig to sit as well. Craig obliged, and Mrs. Davidson turned again.
"Are you hungry, Craig? I made enough waffles to feed the whole neighborhood." She spoke, flipping several on a plate and handing them his way. Craig thanked her and took the plate. She looked at her watch. "It's nearly 11. Ali, go wake your sister up."
"No, let me." Cameron spoke, raking a hand through his dark hair and grinning furiously. He bounded off up the stairs and several seconds passed before a scream rang out through the kitchen.
"Cam!" Cameron appeared several seconds later, Chloe in his arms. She struggled to the ground and punched him on the arm. He ducked defensively and laughed.
"Mother, never let him wake me up again. Ever." She cried, dropping down to sit between Craig and Alison.
"What did he do?" Craig asked, stabbing more waffle with his fork. Chloe pushed back her tangled hair and sighed.
"Besides scaring me half to death, he nearly crushed me. You know, in normal families people don't get woken up by airborne bodies!"
"Define 'normal'." Cameron spoke, digging into his own plate of waffles. Craig smile faded into a frown as he suddenly realized the gravity of his situation. If he didn't get home soon, his father would realize he was gone and come looking for him. The last thing he wanted was his father showing up on Chloe's doorstep. Leaping from his chair, he placed his plate in the sink and backed toward the stairs.
"I should get home. Chores. Thanks for breakfast, Mrs. Davidson." He spoke rapidly, turning on his head and running upstairs to find his clothes. He had just pulled on his pants when Chloe entered the room. He looked up briefly before continuing his search for his shirt.
"Craig, you can't go back there." She spoke, following behind him as he pushed aside a stack of books.
"Why not, Chloe? It's where I live. It's where I belong, isn't it?" He spoke, moving a group of throw pillows and lifting a comforter.
"Why not? Did you just ask 'why not'? Craig, look at your chest!" She cried, pulling him to a stop and running her fingers lightly over the ugly bruise that lay there. He flinched and pulled away, continuing his hunt.
"I told you, Chloe. I've got nowhere to go." He explained, and Chloe sighed.
"What about Joey? Have you even talked to him? I'm sure if he knew . . "
"Knew what? That my dad's a bastard? That he hits me? What do you think Joey's going to do? Feel sorry for me?" Craig questioned, finally stopping to speak.
"It's not right, Craig." She spoke, pulling his shirt out from underneath the bed pillow. "Joey would help you. You need help."
"I don't need anything, Chlo. I'll be fine." he replied, slipping on his shirt with a mild wince and kissing her cheek. "Thanks for taking care of me last night. I'll see you on Monday."
With that he left, and Chloe sat down on her bed. After a moment she moved out onto the damp balcony to watch as his retreating form wove in and out of backyards on his way home.
"I hope so, Craig." She said to herself, closing the curtains and returning to the kitchen.
Standing cautiously, he started out the door and down the stairs. He wondered briefly if he'd be met in the kitchen with a shotgun. It wasn't every day that old neighbors showed up in your kitchen wearing your son's clothes. Throwing caution to the wind he pushed open the door and walked slowly into the kitchen. Mr. Davidson sat with Chloe's younger sister Alison at the table, and Mrs. Davidson was working to create what looked like waffles. All three looked up briefly. Alison bounced out of her seat, overjoyed.
"Hi Craig!" She squeaked, throwing her arms around him. "I haven't seen you since, since . . . "
"Since you were this tall." Craig finished with a smile, holding out his hand to indicate the top of her shoulder. The girl had grown much taller since the last time he had seen her. Before Alison had looked like a miniature Chloe, with darker blonde, curlier hair. Now Craig very much doubted that Chloe was any taller than her younger sister. Mrs. Davidson smiled from the stove.
"Ali, leave Craig alone. He looks as though he's just woken up!" she admonished. Craig's mind raced.
"Yeah, I got stuck in the downpour last night, Chloe gave me some dry clothes and let me sleep in Cameron's room." He explained quickly. Mr. Davidson looked up from his paper, confused.
"I thought Cam was home last night." He pondered, and Craig's heart dropped.
"And imagine my surprise to find this guy sleeping in my bed." Came a voice from the doorway. The six two form of Chloe's older brother Cameron filled the doorway, looking disheveled and groggy. He gave Craig a conspiratorial wink and sat down at the table with his father and his sister. He motioned for Craig to sit as well. Craig obliged, and Mrs. Davidson turned again.
"Are you hungry, Craig? I made enough waffles to feed the whole neighborhood." She spoke, flipping several on a plate and handing them his way. Craig thanked her and took the plate. She looked at her watch. "It's nearly 11. Ali, go wake your sister up."
"No, let me." Cameron spoke, raking a hand through his dark hair and grinning furiously. He bounded off up the stairs and several seconds passed before a scream rang out through the kitchen.
"Cam!" Cameron appeared several seconds later, Chloe in his arms. She struggled to the ground and punched him on the arm. He ducked defensively and laughed.
"Mother, never let him wake me up again. Ever." She cried, dropping down to sit between Craig and Alison.
"What did he do?" Craig asked, stabbing more waffle with his fork. Chloe pushed back her tangled hair and sighed.
"Besides scaring me half to death, he nearly crushed me. You know, in normal families people don't get woken up by airborne bodies!"
"Define 'normal'." Cameron spoke, digging into his own plate of waffles. Craig smile faded into a frown as he suddenly realized the gravity of his situation. If he didn't get home soon, his father would realize he was gone and come looking for him. The last thing he wanted was his father showing up on Chloe's doorstep. Leaping from his chair, he placed his plate in the sink and backed toward the stairs.
"I should get home. Chores. Thanks for breakfast, Mrs. Davidson." He spoke rapidly, turning on his head and running upstairs to find his clothes. He had just pulled on his pants when Chloe entered the room. He looked up briefly before continuing his search for his shirt.
"Craig, you can't go back there." She spoke, following behind him as he pushed aside a stack of books.
"Why not, Chloe? It's where I live. It's where I belong, isn't it?" He spoke, moving a group of throw pillows and lifting a comforter.
"Why not? Did you just ask 'why not'? Craig, look at your chest!" She cried, pulling him to a stop and running her fingers lightly over the ugly bruise that lay there. He flinched and pulled away, continuing his hunt.
"I told you, Chloe. I've got nowhere to go." He explained, and Chloe sighed.
"What about Joey? Have you even talked to him? I'm sure if he knew . . "
"Knew what? That my dad's a bastard? That he hits me? What do you think Joey's going to do? Feel sorry for me?" Craig questioned, finally stopping to speak.
"It's not right, Craig." She spoke, pulling his shirt out from underneath the bed pillow. "Joey would help you. You need help."
"I don't need anything, Chlo. I'll be fine." he replied, slipping on his shirt with a mild wince and kissing her cheek. "Thanks for taking care of me last night. I'll see you on Monday."
With that he left, and Chloe sat down on her bed. After a moment she moved out onto the damp balcony to watch as his retreating form wove in and out of backyards on his way home.
"I hope so, Craig." She said to herself, closing the curtains and returning to the kitchen.
