Page 125 of Run Away Home: Tempered

“So...Where is he?”

She answers with a groan.

Rude. Okay. She sits on a couch in front of a TV, picks up the remote, and presses play. She stares at it wide-eyed, almost like she’s in a trance. Some trashy, annoying reality TV show begins.

“You’re Peter’s...”

“Friend,” she answers without looking at me...or blinking.

“Friend. Got it. And your name is...?”

“Hayley.”

“Nice to meet you, Hayley.”

“I’m trying to watch this.”

“Oh... Well, it’s just that you didn’t tell me your name when you opened the door, so—” She turns the TV louder. “Okay, cool,” I respond.

Peter walks out from a hallway in front of me. Thank God...

The girl—I already forgot her name—shoots him a look. Not a nice one, either.

“Hi, Kara.” He walks over and gives me a hug.

“Hey! You look nice.”

“Really? Thanks. So do you.”

“You could have told me someone was coming,” the girl says.

Peter looks at her. “Sorry, next time I will.”

She scoffs. “No, you won’t.”

“Okay...” Peter turns toward me. “Are you ready?”

“I guess I’m home alone tonight?” she adds.

“Guess so.”

“And if there’s another spider?”

“I don’t know, Hayley. Throw a shoe or something.”

Right, that’s it. Hayley.

“Nah, I’ll just have Tristian get it.” She smirks and scratches her head roughly without looking away from the TV. OMG, does she have lice? I look at Peter. His face turns bright red very quickly. Wow.

“No. That’s not happening. I’m leaving. Let’s go, Kara.” He grabs my hand and leads me down the stairs. We walk out the door, and he locks it.

“So, who’s Tristian?”

“Her boyfriend.” He doesn’t look up from the doorknob.

“So, why would you care if he got a spider?”

“Because she knows I don’t want him in my apartment. He’s a drug addict. So is she, can’t you tell? She’s high off her ass right now.”

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