by C. R. Marcum
“Can’t say that I have.” He replied.
“Here, I’ve got some of their stuff on my phone.” Raylynn said motioning for him to scoot closer.
“Alright, cool. Let me hear your favorite song.” Jax said as he moved closer. He was close enough that he could feel the heat of her body next to him.
“Okay, it’s called Murder on a Monday. I know its kinda dark.” She said as she pressed play.
The music started soft, but quickly turned heavier. Out of the corner of his eye, Jax could see Syn standing in the doorway. He turned his head and gave his brother a nod. Syn nodded back and turned towards the door and left. Jax sat back and let Raylynn play her song.
Halfway through the fourth song, Paisley came to the doorway.
“Coop, you need to come explain your set of notes. There’s no way I can, I can barely read them. Oh, and Jax, Ty said he needs something to eat, so he can take his pill.” Paisley said before turning and quickly making her way back to Ty’s room.
“Duty calls I guess, you need me to show you which room?” Jax asked as he stood.
“That’s not necessary, I’m sure I’ll be able to follow the sound of Paisley’s voice.” Raylynn answered from the doorway, before heading down the hall and out of sight.
Jax came to Ty’s room only a few minutes later with a sandwich and chips in hand. When he walked in the room all he could see on the bed was the open binder covered in different color sticky notes. He looked at Ty, and then the girls before bursting out laughing.
“Here Ty…take this…before I drop…it.” Jax spit out through his laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Paisley asked
“I think it’s your OCD notes. I mean, come on, you had to make a key to explain what the hell was going on with them. That’s pretty funny.” Raylynn said giggling herself.
“I just wanted to be thorough, that’s all.” Paisley defended.
Jax couldn’t take it anymore; he turned and walked out, still laughing.
Jax returned to the living room and saw that it was still empty. Lucas was supposed to be getting home from work soon, and he was taking over babysitting duties. Until then, it seemed like he was in it alone.
Jax approached the front door and heard the familiar sound of the Pan Head starting. He looked out just in time to see his brother take off down the street. With a shake of his head, Jax reclaimed his seat on the couch and waited for Lucas to get home.
Raylynn
“So, yeah that’s pretty much everything. Pais is way better at note taking. I usually only scribble down a few things.” Raylynn said as she finished explaining her set of notes.
“Thanks guys, this should definitely make it easier to get through this mountain of homework.” Ty said pointing to the stack of papers.
“Yeah, I know it seems like a lot, but honestly once you get started, it’ll just fly by. I mean, I’m glad it’s not me that has to do it, I’d probably get through two pages before I broke down crying, but you can do it no problem.” Paisley said cheerfully.
“Great pep talk there Pais.” Raylynn said with an eye roll.
“What, I was just saying that he can do it no problem.”
“Okay, well thanks a lot guys I really do appreciate it.” Ty replied as he took his pill.
“Since we finally got notes outta the way. Can I ask you something?” Raylynn asked turning to Ty.
“Sure Ray, ask me anything.”
“What happened that night? Who were those guys? Why did they jump you?”
“That was three questions, you asked for one.” Ty replied.
“C’mon Ty, seriously. I just want to know what happened.” She said with a solemn look.
“Truth is, I don’t really know. I was waiting outside the restaurant for you guys. I got there kinda early. Not very long after I got there I saw this guy that looked kinda familiar. He stopped and talked to me for a minute, he just kept asking if I was waiting for Drake. I told him no, that I was waiting for a couple girls from school. Then he left and I started walking around out front. I had my headphones in, and I didn’t hear when he came back. There was four of them, they pushed me into the alley and started beating me. I managed to hit one of them before they got me to the ground. I don’t really remember much after that.”
“So, you don’t know who it was?” Paisley asked
“No, like I said one of them looked kinda familiar, but I still can’t place him.”
“Shit Ty, I’m so sorry, we were running late. We should have been there on time and none of this would have happened.” Raylynn replied before giving Ty a hug.
“Stop that, there was four of them, I doubt their plan would have changed much if you two were there. Hell, you guys would probably have been laid up too.” Ty said.
After a few minutes of silence, Paisley couldn’t take it anymore. She started blabbing all about cheer practice and how the first home game of the season is in a few weeks. She started describing in detail a new friend of hers.
“So yeah, I really think you’d like her Ty.” Paisley finally said.
“Yeah, she sounds cool and everything, but I kinda already like someone.” He replied shooting Raylynn a look.
“Oh, well I doubt they are as great as Aspen. She really is amazing.”
“Hey Pais, it’s getting late, we should probably be heading home.” Raylynn interrupted.
“Crap, your right. We should be going. It’s so good to see you Ty. Hope you’re able to come back to school soon.” Paisley said after giving Ty a small kiss on the cheek.
“Doc says a couple weeks.”
“Well, we’ll be back to check on you.” Paisley said sweetly.
“Yeah, and we can start coming every other day or so, to bring you your homework. That way it isn’t so overwhelming.” Raylynn said as she stood.
“Thanks guys.”
“It’s our pleasure, now get your rest.” Paisley ordered with a smile.
