Chapter Six
"Thank you Travis," Lily whispers as they pull away from where Travis had parked the car at the bottom of the mountain.
"For what?" Travis asks.
"For sharing that with me, it was so peaceful and exactly what I needed tonight."
"So maybe sometime when your parents are out again we could do something, maybe a movie?"
Lily smiles genuinely at Travis, "I'd like that, a lot."
"So I was thinking for the next show we could..."
Travis' words don't actually register in Lily's mind but his voice soothes her and she leans her head against the headrest, letting the calming feeling wash over her. But as Travis pulls onto her street the feeling disappears and is replaced by the reminder of what waits for her at home.
Please don't drive me home tonight
Before Lily can even request that maybe Travis take her home later he asks, "who's car is in your driveway?"
"My Aunt Margo's," an of the previous calm is gone and Lily feels sick again. "My Dad's sister."
"Any idea why she's here?" Travis asks.
Lily shrugs, "my parents probably called her."
"I'll walk you in," Travis states shutting the car off.
"You don't have to," Lily shakes her head as she unbuckles her seatbelt but Travis ignores her protest and quickly walks around the car to open her door.
"You okay?" Travis questions as Lily steps out of the car.
"Fine," Lily flashes Travis a smile. "I think I just wanna go to bed early."
"Lily," Travis givers her a stern look.
"What?"
"You know what."
The way you look at me made me realize I can't fake it
"Don't lie to me Lily," Travis gently urges. "You can talk to me, I won't judge you and I promise I won't quote philosophy to you. I'm a good listener you know."
Lily nods, "I know." Sitting down on the curb Travis follows suit, "I hate going home."
"Why?"
"Because it's so quiet at my house."
I think to much
"All I do is sit in my room and the silence is so choking I can't breath and all I can do is think about my life and what it's going to like after...I don't know what's wrong with me, I love my mom but I can't stand to be there." Lily drops her face into he hands, "you'd think I'd be adjusted, she's been sick for so long..."
But I'm not taking things to well
"I feel like I have to be strong, for my mom and dad and Ray and Robbie and everyone. Most days I can do that but it just keeps getting harder."
"Then stop pretending Lily, we all love you and no one..."
The light from the house stops Travis' words and both teens turn to see who has opened the door, a tiny figure is hurrying down the walk toward them, "Lily, finally you're home."
"Aunt Margo, what's wrong?" Lily is immediately on her feet and all signs of her break down are replaced with a neutral expression.
The petite woman in front of them bursts into tears, "sweetie, something happened."
"What?" Lily plays with a strand of hair, a tell-tale sign to Travis of what Lily is hiding.
I think I'm scared
"There's nothing they could do."
Travis understands what Aunt Margo is trying to convey and he places a supportive hand under Lily's elbow but Lily shakes him off, "Aunt Margo, what's going on?"
"Lily, baby, I'm so sorry. Your mother, she's dead."
Nobody moves for a long minute, while Margo cries Travis watches Lily as several different emotions play with her beautiful features. "What happened?" Lily's regained control of her emotions and the wall is back up.
Shocked by her nieces unaffected tone MArgo responds, "she collapsed when she and your father were getting ice cream."
Lily nods shortly, "okay. Travis, thank you for bringing me home. Could you, uh, please call Ray and Robbie and let them know?"
"Lily," Travis begins and he can suddenly see the one place that Lily is showing emotion and her pleading eyes silence him. "Yeah, I'll let them know and don't worry about anything." Travis wants to hug Lily or comfort her in some way but Travis knows that that's the last thing Lily wants so he walks away without a word.
When Travis gets to his car he sits for a long time trying to process everything Lily was going through but all he could get his mind to focus on was Lily's request so he turns his car in the direction of Ray's house hoping Robbie hadn't left yet. It isn't until Travis rings the doorbell and Ray's very disgruntled looking father answers the door that Travis realizes how late it must be.
"Can I help you son?" Mr. Brennan asks.
"I'm sorry it's so late, sir, but it's important. Is Ray home?"
Ray's father closes the door without responding but Travis remains still and in several minutes Ray shuffles to the door, "Swami you know it's almost two in the morning?"
"I haven't looked at a clock in hours."
"You don't look so hot," Ray closes the door behind him, "what's going on?"
