“Hi, I’m Bobby!” he said. “I brought my backpack!”
“Hi,” I answered, shaking his hand.
My mom kneeled next to Bobby. ”Hi, Bobby! My name is Kris. Are you ready to have a super fun day?”
His eyes sparkled. “Yes. Bryce said I was going to have lots of fun today.”
She smiled warmly. “Well, he was right!”
“Okay, Bryce, you can go now,” Bobby waved to his big brother.
Bryce chuckled. “Hold on, Buddy. I have to talk to Kris and Cassie here before you kick me out just yet.”
“Okay, Bryce,” he answered.
Bryce held out his hand to my mother. “Hi, I’m Bryce.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Kris,” she answered, shaking it. “Do you have a few minutes to fill out some paperwork and go over a couple of things before you leave? Cassie can show Bobby around.”
He flashed one of his dimpled smiles and I melted, again. “Certainly.”
I showed Bobby around the house and then spent a few minutes in the toy area with him. He was giddy and jumped from toy to toy.
“Wow, I love your toys!” he announced.
I smiled. “They’re pretty neat, aren’t they?”
“Bobby,” my mom said, entering the toy area with Bryce. “Your brother has to leave for work now.”
Bobby jumped up from the floor, ran over to his brother, and threw his arms around him. “I love you, Bryce.”
Bryce held him tightly. “I love you, too, big guy. Be a good boy today, okay?”
Bobby stood back and crossed his heart. “Cross my heart,” he said solemnly.
“Thank you again, Mrs. Wild,” Bryce said turning to my mother. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“No problem. I’m glad I could help out. It was very nice meeting you.”
“Nice meeting you as well. I’d better go. You both have my number if you need anything,” he said.
I nodded and told my mom I’d walk Bryce to the door. When we approached the entryway and before I could react, he pulled me into his arms and hugged me. “Thanks, Cassie,” he whispered into my ear. The heat of his breath made me tremble all over.
“Um, you’re welcome,” I answered breathlessly. My heart convulsed in my chest as he released me and I longed to feel his arms wrapped around me again.
He cleared his throat. “Wow, I’m sorry…”
“Why?”
The next thing I knew he turned around and was gone. A trace of his cologne lingered in the air and I closed my eyes, thinking of how exhilarating it had felt to be in his arms.
“Ahem,” my mother said. She stood at the top of the stairs, her hands folded across her chest.
“What?”
She arched an eyebrow. “He’s certainly a very good-looking young man.”
I shrugged. “So?”
“He’s a little old for you, so forget about whatever it is you’re daydreaming about.”
I snorted. “Whatever, mom…we’re just friends.”
“Okay. I’m just saying…” she said, her eyes searching mine.
I was about to respond when Megan and her mother, Sara, walked through the door. Sara appeared disheveled and upset. My mother noticed it as well and asked me to show Megan our new guest.
Megan took off her shoes, hugged her mother, and then followed me into the toy area. When she saw Bobby, she stopped and her eyes opened wide.
“Hi,” Bobby said, grinning broadly at Megan. He was sitting on the ground and playing with Legos.
She was bashful and held firmly onto my leg. “Hi,” she answered softly. I grabbed her hand and sat down on the floor with both of them. Soon they were building something with Legos together and I was able to break free to find out what was going on in the other room.
“You can lie down in the guest room,” my mother was murmuring in the hallway. “You must be exhausted.”
“Yes, I am a little, thank you,” she replied, following my mom to our extra bedroom, which was next to mine.
When my mother returned alone, she appeared troubled. “Sara and Megan will be staying with us for a few days,” she said.
“Why?”
Mom sighed. “Her husband is very sick and demanded that she take Megan and stay somewhere else until he gets better. He’s terrified of her getting the flu and having complications with the baby. I guess the last time she was pregnant, with Megan, she ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. Anyway, he was so upset about her being at home that she finally agreed to stay at a hotel for a few days. When she told me that, I suggested that she stay here instead.”
“And she agreed?”
“No…not at first. She didn’t want to impose, but I finally talked her into it.”
“Wow. Okay.”
Just then my dad shuffled into the kitchen, yawning. He poured himself a large bowl of cereal. “Good morning,” he said in a hoarse voice.
“Okay, dad, you really need to quit with the late night video games. You look exhausted.”
He cleared his throat. “I couldn’t sleep last night and the cable wasn’t working. What else is there to do in the middle of the night?”
“Oh I don’t know…read a book? Rub the bunions on mom’s feet?”
Dad grimaced. “I don’t know which sounds scarier,” he answered.
“Ha ha…very funny, you guys. My bunions just might be too sore to make dinner tonight,” she said dryly.
My dad laughed and put his arm around her. “Just messing with you, honey. You know I’d rub your bunions or warts anytime.”
She elbowed him in the ribs playfully.
“By the way,” said my dad, “I won’t be home until late this evening. I’m working until close and then I’m taking one of the guys out for dinner after. He’s leaving the dealership and all of my coworkers were going to have a ‘going away party’ for him, but of course everyone’s got the damn flu. So, it’s just us two guys.” He looked at my mom. “Would you want to meet us at the restaurant? Or I can bring you back some wings tonight if you’d like?”
