~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

5. Home Changes.

I walked home after leaving Glee club. The walk home was usually a fifty minute walk and wasn't too bad as the weather was cold which meant everyone drove passed me. I didn't want any walkers to be asking why I looked so depressed. Mom wouldn't be home as right after school she worked at a pharmacy store as the register person. She applied at BreadStix and was waiting to hear back from them and if she got that job she'd work only Saturday and Sunday at the pharmacy. Three jobs.

And all because of my damn eating disorder.

I'm a screw up.

I arrived home and found myself alone in the two level, two bedroom and two bathroom home. It wasn't as nice as Kitty's or Brittany's or even Blaine's, but it was comfortable enough for Mom and me. I sat on the couch and read one of my books, making a mental note to go to a garage sale and find all the cheap books I could find and read and enjoy. Right now I was reading Go As Alice. I actually never knew it was a girls diary until someone had mentioned it to me. Interesting.

My cell-phone kept ringing all afternoon. Messages from Glee kids asking where I was and why I didn't come back. I didn't reply back. I read a few more pages of my book before going to my laptop that I saved up to earn within two years and signed onto Facebook and see what was new.

New Friend Request: Lark Stewart

Message: Hey cutie, had a great time today. Hopefully we can meet up again, say tomorrow? But no pizza, I heard Mama Rose makes awesome spaghetti. See ya!

Lark. He was nice to me at least. I accepted his friend request and then began going through a few of his pictures. A lot of them were his friends who were smoking cigarettes and a few videos of them doing illegal things, like spray painting on someone's house. But other than that he had pictures of himself volunteering at the local animal shelter and some homeless shelter handing out food. He was adorable in those pictures.

Adorable. What?

I messaged him back in a moment.

Hey. I had a great day too! But, um, I'm sorry if I made you feel like some sort of re-bound guy. I don't want to do that. I've done it before, kinda, and I still feel bad about making the guy my re-bound. If I am making you feel like a re-bound let me know and I'll, um…well I don't know. I guess try to not make you feel like a re-bound guy. I guess.

Wow, I sound pretty stupid now!

- Marley.

I sent it and signed off then decided to make a box of mac and cheese. During the time I was able to jot down a couple of different song ideas. I hadn't ever told anyone about my songs, but I've written a few of them. Some of my new recent ones were 'More Friends Than You Know' and another I finished was 'All Or Nothing'. I entitled this one: Outcast. I had a few words down but had to stop and clear my mind before I got aggravated and give up on finishing the song.

My dinner finished. After settling it into a bowl I sat on the couch and began watching the TV and picked a channel program. Boy Meets World. I loved this show growing up. My cell-phone rang. Ryder. Nope, not going to pick up. It rang two more times before it stopped. I shrugged as I settled my bowl down and finished watching my second episode. I was about to begin homework when there was a knock on the door. Kinda in a frantic way.

Slowly I got up from the couch and took a peep out of the peephole. Ryder stood there, breathing heavily. I sighed. Opening the door I said, "Hey, what's up?"

"Lark!" He breathed out. "Don't be friends with Lark! He's crazy!" Ryder shouted. "He's terrible! Even Jake is a nicer guy! Hell Brett Stoner is a way nicer guy!"

"Ryder I don't care. He told me about his cigarette problem—"

"And the drugs? Huh? He tell you that?" Ryder asked. "Look, Blaine's in the car too. He knows Lark is from Dalton and knows a couple of the guys that Lark hangs out with, some use to be friends with Blaine. Tell me right now you'll ignore Lark, delete him off Facebook, block is number from your phone and don't have a contact with him again. Or I'll get Blaine in here with me and we'll literally tie you down and explain every single reason to leave Lark alone."

What the hell? Ryder never told me who I should be with or not be with. Not even with Jake. He just warned me to be careful about Jake. I shook my head, said no, then slammed the door. Ryder kept knocking but I just ignored the knocks and phone calls from my house phone, which had caller I.D, and my cell-phone. Even Blaine knocked on the door.

"Marley, Lark and I have mutual friends at Dalton! I know about him! Ryder is correct, Lark is bad news!" Blaine yelled though the door. "Open the door, Marley!"

"GO AWAY!" I yelled. I put in my headphones and fell asleep to the sound of Kelly Clarkson.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

I woke up hours later when Mom came home. She looked a little bit sad, but tired too. "Hi Mom!" I greeted her with a warm smile.

"Hi Sweetie." Mom smiled. "How was today, champ?"

"Um, okay. Glee club is over for the season though. Most of the seniors are sad about that, since it's just the start of the school year and they wanna keep on top."

"Nobody blamed you, correct?" Mom asked. That was a worry she had about today and the next few weeks.

"No. Everyone understood." I lied. "And I made a friend today. His name is Lark. He's Ryder's cousin."

"Oh Really? Is he a nice boy?" Mom smiled. "Or bad-boy?"

"Uh, he seems like a bad-boy, but is pretty much just as nice." I laughed as I sat down at the table in the kitchen with her. "He's funny too. He is going to night school for his diploma, but is aiming to go to Dartmouth."

"Oh that sounds wonderful! Just don't get too close to him or else Jake will think your cheating."

I frowned when she said that. "We broke up." Okay, he broke up with me. But I didn't want Mom and Jake's small friendship to be ruined. They talked a lot during lunch, sort of. "We both felt like we were rushing into a relationship before becoming friends first, so we're just friends for now."

"Oh well that's good. Always take things slowly honey, don't rush into anything your not comfortable with." She told me. "Did you eat?"

"A box of pasta." I answered. "How was work tonight?"

"Not too good, honey." Mom said. I could tell she didn't want to tell me something, but knew she had too. "I lost my job at the pharmacy."

"WHAT!?" I yelled. "What happened?"

"They had to cut some people and it was me and three other people. I know this is going to change our income and paying for your hospital-therapist appointments, but I'll work on it honey. Don't worry."

Well since Glee was over. I figure I could get a job. At a store in the mall or even at Lima Bean. I loved Lima Bean. But Mom read me like a book and with a smile she said, "Don't even think about getting a job, Marley Jane Rose. I won't have it. You need to have as much fun as possible before becoming an adult."

"Most kids my age have a job Mom." I told her.

"Yes and they want too or have too. You will not have a job now, just enjoy yourself." She smiled. "Want some low calorie ice cream?"

I declined and just said I was gonna shower and read a little bit more. I did both and rested on my bed reading my book. My phone kept ringing but I ignored it until I decided to see who was harassing me.

It was Lark. I smiled, answered and talked to him. Like some corny teenage film, we talked all night long and argued who'd hang up first.