The girls walked into the hallway and towards the living room. They found Jax sitting on the couch. The rest of the house seemed empty.
“You girls all done with Ty today? You wear him out?” Jax asked
“Why, you jealous?” Raylynn asked with a small grin playing on her face.
“Maybe.” Jax replied licking his bottom lip.
The girls had reached the door, with Paisley leading the way.
“Keep dreaming playboy.” Raylynn said with a smirk.
Paisley had started to open the door when she turned her head towards Raylynn.
“What are yo…” Paisley managed to get out before running into the brick wall that was Drake.
The room was quiet for all of a second before Jax and Raylynn burst into laughter. Paisley stood so still that Raylynn thought she may have been in shock, which honestly made her laugh even harder.
“Damn Drake, that girl just has to find a way to get her hands on you.” Jax said as the laughter eased up.
“I’m sorry, really it was an accident.” Paisley said meekly.
“You just gonna stand there, or am I allowed to come in my own house?” Drake asked.
Paisley quickly moved out of his way and turned to face Raylynn.
“Please let’s just get out of here.” Paisley whispered under her breath.
“Yeah, before you decide to tackle him to the ground or something.” Raylynn answered before turning to address the guys. “Bye, we’ll be back on Tuesday to pick up Ty’s assignments and drop off more, if that’s cool with you.”
“That’s fine, thanks for that by the way.” Drake replied.
“No biggie, wouldn’t want him to fall behind.” She said before walking out the front door.
The girls made it home a while later and Raylynn could smell the food coming from the kitchen. She thought she might actually allow herself to eat some of it tonight. She smiled to herself and walked upstairs to her room. She heard the sound of Paisley’s door close and she could have sworn she heard crying. She shook off that tho
ught and plopped down on her bed and took one of her pills.
“If I’m asleep, I won’t have to worry about dinner.” She whispered to her empty room, before lying down and waiting for the pill to take over. Before she was overtaken by the medication, she could have sworn she heard more crying. That was the last thing she heard before slipping into the deep sleep the pills offered.
6.
She was standing in her hallway, the door at the end was open slightly, and she could hear an unnatural sound coming from somewhere in that room. “Mom, is that you?” She asked, but there was no answer. Something was very wrong. She started running, but the faster she ran, the further the door got. She could feel something sticky on her feet, she looked down and saw the blood, it was thick on the floor. She could feel it dripping on her from the ceiling, and it covered the walls. She ran faster, trying to get away from it. She burst through the door and all she could see was red. It was everywhere. She saw the figure on the bed and pushed herself to throw back the blanket. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again to find Paisley. Her throat was lying open. She tried to turn to run, but something grabbed her arm. She turned to see Paisley holding her in place, trying to speak, but the only sound was a gurgle. All she could do was scream.
The scream ripped Raylynn from the nightmare. She sat dripping with sweat in the darkness for a while, trying to shake off the remnants of the last few moments of the dream. She tried her best to forget the sight of Paisley, her throat slit and still trying to talk. Raylynn looked at the clock and saw that it read three-thirty-two. She threw her blanket back and quietly made her way to the bathroom.
She stood at the bathroom sink and stared at herself in the mirror. Her dark circles were prominent under her tired eyes. Sleeping only a few hours a night was starting to catch up with her. She traced the darkness with her finger and shook her head before looking down at the sink.
There it was, plain as day. Blood. Raylynn stepped backwards and flattened herself against the wall, waiting for the sink to fill with more. This had happened before; she had thought she was awake only to find more blood waiting for her. She dug her nails into her palms waiting for the bathroom to shift, but instead she could feel the pain in her hands. She was awake.
She took a few slow steps back towards the sink and peeked into the bowl. The blood was still there. It wasn’t much, just a few drops, but somehow it scared her. She grabbed the cup off of the counter and rinsed it down the drain before turning off the light and quietly heading downstairs.
This had become her new ritual. She would make herself sleep before dinner, and wake at some point during the night. She would make her way downstairs and there was always a plate for her in the microwave. With the food being cold, it was easier for her to control herself. The aroma of the food is what made it difficult. When it was cold, there was no smell. She would push the food down the disposal or move the trash to the side and scrape the plate allowing the trash to fall over top of it. She had done this almost every night since she had been there.
She sat at the kitchen table for a while before starting a pot of coffee. It was five in the morning already, and she had only a half hour before the rest of the house would wake. She found herself feeling jealous of the others in the house. They could sleep peacefully all night, while she was lucky to get an hour or two before the nightmares started.
When the coffee was done, she poured herself a big cup and made her way back upstairs. Paisley would be getting up soon, and she always made an appearance before heading to the bathroom. Raylynn sat at her desk and opened the laptop. She needed to find a way to get her medication without having to tell her Uncle. She was deep into her search when she heard the door open. She quickly closed the tab and opened the music she had ready.
“You’re up early.” Paisley said with just a bit of grogginess in her voice.
“Yeah, I fell asleep super early last night.” She replied with a shrug.
“Yeah, I know.” Paisley said with a yawn. “I gotta pee, I’ll see you downstairs kay.”
“Kay Pais.” She replied before her cousin closed the door.
