Skylar came down to breakfast that next morning, much to the surprise of her family. They all stared at her slightly as she sat at the table and began piling food onto her plate.
“Nice to see you, dear.” Her mother stated. She looked up from her plate to the staring eyes. It was true, for the most part, she hadn’t been home much that last week. Usually, the only time anyone saw her was a glimpse of her leaving, or the awakening clatter of Landon dragging her up to her room.
“Yeah. I’m sorry that I wasn’t around much.” She began, and then glanced over at Chase, who was more preoccupied with his food, than to hear her excuses. “I haven’t been myself lately.”
“No, you haven’t” Joseph began, his voice oozing a firm tone, “And I’ll assume this clarity will keep you acting more like the woman we raised you to be?” It was in the form of a question, but Skylar knew it was more of a demand.
“Yes, daddy.” She spoke softly.
They remained quiet the rest of breakfast.
Not too soon after breakfast, Joseph took Landon and Chase to the Johnson’s. They were erecting a new barn for their cows and employed the help of her father and the boys. Skylar welcomed the peace around the house so much, she didn’t really cause where anybody went. As long as the disappointed stares went with them.
A little later that morning, Claire joined Skylar at the house for a little relaxing in the sun. They laid out back, on a blanket, and soaked up as much sun, and peacefulness as possible. That was, until Claire couldn’t keep peace any longer.
“You really put us through hell this last week.” Claire broke the silence, Skylar lifted her head from her pillow and closed the book she was reading.
“Yes. I know.” She started, “I apologize. I’m not sure what came over me.”
“Landon… he seems to think that it has something to do with Chase.” Claire sat up and peered down at her, “is that true?” Skylar knew if she gave Claire an honest answer, if she told her that, indeed, Chase held a hand in her game, she knew she would turn it into something it wasn’t.
“No…” Skylar spoke softly. “It was just a weak moment. Lack of better judgment.” Claire let out a slight laugh.
“See, I told Landon that you wouldn’t have anything to do with Chase. I mean, sure, he’s handsome and nice enough, when he wants to be. And he’s rich enough to take you out of this god forsaken place, but even you have some self-respect.”
“What does that mean?” Skylar sat up to look her in the eyes.
“Well, it was no offense to you, but Chase, there’s just something about a man who will plant his seed in any type of ground, that just doesn’t settle right with me.” She stated. Skylar gave her a soft nod. “Even if you did like him, he would only break your heart in the end. All boys do.”
“What about Landon?”
“Its great, and I love him… but even I know its not going to last.” She sighed, “Me and Landon, we’re just blooming for sure, but soon we will wilt and be no more…” Skylar gave her a soft smile.
“You’ve been reading my book again haven’t you?” She asked. Claire laughed lightly.
“Yeah well, you’re such a great writer. I can’t help myself.”
Later that afternoon, Skylar sat out on the porch enjoying the afternoon breeze as she finished reading another book. Claire had departed a few hours earlier, and this is about the point in the day where Skylar would run off to her secret place and wish to not be disturbed. But today was different. She didn’t want to be away from the world, she wanted to be as close to home as possible.
Skylar look up from her book as her father’s car pulled into the driveway. She sat it down on the porch swing. She rose from the swing and walked over to meet her father at the steps.
“Hey, How did it go?” She asked. Her father looked at her and sighed.
“Usual. Johnson did nothing but argue with his wife, and then they’re annoying little brat of a son was just messing with everything, and your brother took it upon himself to try and kill himself with a hammer.” He stated. Skylar let out a slight laugh as he went into the house.
“Sounds like a good time.” She stated.
“Thrills.” Landon moaned as he followed Joseph into the house. Skylar look down the steps to Chase, who was leant against the railing. He stared up at her slightly, a humored look plastered to his face.
“What?”
“Nothing. I’m just… amazed.” He said bluntly as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.
“By what?”
“How things just kind of… slipped back into normal so fast.” She eyed him slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean, Sky, you’re not stupid.” He stated with a laugh as he ascended the few steps that separated them. As she met his eyes in this shorted distance, she did know what he meant. He meant why was her family walking around and treating her like last week didn’t exist. Truth was, she didn’t have an answer for him. She didn’t know why it was so easy for her parents to forgive her. To act as though nothing happened. She wasn’t even sure why it mattered to him anyway.
“Chase… I don’t know what you want me to say to you.” She stated. He looked at her, but didn’t speak for a moment. He looked away and laughed lightly.
“Reading these damn books again.” He spoke as he made his way over to the swing. He sat down and opened it to a random page. She watched him slightly as he flipped over the pages, not really reading them, just examining them. Looking for one single example of what urges her to read them. After barely a minute, he closed the book and tossed it back onto the swing. “I don’t see what you find appealing in those things.”
“Dreams…” Skylar stated. He looked up at her a quizzical look on his face. She made her way over and picked up the book, sitting down on the other side of the swing, “Ever crave something you can’t have, Chase?” She asked.