"It's Lily's mother," Travis takes a deep breath.
"Did something happen?"
"Well duh," Travis uncharacteristically snaps. "No I just randomly came over at two in the morning to tell you she's sleeping comfortably."
Ray is taken aback by Travis' words and almost fearfully asks, "what happened Travis?"
"I'm not exactly sure what happened..."
"Is Lily's mom alright?" Ray asks slowly.
Travis shakes his head, "she's dead."
"Dammit," Ray kicks the porch railing.
"What's going on out here?" Ray's father opens the door but neither really notice.
"She asked me to tell you and Robbie."
"We should go."
"You certainly aren't going anywhere, it's two in the morning. Whatever it is you have to tell Robbie can wait until the morning."
"I have to go." Ray finally addresses his father.
"I don't think so." Ray's father shakes his head and then rests his hand on Ray's shoulder, "you'll see Robbie in the morning at school."
"It's late," Travis states, "maybe we shouldn't wake up his whole family too."
"I'll call his cell," Ray offers.
Travis went straight home after leaving Ray's, je suddenly felt exhausted the days show and before that seemed like forever ago and the thought that he still had to get up in the morning made it all seem worse. He knew that his parents were in bed and that the fact shouldn't surprise or hurt him but more and more, especially tonight, Travis wished his parents weren't so hands off. Travis' thoughts had been so consumed with his parents and the day that he nearly hits the crumpled form in his driveway, the noise created by him slamming on the brakes distills the silence of the post-midnight air but doesn't disturb the dorm.
Travis is out of his car almost before the engine shuts off, "you didn't come straight home." Lily says the words as if she's in a trance.
"I stopped by Ray's," Travis replies hoping his tone sounds normal.
"Ray," Lily's oldest friend's name sounds unfamiliar on her lips. "I told my aunt I'm spending the night at a girlfriends house. She's got her hands full with my Dad so she didn't seem to mind."
Travis kneels in front of Lily, "tell me what I can do."
Tell me how I can ease your pain
"Can you take me to the mountain? I just need some peace, I know it's late."
"No, it's fine, we can go, it's not a problem." Travis holds his hand out to Lily and she slowly takes it to pull herself up.
"Thank you Travis," Lily whispers as they pull away from where Travis had parked the car at the bottom of the mountain.
"For what?" Travis asks.
"For sharing that with me, it was so peaceful and exactly what I needed tonight."
"So maybe sometime when your parents are out again we could do something, maybe a movie?"
Lily smiles genuinely at Travis, "I'd like that, a lot."
"So I was thinking for the next show we could..."
Travis' words don't actually register in Lily's mind but his voice soothes her and she leans her head against the headrest, letting the calming feeling wash over her. But as Travis pulls onto her street the feeling disappears and is replaced by the reminder of what waits for her at home.
Please don't drive me home tonight
Before Lily can even request that maybe Travis take her home later he asks, "who's car is in your driveway?"
"My Aunt Margo's," an of the previous calm is gone and Lily feels sick again. "My Dad's sister."
"Any idea why she's here?" Travis asks.
Lily shrugs, "my parents probably called her."
"I'll walk you in," Travis states shutting the car off.
"You don't have to," Lily shakes her head as she unbuckles her seatbelt but Travis ignores her protest and quickly walks around the car to open her door.
"You okay?" Travis questions as Lily steps out of the car.
"Fine," Lily flashes Travis a smile. "I think I just wanna go to bed early."
"Lily," Travis givers her a stern look.
"What?"
"You know what."
The way you look at me made me realize I can't fake it
"Don't lie to me Lily," Travis gently urges. "You can talk to me, I won't judge you and I promise I won't quote philosophy to you. I'm a good listener you know."
Lily nods, "I know." Sitting down on the curb Travis follows suit, "I hate going home."
"Why?"
"Because it's so quiet at my house."
I think to much
"All I do is sit in my room and the silence is so choking I can't breath and all I can do is think about my life and what it's going to like after...I don't know what's wrong with me, I love my mom but I can't stand to be there." Lily drops her face into he hands, "you'd think I'd be adjusted, she's been sick for so long..."
But I'm not taking things to well
"I feel like I have to be strong, for my mom and dad and Ray and Robbie and everyone. Most days I can do that but it just keeps getting harder."