Raylynn took her time getting ready for school. She was in no rush to get downstairs either. She could already smell the cinnamon rolls baking, and when there were rolls, Uncle Richard made sure you had at least three on your plate. She finally got dressed and grabbed her books and phone before heading down to the kitchen.
Paisley of course, was already downstairs looking like a cover girl, while she herself looked like a homeless person. Paisley and Richard were in deep conversation about the after school schedule for the week when they noticed that Raylynn had joined them. Uncle Richard smiled brightly at her as she took her normal spot at the table, her plate waiting.
“Good morning Ray. How’d you sleep?” He asked.
“Pretty good I guess.” She answered before taking a bite of the still warm cinnamon roll.
“Good, I’m glad to hear it.”
“Me too.” Paisley said with a smile.
“I did see that you woke at some point and ate your dinner though.” Uncle Richard said with a kind smile.
“Yeah, I woke up starving around three, so I came down and ate.”
“I swear Ray, if I ate like you, I’d be at least 300 pounds. I mean, you always eat dinner at like two or three in the morning, then go back to sleep, then get up and eat breakfast.” Paisley said finishing off her last cinnamon roll.
“High metabolism I guess.” She replied with a shrug.
“Lucky is what I call it. I swear, I go to the bathroom at night to get a drink of water and I gain five pounds.” Paisley said with a shake of her head.
“That reminds me; did you hurt yourself or something?” Raylynn asked Paisley as she herself finished her roll.
“No, why?” Paisley asked with an expression that Raylynn thought resembled panic.
“Well, when I went to the bathroom, I saw a few drops of blood in the sink.”
“Oh, it was nothing; I just had a nosebleed that’s all.” Paisley answered as she put her plate in the sink and grabbed Raylynn’s.
“You’re getting nosebleeds again?” Uncle Richard asked looking to Paisley.
“Not very often, just every now and then.” Paisley replied.
“Well, if they get any worse, let me know okay sweetie?”
“I will dad, don’t worry.”
“It’s my job to worry.” He said with a loving smile.
“I know, I know.” Paisley answered with an exaggerated smile. “I gotta grab my bag from upstairs then we can go kay.” She added turning to Raylynn.
“Yeah, no rush.” Raylynn answered.
With that, Paisley headed upstairs leaving Raylynn at the table with her uncle. He looked to her and smiled. Raylynn couldn’t help but smile back. She really did love her uncle. She could never understand what he had seen in her aunt, but she was glad he saw something, otherwise who knows where she would have ended up. She looked at the clock on the stove and saw that it was getting late; they would need to leave soon if they were going to get to school on time. Raylynn stood and stretched before pushing her chair in. She turned to leave, but her uncle caught her attention.
“Hey Ray, can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Sure, what about?” She asked.
“Well, I wanted to ask you if you still had enough of your medication. I was under the impression you had a three month supply, but you have been here almost that long.” He asked casually.
“Wait, you know about that? How?” She asked taken aback.
“Of course I know, your caseworker informed me of your meds when we agreed to let you live here.” He answered.
“You know what they are for then?” She asked hanging her head a little.
“Yes, one for the depression and one to help you sleep.”
“And, you still let me come anyway?”
“Oh sweetheart, I can’t even imagine the things you saw, I couldn’t very well
say no because you need medication to help you cope. Besides, I am a military man, I understand needing some help.” He said with a warm smile.
“Oh. I just thought that if you knew that you wouldn’t want me here.” She said solemnly.
“You are family, you are always welcome here. Now, I assume you are close to being out?”
“Yeah, I only have a couple left. I was trying to figure out how to get them myself.” She answered.
“Don’t ever be ashamed of needing help. I’ll schedule you an appointment for tomorrow after school.” He said before standing and giving her a hug.
“Thanks.” She said hugging him tighter.
“Awe, isn’t that so cute.” Paisley said interrupting the hug.
“You’re just jealous because you didn’t get one first.” Raylynn said sticking her tongue out at Paisley.
“Okay then whatever, you ready to go?” Paisley asked rolling her eyes.
“Yeah, let’s go. See you later Uncle Richard.” She said as she walked out of the kitchen.
“Have a good day girls.” He called after them.
The girls made their way into the foyer and grabbed their bags. They had almost made it out the door when they heard the familiar sound of heels on the tile. Raylynn turned her head to see Katrina approaching quickly.
“You two, we need to talk.” She said with a sneer.
“Oh jesus, what did we do now?” Raylynn asked crossing her arms across her chest and positioning herself in front of Paisley.
“Don’t be so dramatic. I was just reminding you two that today is mine and Richard’s anniversary, and I need you girls to make yourselves scarce tonight.” She said before turning on her heal and leaving them standing alone.
“Nothing like being kicked out of your own house for the night.” Paisley said before opening the door and walking out, Raylynn following behind her.
The school day drug on forever, and by lunchtime, Raylynn was exhausted. Paisley had invited a new friend to the table and Raylynn was happy to sit back and let the two of them gossip over boys that they liked and who was now dating whom and even cheer. The two girls didn’t seem to notice that Raylynn had nodded off at the table.