My mom craves Buffalo wings almost as much as I do pickles. This time she stunned us both. She shook her head.
“No thanks on both counts. I really should stay home tonight. I’ve got some laundry and cleaning to do. As far as the wings go,” she said, touching her stomach. “I’m really trying to be good. I’ve got to start changing my diet; those things are just loaded with cholesterol.”
My dad and I looked at each other. We both knew she’d change her mind before the end of the night. She’d be texting and reminding him to bring them home until he pulled into the driveway.
“If you change your mind, just let me know and I’ll bring you some tonight,” he replied, biting back a smile.
She shrugged and then began telling him about our new houseguests. I wasn’t sure how my dad was going to react to that little tidbit of news, so I left them and went to my room, where I collapsed onto my bed. It was still early, and there was no school, so I closed my eyes, counting the minutes until I’d get to see Bryce again. Eventually I fell into a dreamless asleep.
~~~
It was just after ten when I finally crawled back out of bed. I was hungry, so I made a ham and pickle sandwich, turned on the television, and found that the cable still wasn’t working. Frustrated and bored, I decided to rearrange my bedroom. After an hour of moving heavy furniture around, I stood back only to realize that everything had worked better in their original positions. Defeated, I gave up and sent a text to Nora, to see how she was doing. Unfortunately, she didn’t respond, so then I sent one to Scott, who didn’t get back to me either. I knew there wasn’t much I could do to help find her father, but then I started wondering if I should just drive to her house and offer a little moral support.
“Cassie,” my mother said, interrupting my thoughts. “Bryce called. He’s going to try and bring his mother to the clinic tonight when he finishes work. So, Bobby might be spending the night with us.”
“Oh,” I
answered, a little disheartened that I probably wouldn’t be seeing Bryce tonight.
Looking pensive, she strolled over to the bay window in our kitchen and stared out. I knew that something else was bothering her.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her.
She turned around and folded her arms across her chest. “Well, Bryce was kind of concerned when I spoke to him. He claimed that a buddy of his, who’s a radio dispatcher with the Wolf Creek Police Department, gave him some alarming information. I guess there’ve been several reports of violence in town and they’re urging people to stay inside; lock their doors.”
I frowned. “Wow, that’s…scary.”
She sat down by the kitchen counter. “Tell me about it,” she answered, tapping her fingernails against the counter, absently.
My stomach clenched; Allie! I grabbed my cell phone. “Mom, I’m going to call Allie and make sure she’s okay.”
She grew pale. “Oh, God, I forgot she wasn’t home! Good thinking, honey. I better call your father, too, and see if he’s heard anything.”
Allie was oblivious to everything going on in the outside world when I called her.
“We’re swimming and Kristie’s going to make us a pizza later. She said she’ll bring me home sometime tonight.”
I sighed. “Okay. The cable is out here so if you hear something about rioting or violence, let me know right away. Make sure you tell Kristie about it, too,” I told her.
“Yeah…well the cable’s not working here either. In fact, the radio stations are down as well. There’s nothing but static.”
“Okay, now that’s really weird.”
“Tell me about it,” Allie replied and then began shrieking with laughter. “Kylie! Oh, my God…you are so bumming! She’s going to…hey, Cass, I have to go. Kylie just pushed her mom into the pool!” Click.
Leave it to Allie; nothing outside of her world bothers her.
“Great! I can’t get a hold of your father,” my mom announced shrilly. “I sent him a few texts and even left him a voicemail.”
“Calm down, mom! I’m sure he’s with a customer. You’re worrying too much.”
She sat down and rubbed her forehead. “You’re probably right.”
“Did you call the main business line?”
“Oh, I didn’t even think about that!” She picked up her phone again and dialed. I watched her frown and then leave a message.
“Mom, if everyone has the flu, there’s probably nobody available to answer the main lines either.”
She nodded in agreement, but I could tell her mind was still racing. She was one of the most paranoid people I knew.
Sara walked into the kitchen, looking bewildered. “You’re not going to believe this, but something seriously BIG is going on!” she exclaimed, then dramatically lowered her voice, as if somebody was listening in. “A friend of mine from the military just sent me a text. They’re issuing a nationwide emergency warning. He wouldn’t get into details, although I’m betting on some kind of terrorism. Anyway, everyone is supposed to stay indoors. They’re even sending out military forces everywhere to limit travel.”
My mom’s mouth dropped open. “What? How can they keep everyone in the nation from leaving their homes or driving anywhere? That’s ridiculous.”
Just then someone rang the doorbell.
We all stared at each other.
“I suppose one of us should answer that. I’ll be right back,” said my mom.
Sara and I followed her to the door.
“Good afternoon, ma’am,” said the friendly young soldier standing outside. He was dressed in full military garb with a 9MM handgun holstered on his side.
“Um, hello,” replied my mother, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “What can I do for you?”
He noticed me and Sara, with her pregnant belly and smiled apologetically. “My name is Lieutenant Austin Smith and I’m really sorry to bother y’all. I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but there have been some disturbance in town and we’re securing all of the neighborhoods now to make sure there are no further issues.”
