Shout-outs: AngryLittlePrincess, Dutchie, Me, Frogster, Guest, Chymom, Mareear, Mll M's, superwoman1015, blueeyedmentalistfan, Guest, I Dream of Scotty, mayzee, Jane Doe51, and WeLoveNeville

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is a day late. I have no excuses except for Mr. and Mrs. Smith and cake. But isn't cake a good excuse?

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Rated: T

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Chapter 8

Chicago

Dear Patrick,

Summer is almost over. I haven't written to you in a few weeks because my brothers and I spent the rest of the summer with our Moretti grandparents at their lake house. They don't have anything to connect us to the outside world; they say the lake house is the only way to catch a break from real life. And it was. It was a really nice break from real life. My aunt and uncle were there with my cousin Kate. But my father stayed away, he said that he had to stay for work, but he wasn't working. The station gave him a couple of months off to grieve my mother properly. They call it bereavement time. He probably spent most of his time at his favorite bar. I may still be a little girl, but I know what beer smells like. I know that my father has taken to drinking too much. And that he doesn't want to be with us, his kids. We remind him of my mother, even though people say I favor him more than I ever will my mother.

And now we're home. The house is big and empty without her, her smell is almost gone. I am afraid that one day it will leave completely. Especially because when we had come back, my father got rid of all of her things. Her books, her records, her clothes, her perfume. Like he is trying to wipe her existence away. I think he has forgotten he is not the only one who lost somebody.

School is starting tomorrow. Yesterday my mom's friend Ingrid took me out to buy my uniform and school supplies. We stopped for pizza on the way home and she told me stories about my mother. Stories that I already knew it's the things I don't know that nobody bothers telling me. I don't think I'll ever find out what I don't know about her. Not that her life was a huge secret. She was a good Catholic girl. She was a virgin when she met and married my father. She never loved anybody else except for him. She wanted the same thing for me. . .

Except, I do not think I will ever fall in love or get married. Not if the way my father has been acting is the end result. I have seen love at its strongest and I have seen it after it has fallen apart; I do not want to have any part in it. Not anymore. Do not try and convince me otherwise because I know you will.

People are saying I am acting older than almost 13. The thing is I have to. Somebody has to take charge or everything is going to fall apart to the point of not coming back together again.

I hope you're doing well. I'm thinking about you often.

Love,

Teresa

She straightened out her red-and-gold striped tie, pulled up her knee-socks then tightened the straps of her Mary Janes before grabbing the envelope addressed to Patrick so she could put it in the mailbox before school.

"You look completely different!"

She whirled around and found Leah smiling at her, a paper bag in hand.

"Geez Leah, don't sneak up on me like that!" Teresa replied. "And who let you in anyways?"

"James," Leah answered. "I thought we could walk to school together. The Catholic school isn't too far from the middle-school. And I can't stand thinking about riding the school bus without you."

"Thanks," Teresa said, looking at herself in the mirror again.

"You look fine," Leah told her. "Different, but fine. Isn't that the only point of uniforms anyways? So you don't have to worry about what you look like?"

"Maybe, or maybe they just don't want to worry about dress code violations."

Leah rolled her eyes. "Dress code violations. You sound grown up. Anyways, I brought bear claws. Your favorites. We can eat them on the way to school if you'd like."

"Sure, I just need to see if my brothers are ready for school and then we'll take them to the bus stop and we can be on our way."

"Okay," Leah agreed, following Teresa out of her bedroom and down the stairs to the living room where a rerun of Sesame Street was on and Stan was watching it with rapt attention.

"Ready for the first day of school Stan?" Teresa asked.

"Do I have to go?" Stanly whined.

"We talked about this Stan, you're in first grade. You have to go to school, besides there isn't going to be anybody home today. And you can't stay here by yourself. Now shut off the TV and go get your backpack."

Stanly rolled his eyes but got up off the floor and did what he was told.

Teresa stopped him. "Hold on a minute, you have some strawberry jam on your cheek!" she licked her thumb and wiped it off.

"Awww, Reese!" Stanley said, struggling to get out of her hold. "That is disgusting! There is no way I want your girl spit all over me!"

Teresa smiled. "Yeah, I know. Now go and get your backpack."

"Reese!" Tommy called, coming in from the kitchen. "James drank the last of the milk and we don't have anything for lunch."

"What do you mean you don't have anything for lunch?" Teresa asked. "I made peanut butter and jelly when I woke up this morning. . ."

"We ate it," Tommy told her. "Because we were still hungry after your crummy oatmeal!"

Teresa sighed. "Grandmother gave me some money for school supplies, there's a little leftover, I guess you guys can have it for lunch. But only today! Did you hear me?"

"Yea, yeah. . ." Tommy answered. "We can only have lunch money today. JAMES! TERESA SAID WE COULD BUY OUR LUNCH!"

Teresa checked her watch. "We have to be going or you're going to miss the bus and if that happens, we're all going to be late for school."

"Whatever," Tommy muttered as James and Stanley joined them.

"Is everybody ready?" Teresa asked.

"We're all ready," James assured her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry sis, you've got this."

