Hope's Chance(7)

His first texts were the same thing he had sent for days.

I miss you baby. Please call me His second was not what I had wanted to wake up to.

I will see you tonight whether you like or not.

Wow! It seemed like a threat. However, I was in desperate need of a shower. So I decided to ignore his texts and only respond to Rylee’s.

Surprise me. Call me in a few hours.





Chance



Well, today had been an interesting one. I had the day off. I got walked in on naked. I met a girl. A girl walked out of my place frustrated. I saved the girl from a creep. I watched the girl drive away.

Considering the last month of my life consisted of being around my sister and her father figure boyfriend, it was a eventful day. Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Was I nice enough? Could I have been nicer? Would I ever see her again? Would she talk to me if she knew the truth?

The questions burned through my mind, like the cigarette I never did smoke today. When I had arrived home all I could think about was her sweet smile and how scared she looked in that situation on the side of the road. I didn’t even want to think about what could have happened to her if I hadn’t been there.

She needed to be more careful. Just because there were a lot of country back roads, didn’t mean it was a safer place to be. She could be lying dead in a ditch right now.

I turned on the local baseball game and lay down on the couch. I had finished off the bourbon three hours ago, and all that was left in the fridge was flat container of coke and two bottles of water. I would have to go into town tomorrow and grab some groceries. I couldn’t continue to rely on my sister for everything. I needed to get it through my head that my past was buried two states away from here. Nobody knew me and I could be myself finally again after so long.

Just knowing that scared and excited me at the same time. I hoped that this would be the fresh start that I needed, God knows I had waited long enough for it.



When I woke the next morning, I felt unrested. The majority of the night had been filled with dreams of that girl Hope. Before I became some pedophile, I needed to find out everything my sister knew about her. I couldn’t believe she had been holding out on me. Why hadn’t she mentioned that Mr. Ryan has this smoking hot daughter? She obviously knew that she was coming over yesterday, but insisted on calling her “an important person”. I had to wonder if my dear sister was purposely keeping her away from me. It was probably because she was a minor. I didn’t know any girl my age that wore ribbons in their hair.

Now that I think about it, I hadn’t seen any pictures hanging anywhere in the house. Buffy said they still had a huge storage unit that they needed to unload, so perhaps they were in there, but it was still strange. Why keep it a secret? Did they really think it was necessary to hide her existence from me?

I started feeling like they didn’t trust me at all. Normally I wouldn’t have cared, but after everything that had happened to me, I couldn’t help but feel a little bent out of shape about it.

When I heard the door open and close I sat up, realizing I was still on the couch, instead of in my bed. I picked up my cell phone and noticed it was nearing ten in the morning already. My sister came prancing in like she had been up for hours. “Good morning sleepy head. Time to get up. Mark and I have big plans for us tonight.”

She handed me a cup of coffee and I could tell from the color of it, she had added cream and sugar just how I liked it. “Thanks for this.” I said as I took my first sip.

She sat down beside me and put her hands on her knees. I had to let out a chuckle when I noticed her entire outfit was in fact pink.

“What is so funny little brother.”

“Oh, it’s nothing really. I was just thinking about something that happened yesterday. On television.” I added the last part so she would let it go.

“So, anyway….Mark and I found this great little place across town. It is a restaurant that has a bar side with dancing. We decided that we are going to go check it out tonight. I am so excited.”

“Well that is good sis. I know how much you want to get out and meet new people here.” I said through sips.

“Oh that is the best part. Mark insisted that you come with us. Eeeek! I am so excited. We talked about it last night, but I didn’t want to come outside and wake you. Plus, I wasn’t wearing any clothes at the time.”

I set my coffee down on the table. “Ugh! Really? I don’t need that morning visual Buff. Damn!”

She smacked me on my leg. “Shut up Chance. You wouldn’t be complaining if you were in my shoes.”

“Sometimes I think that hair of yours has caused you permanent brain damage.” I blurted out.

She rolled her eyes and started running her hands through her hair. “Whatever!” She stood up and headed toward the door. “We are leaving at eight. Your better be ready, because if you aren’t we are coming in here and draggin your ass with us.”

“Oh, I’m scared of that threat.”

“Seriously Chance, do it for me at least. Try!”

“Fine Buff. Whatever. I don’t think I ever had a option anyway. I live under your roof and have to abide by the rules.”

She leaned her head back in the door, as she stepped the rest of her body outside. “Just be ready when I said.” She walked away and I picked up the coffee again, but as soon as the door closed it re-opened. “Oh and Chance, no drinking today. I can’t have your ass all incoherent before we even leave for dinner.”