The Willows Chapter Three
"Dad are you?" Max whispered not so subtly "Are you... crying?"
"No! Watch the movie" Dad said cuddling Declan, Declan sipped on his sippy cup while staring at Max, he had lost interest in the movie half way through. I glanced at Brandon to see if max caught his attention too with his question. Brandon's knees were to his chin, in the flashes of light the TV gave in this dark room it shone the stains on Brandon's cheeks and made it very obvious he's crying. I sighed and looked back at dad..Like father like son.
"Sorry it looks like you are" Max empathetically placed his hand on dads shoulder.
"Shut up!" Lauran said turning her head to glare at Max, her eyes narrowed and then she turned back to the screen. Brandon shifted stretching his legs out before resting them on the floor quickly wiping his face. Max huffed and crossed his arms while dad looked at me with a tight smile.
I turned back to the screen just as the main character slapped her love interest in the face. My stomach curled at the declaration of love that she made after that slap. The words were beautiful however the actions of both parties spoke of hatred. Words can not describe how heart-wrenching this movie is.
"You know if my boyfriend put you in a coma like hers did to her sister?" Lauran leaned back to talk to me "I wouldn't slap them, I'd set a location on fire and leave them there"
"Lauran!" Dad warned.
"I'm going to go get a tissue, would anyone like one?" I said quickly I looked at everyone, making sure I hadn't missed anyone, Alex had fallen fast asleep with his head on the DVD case the Weird child. Dad looked up at me then at Max.
"Yeah bring a whole box out. Don't want to miss the one trying to divert the attention from his tears"
"Dad!" Max exclaimed arms uncrossing, he gaped at his father. A vibration against my leg distracted me, I quickly got out of the lounge room and went to the bathroom where the tissues were stocked up next to the ten head-lice ointment bottles dad keeps in case. My phone vibrated again.
"Hey Josie" I said picking up a box of tissues from the top of the stack of tissues, all of the packaging were different. Some had cartoon characters on them and others had decorative patterns. Dad buys in bulk every shopping trip, and never have I seen him not bring at least one box of tissues home.
"Hey Sarah... do you still have that bunk bed?" Josie spoke sounding distressed, I put the box down and closed the bathroom door "It's cool if you don't, mom and dad are going to Paris for a week. They have to for work and unfortunately they can't take me with them. So they've asked Aunt Dassy to take me but we really don't get along, my teachers said they can e-mail my schoolwork to me I don't think missing a week will put me too far behind, especially with summer school, do you think you and your family would mind if I stayed over?"
"Not at all" I said "Will your parents let you?"
"They won't care" Josie said confidently, I wish I could say the same about my dad.
"What day are you coming over?" Dad has always encouraged my friendship with Josie.
"Um... hold up for a minute" Josie muttered, a loud knock at the door caused me to drop the tissues. I looked at my phone which had just hung up on the call.
"Josie! What are you doing here?"
I shoddily picked to box back up and threw it into the cupboard, I ran to the door to be sure she is here and I'm not coming to the wrong conclusions. The girl smiled brightly at me, her brown curls not up in her usual pigtails. Max stared at her.
"I'm sorry I would have called earlier but I couldn't in front of my parents because I told them you already said yes, so I had to wait till they were gone by the time that happened the plane had arrived at the airport"
I'm not even going to acknowledge the lies and deception- I'll leave that to dad "Why do you have paint all over you?"
"Art project I wanted to get some done before I left, anyway how are you?" Josie walked in to the house looking around at the walls and decorations "Nice place! Your dad didn't do too bad. Sorry I treaded snow in"
"I didn't think so either" Dad walked up to us, I nervously looked at Josie worried the trouble she's in for "I got a phone call from your parents and while you are more then welcome to visit, I won't tolerate any disrespectful behaviour under my roof. You can stay for the week but while you are here you are grounded!"
"Yes sir" Josie with a large smile on her face gave my dad a hug.
"Hungry? have whatever you want in the kitchen except for the Twinkies in the cupboard that's dad's" I said taking her arm and leading her to the kitchen "So while we're farther away from ear shot, what are you really doing here? You love when Aunt Dassy visits"
"My parents and I are moving to Tokyo in a month. This is my last chance to see you guys before I don't know how long and my parents wouldn't let me visit any other way"
"Oh" I felt my heart drop "Why Tokyo?"
Josie bit her lip "I can't tell you, I'm sorry, my mom doesn't want me to tell anyone"