"Thanks James," Teresa said, putting on her navy suit jacket before picking up her own backpack. "Come on, let's get going guys."

.

Florida

"Do you like my new dress?" Scout asked Patrick twirling around him in her royal purple sundress.

"Very nice," Patrick answered. "Do you like my new shorts?"

Scout looked at them and nodded. "Very nice," she mimicked.

"Are you ready for the first day of school today?" Patrick asked.

Scout made a noise and shook her head. "Nomo, I am not ready for the first day of school! Are you?"

"Of course!" Patrick answered. "I'm always ready for the first day of school."

Scout made a face. "Weird-o!"

"Scout Miller, you better get out to that bus stop right now!" Mrs. Miller shouted from the kitchen.

"Ooops!" Scout smiled at Patrick. "See you later! Have a good day!"

"You too Scout," Patrick answered.

"We should be going too," Eddie said, coming out from his bedroom. "Good to see you Patrick, how you've been?"

"Fine," Patrick replied. "You?"

"Bored," Eddie answered. "Really, really bored. The next time you tell me to go across the country with you, remind me how stupid it is. I am getting way too old to be grounded for the whole summer."

"If we ever go cross country again," Patrick said, punching him in the shoulder. "Have you been drinking chocolate milk this morning?"

"Hahaha," Eddie answered. "This is my new mustache."

"I'd go shave it off if I were you; no girl is going to believe you weren't drinking chocolate milk this morning."

"Patrick, I thought that was you!" Mrs. Miller said, coming out of the kitchen and drying her hands on her apron. "Long time, no see! We've missed you around here."

"I missed you too," Patrick replied, giving her a hug.

"How's your little friend doing these days?"

"I don't know," Patrick admitted. "I haven't heard from her in a few weeks. I hope she's okay though. . ."

"Well, everybody in my ladies group at church is praying for her. Such a terrible tragedy." She turned to Eddie. "Ready to be set free young man?"

"You know I am," Eddie replied, giving her a kiss on a cheek.

"Remember, you have to come straight home from school every day this week," Mrs. Miller reminded him. "You're on probation now; I don't want to hear anything about you going to New York."

"Okay," Eddie answered. "I'll be home, don't worry about it."

"Do you want to come over for dinner?" Mrs. Miller asked Patrick.

"I wish I could, but I'm going out with Candy and Billy. Could I come tomorrow?"

"Of course!" Mrs. Miller answered. "Now go on, you two don't want to be late for school."

"Okay mom, love you!" Eddie said, giving her another kiss on the cheek.

"Love you too," Mrs. Miller replied, kissing him back.

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"So, did your dad come down hard on you?" Eddie asked as he mounted his bike.

"No," Patrick replied. "When I came home he hadn't even realized I was gone. He's so busy with his own life, he didn't even care."

"What about Billy and Candy? Or Ethel and Fred?"

"They metaphorically slapped me on the wrist," Patrick answered. "It isn't like they can do anything else, they aren't my real parents."

"So, what did you do with the rest of your summer then?"

"I spent most of it with Candy or at Billy's pizza parlor. And when I wasn't with them, I helped Fred around the trailer park. None of them let me out of their sight for very long."

"But I thought Candy gave you permission to go."

"Only because she couldn't tell me not to go. Besides, she sold us out to your dad, remember?"

"Oh. . ." Eddie trailed off. "Right. Well, I'm done dwelling on it. I'm finally almost free; I'll race you to school!"

Patrick jumped on his own bike and started pedaling as fast as he could. "No fair, you got a head start!"

Eddie started laughing as he sped up.

.

Dear Teresa,

I haven't heard from you in a while and I am worried about you. I hope everything is fine and that your father is being the man you need him to be. I know it has only been a couple of months and it still hurts, but I hope that it is getting better. Every night before I go to sleep, I am wishing on the stars outside my window that everything will be better for you one day. And yes, I realize how stupid it is to make wishes at my age. But I don't feel like I can do anything else for you. My father is so against the God that you believe in, I don't know if He'll even listen to my prayers. I don't even dare try, not even for you one of my closest friends.

The Millers do it for me. They pray for you every night before bed and on Wednesday at their prayer meetings. I hope that is enough for you. I wish I could do something more.

School started today. I'm most looking forward to literature even though I have read most of the books in the syllabus. I am looking forward to discussing things with the class and finding out what others take on the books are. Even though I am sure that not everyone will get what the books are really about. They might be growing up but they're still really stupid. How was your first day? Especially since you started at a whole new school. I want to see what you look like in your uniform and hear what you think about. I'm sure you'll be amazing. I am sure you'll make lots of new friends.

And I'm sure Leah will always be there for you like good best friends are. Eddie finally got off being grounded from our little trip to Chicago, but even though we didn't see each other, I know he was there for me. He got himself grounded for me, didn't he?

Anyways, I have homework.

Write soon.

Love,

Patrick

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TBC. . .

Author's Note II:

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I was really worried it wouldn't have a good amount of words and it turns out that it did. So, I hope you'll review and tell me what you think. I'm looking forward to hearing you. Also, the first part of the soundtrack to this story should be coming out soon, I'll let you know when it happens!

Love,

Holly 10/4/2014_