“Oh, well we’re fine here,” my mother replied. Her eyes narrowed. “What sort of violence are we talking about?”
The soldier cleared his throat. “Nothing too major, I reckon, a few squabbles, some vandalism.”
“Who was it?” I blurted out.
He shot a fleeting glance up and down my body, then his brown eyes met mine. His smile made me blush; I crossed my arms across my chest.
“I’m really not sure who they are or why, if that’s your next question. My platoon’s duties are to scout surrounding neighborhoods and advise everyone to stay indoors for the next twenty-four hours.”
“What about people who are working or traveling? My husband’s at work and my youngest daughter isn’t home from her girlfriend’s yet,” complained my mother.
He gave her a reassuring smile. “They’ll certainly be allowed to return home, we’re just advising folks from venturing out of the safety of their homes until we have everything under control. We have some roadblocks in place but will definitely allow people to go home if that’s where they belong.”
“Sounds a little extreme, doesn’t it?” asked Sara.
“Believe me, Miss, it’s for the safety of the public. We’ll let y’all know when it’s safe to leave your homes.” His radio went off and he stepped away to respond to it.
“This is too weird,” Sara whispered. “I don’t like it. They’re being vague but basically ordering us not to go anywhere. They can’t expect people to just stop their lives and hide out at home without giving us more information.”
My mom was about to respond when the soldier returned.
“Well,” he said, this time looking rushed. “I’ve got to keep making my rounds. Just remember, ladies, stay in and lock your doors. If someone besides a military official visits your property, don’t interact with them. We’ll be monitoring the neighborhood pretty thoroughly, so there shouldn’t be problems. Just heed the advice and everyone should be fine.”
“Okay, thanks. Just let us know when the curfew you’ve forced upon us has been lifted,” I said, unable to hide my sarcasm.
We stared at each other a minute, then he smiled. “Y’all have a nice day.”
I let out an exasperated sigh when he left.
“You are such a smartass,” my mom said.
“What?” I asked with a cocky grin.
“You know, I don’t like the way he was checking you out,” she stated. “Between him and Bryce, I’m going to have to watch you like a hawk.”
I snickered and shook my head.
Sara sighed. “I wonder if I should leave and check on Kevin.”
“You heard what the officer said, you can’t leave. It might not be safe,” replied my mom.
She shook her head. “That’s crap. They can’t keep me from seeing my husband.”
“Have you talked to him?” asked my mom.
“We spoke earlier. I better call him and see how he’s doing.” She grabbed her cell phone out of her pocket and walked away.
“I’d better check on the kids,” said mom.
I ran upstairs to my room and took out my cell phone. I hadn’t communicated with Bryce since this morning, so I decided to send him a text.
Hi Bryce-how are you?
Hello Wild, I was just thinking about you.
Oh? I smiled, laying my head against my pillow.
Yes-you guys doing okay?
I sighed and typed. Yes, military stopped by to say we can’t leave.
Yes, I heard about that, he typed. My aunt is caring for mom. She’s going to bring her to clinic. I’ll be at your house for Bobby ASAP.
They might not let you through!
They won’t have a choice.
Lol…okay, see you tonight!
Count on it.
Chapter Nine
Sara was able to reach Kevin and he was still feeling miserable. He’d also been approached by a m
ilitary official and they promised to send out someone from their medical staff to check on him before nightfall.
Mom spent the rest of the afternoon calling our family and friends as well as trying to reach dad, who was still M.I.A. She also spoke with Kylie’s mom, Kristie, and they both agreed that it was much safer for everyone to stay put. Allie would be sleeping over another night.
Around six o’clock, I volunteered to grill hamburgers on the deck. As I stepped onto the balcony, I noticed several soldiers stationed throughout the neighborhood, some carrying automatic rifles. One of the soldiers, presumably the cowboy at our door earlier, waved at me while I flipped the patties, but I played ignorant.
“I’m sorry, I just can’t think about food right now,” complained my mother, pushing away her dinner plate. She put her head in her hands and sighed wearily. “Your father still hasn’t responded to any of my calls or texts; I’m seriously getting worried. This is unusual, even for him.”
I stood up and started clearing away the dishes from the table. “I’m sure he’s fine, mom. There could be a dozen reasons that he hasn’t called back yet. Maybe his cell phone died, or he left it in the car? Just…quit worrying so much.”
She raised her head and let out a deep sigh. “I hope you’re right, honey.”
I put a hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t you just go and lie down for a while? You’ve been pacing around all day, upsetting yourself. I’ll come and get you if there’s any news”.
“Maybe you’re right,” she said, rising from the table. “Just for a little while. Keep an eye on Bobby, will you?”
I nodded. “In fact, I’ll go check on him right now. He was playing dolls with Megan just a little while ago.”
Mom went to her bedroom and I found Bobby with Sara and Megan. They were finishing a board game. I sat down and watched as Bobby won.
“I won!” yelled Bobby as he pumped his fist. “Yes!”
Sara smiled at him then looked up at the clock. “Megan, it’s time for a bath.”
Darlings of Decay Page 47