“I’m rich, and quite good looking, I can get anything I want.” He stated.
“I’m not buying your, ‘I could give a shit’ act anymore, Chase.” Skylar stated, but he didn’t seem to phased by it. “I’m serious…”
“Sure, I suppose…” He responded.
“Well, that’s why I read them, cause I crave adventure and romance and life.” Skylar replied. Chase shook his head and looked up at her.
“That statement alone makes you just as vain as you think I am.” He began, “Your cravings are shallow, and have no real depth to them. You read books to escape to a world where things go your way all the time and always have that happy ending.” He paused and shook his head at her once more. “Well, Sweetheart, things don’t work that way here.”
“Don’t call me, ‘sweetheart’ and how do your cravings differ from mine?” She asked, the annoyed and angry tone in her voice only seemed to make his that much madder as well.
“Cause I crave a father who’s not addicted to every ‘picker-upper’ drug in the world….” He spat at her angrily, “Cause I crave a mother who doesn’t come across a wine glass she doesn’t like.” He stood from the swing and grabbed the railing with his hands. Clenching them tightly. Skylar could see the whitening of his knuckles as he released a sigh from deep within his chest.
It was quite a moment, Skylar wasn’t sure what to say. She had no idea his parents were so screwed up. That they were the reason he was so screwed up. She stood up and walked over to him. She laid her hand on his shoulder and another on his hand.
“I’m sorry.” She spoke softly. “I would have never guessed…” He didn’t speak, just kept looking down at nothing in particular. “I guess I am really as vain as you then, huh?” She asked. She saw him smile slightly, and she returned the gesture as he turned to look at her.
“Yes, you are.”
“Is that how you knew how to take care of me?” Skylar asked. He nodded slightly.
“I spent many nights since I was 11 doing things like that for my father.” There was so much hate in his voice every time he spoke of his father, it was so thick, it could choke the air out of your lungs. At first. Skylar couldn’t understand why he could hate his father so much, but now it was very much understood.
“I’m sorry.” She began.
“I’ve lived through it, I’m not looking for a ‘pity me’ party now.” he stated.
“I guess not, but I was talking about me.” She stated, “I mean, I’m sorry for what I did. Sorry you had to see it, sorry you had to deal with it. Sorry if in anyway I made it seem like you’re fault. Because it wasn’t.”
“Wasn’t it though?” He questioned her softly. She looked up at him, a dumbfound gaze in her eyes.
The front door opened and Landon came out toting a sandwich in one hand and a phone in the other.
“Mom says its time for lunch.” He’s mouth was full of food and Skylar frowned slightly. “This is for you.” He tossed her the phone.
“Who is it?”
“The infamous Dylan Stevenson.” He replied as he headed back into the house, Chase followed in suit. Skylar glared down at the phone slightly, unsure if she should talk to him, or just hang up.
“He’d only call back.” she said quietly to herself as she raised the phone to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Hey, its me.” Dylan voice was soft on the other line. “I know that you don’t want to see me, or even talk to me anymore, but I had to call you.”
“Why?” She asked as she sat back down on the swing.
“I heard about what happened last night. How you completely went off the deep end. Since you started coming to the stables again, I haven’t been going. I just couldn’t be in the same place as you, while you were doing the things you were doing.”
“What’s your point Dyl?” She asked rather annoyed by his pity party.
“I wasn’t there to keep things in line. Since, I hadn’t been going, Landon tells me that the stables have gotten completely out of hand, and because of this I sort of blame myself for the things that have happened to you over the last week.”
“How do you know anything about what I did?” Skylar asked. “Remember, you weren’t there!”
“I’ve heard things Sky! Bad things.” He shouted from the other line.
“The things I’ve done, I chose to do Dylan. I would have done them rather you were there or not!” She shouted back.
“Really?” He asked, “you would have gladly got into a car with someone you didn’t know and end up off in the woods somewhere stranded? You would have loved to just pass out in the back of a stable while three different guys take their turns doing whatever the hell they wanted with you?” He paused a moment, “Sounds like a blast!”
Tears were now running down Skylar’s face. Truth was, she didn’t even remember most of last week. She didn’t remember any names, any faces, or what she did with them. Everything Dylan was saying could be very much true and she couldn’t deny it was possible.
“Good bye, Dylan.” She hung up the phone as Landon came back out the door.
“Mom says you better hurry…” He stated, and then noticed her face. “What’s a matter?”
“Nothing…” She replied softly.
“Nothing? Nothing doesn’t cause tears, Sky.” He stated as he sat down next to her. “Is it Dylan?”
“I don’t want to talk about it ok?” She asked. He gave her a nod.
“Ok.” He embraced her slightly around the shoulders and there was nothing left that Skylar could do, but cry into her brother’s shoulder.
Creative
Created on 8-29-08
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Story Rating G
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