"Then stop pretending Lily, we all love you and no one..."
The light from the house stops Travis' words and both teens turn to see who has opened the door, a tiny figure is hurrying down the walk toward them, "Lily, finally you're home."
"Aunt Margo, what's wrong?" Lily is immediately on her feet and all signs of her break down are replaced with a neutral expression.
The petite woman in front of them bursts into tears, "sweetie, something happened."
"What?" Lily plays with a strand of hair, a tell-tale sign to Travis of what Lily is hiding.
I think I'm scared
"There's nothing they could do."
Travis understands what Aunt Margo is trying to convey and he places a supportive hand under Lily's elbow but Lily shakes him off, "Aunt Margo, what's going on?"
"Lily, baby, I'm so sorry. Your mother, she's dead."
Nobody moves for a long minute, while Margo cries Travis watches Lily as several different emotions play with her beautiful features. "What happened?" Lily's regained control of her emotions and the wall is back up.
Shocked by her nieces unaffected tone MArgo responds, "she collapsed when she and your father were getting ice cream."
Lily nods shortly, "okay. Travis, thank you for bringing me home. Could you, uh, please call Ray and Robbie and let them know?"
"Lily," Travis begins and he can suddenly see the one place that Lily is showing emotion and her pleading eyes silence him. "Yeah, I'll let them know and don't worry about anything." Travis wants to hug Lily or comfort her in some way but Travis knows that that's the last thing Lily wants so he walks away without a word.
When Travis gets to his car he sits for a long time trying to process everything Lily was going through but all he could get his mind to focus on was Lily's request so he turns his car in the direction of Ray's house hoping Robbie hadn't left yet. It isn't until Travis rings the doorbell and Ray's very disgruntled looking father answers the door that Travis realizes how late it must be.
"Can I help you son?" Mr. Brennan asks.
"I'm sorry it's so late, sir, but it's important. Is Ray home?"
Ray's father closes the door without responding but Travis remains still and in several minutes Ray shuffles to the door, "Swami you know it's almost two in the morning?"
"I haven't looked at a clock in hours."
"You don't look so hot," Ray closes the door behind him, "what's going on?"
"It's Lily's mother," Travis takes a deep breath.
"Did something happen?"
"Well duh," Travis uncharacteristically snaps. "No I just randomly came over at two in the morning to tell you she's sleeping comfortably."
Ray is taken aback by Travis' words and almost fearfully asks, "what happened Travis?"
"I'm not exactly sure what happened..."
"Is Lily's mom alright?" Ray asks slowly.
Travis shakes his head, "she's dead."
"Dammit," Ray kicks the porch railing.
"What's going on out here?" Ray's father opens the door but neither really notice.
"She asked me to tell you and Robbie."
"We should go."
"You certainly aren't going anywhere, it's two in the morning. Whatever it is you have to tell Robbie can wait until the morning."
"I have to go." Ray finally addresses his father.
"I don't think so." Ray's father shakes his head and then rests his hand on Ray's shoulder, "you'll see Robbie in the morning at school."
"It's late," Travis states, "maybe we shouldn't wake up his whole family too."
"I'll call his cell," Ray offers.
Travis went straight home after leaving Ray's, je suddenly felt exhausted the days show and before that seemed like forever ago and the thought that he still had to get up in the morning made it all seem worse. He knew that his parents were in bed and that the fact shouldn't surprise or hurt him but more and more, especially tonight, Travis wished his parents weren't so hands off. Travis' thoughts had been so consumed with his parents and the day that he nearly hits the crumpled form in his driveway, the noise created by him slamming on the brakes distills the silence of the post-midnight air but doesn't disturb the dorm.
Travis is out of his car almost before the engine shuts off, "you didn't come straight home." Lily says the words as if she's in a trance.
"I stopped by Ray's," Travis replies hoping his tone sounds normal.
"Ray," Lily's oldest friend's name sounds unfamiliar on her lips. "I told my aunt I'm spending the night at a girlfriends house. She's got her hands full with my Dad so she didn't seem to mind."
Travis kneels in front of Lily, "tell me what I can do."
Tell me how I can ease your pain
"Can you take me to the mountain? I just need some peace, I know it's late."
"No, it's fine, we can go, it's not a problem." Travis holds his hand out to Lily and she slowly takes it to pull herself up.