The Rockstar Chronicles

Free

The next morning, I woke up late. It was easy to lose track of time in the complete darkness of my bedroom. In my old room, bright sunshine easily shone through the thin curtains, streaming in around the edges.

But this bedroom was dim and dark, even at high noon, which is about the time I finally came to. I sat up, still longing for sleep but too hungry to ignore the grumbling protest of my tummy any longer.

The house was deserted. I peeked into Grady’s room as I passed. It was already starting to smell. What is it about boys rooms that makes them stink so bad?

Mom’s room was immaculate, as usual. The bed was carefully made and not an article of clothing was anywhere in sight. I rolled my eyes, something I dared not do in her presence. I could practically hear her mantra to me. Lindy, your dresser is not your bedroom floor….

My stomach rumbled loudly, interrupting my thoughts, and I padded slowly to the kitchen. I shoved some of the leftover soda to the side and lifted the fruit platter (untouched by the boys, go figure). I smiled triumphantly as I spied the napkin-wrapped pizza underneath. I had been right.

Under the fruit tray had been the perfect hiding space for the couple of slices I had saved for breakfast. I had hidden them carefully last night and it had been tough to find a good spot.

I shut the door and, turning to the table, I found the note Mom had left for me.

Lindy,

I ran to the store to get some essentials and I’ll be checking in on Grady. I’ll probably be gone all day. I’m sure you can find something to do. If you go outside, lock the doors.

Be safe,

Mom

P.S. Don’t go swimming without someone there. You could drown.

I scanned her message, reading between the lines. I had learned long ago that what Mom thought of as essentials was not what most regular people thought of as essentials. She was right though, she’d probably be gone all day.

I ate my cold pizza, staring out the window. The day looked like it was going to be sunny and bright. I briefly considered going swimming despite Mom’s warning, but I decided against it. She was right, it wasn’t the best idea to go swimming alone.

I wondered what I would do to fill the long hours stretching ahead of me. The house seemed empty, still, and silent. I wished for a moment that Mom had at least asked me if I wanted to go, but as I thought about the hours and hours of staring at fabrics and clothes, I knew she had made the right decision, for both of us.

My room was still dark and I flipped on the switch. My luggage loomed in the corner, clothes spilling out onto the floor. I briefly considered unpacking, but then I came to my senses. I would give Mom a heart attack if I was to actually unpack the day after arriving!

Instead, I grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and changed quickly. On my way outside, I grabbed the key from the table and locked the door behind me.

It took me about ten minutes of trying to open the main gates to finally notice the tiny side gate behind the bushes. I slipped through it, and onto the sidewalk, finally feeling free.

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