Page 124 of Run Away Home: Tempered

“Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph,” I mumble, pulling on the black shirt and buttoning it.

I go to the living room dressed in only my boxers and shirt. Hayley’s pointing above the TV. A small spider’s right where the wall meets the ceiling.

“It’s there!”

“How am I supposed to reach that? I’m just as short as you are.”

“Stand on something! Hurry, before it runs!”

I grab a chair and a napkin from the dining room and climb beside the TV. Even with the chair, I’m a shrimp. I’m on my tiptoes and still can’t reach the spider.

“It’s going to fall! It’s going to fall!” she yells.

“Then it will fall on me, not you. Gòrach píos de cac!” I yell, stretching as far as I can. Finally, I crouch and spring up, smacking the wall. Got it! I land back on my feet and stabilize myself.

“EW! THERE’S A BIG SMOOSH ON THE WALL!”

“Well, that was my best effort.” I climb down off of the chair. “Now it won’t bother you anymore. It’s dead.”

“Thanks.” She breathes in and out like she’s having a panic attack.

The doorbell rings. FUCK!

“Who’s here?” Hayley quickly lifts a couch cushion and pulls out a small plastic bag. She presses it to her chest.

“I have to put on pants. Do NOT answer the door!”

“Why?”

“Just don’t. Go in your room and calm down.” I run back into my bedroom, putting on the pants I’d laid on my bed. Why is Kara so early?

Kara

I’M PRETTY SURE THISis it. I ring the bell, but no one answers. Maybe the doorbell isn’t working? I knock instead. I’m about to knock again when the door opens.

A girl about my age stands in front of me. She has shoulder-length red hair, almost the same hue as mine—except mine’s dyed. I think hers is natural. Lucky bitch. Any-who, she has droopy blue eyes and a tiny nose. It looks like she tried to pluck her own eyebrows but failed miserably. There’s like hardly any eyebrows left. She’s medium build...not fat, not skinny. She definitely doesn’t do Pilates. Her red bra straps stick out from under a black tank top that reads “mornings suck.” She’s wearing a tiny pair of pajama shorts...too tiny. Her thick white thighs stick together.

“Hi. I might have the wrong apartment. I’m looking for Peter.”

Her nose twitches and she moves her lips all the way to the right side of her face. She bites her bottom lip.

“No. You have the right apartment. Who are you?”

“Oh, hi!” I release a quick giggle. “My name’s Kara.”

“Yeah. It’s just that he didn’t tell me you were coming, so...uhm...okay.” She looks me up and down.

“Well, surprise!”

She jumps backward. I didn’t think I was that loud.

“Come in, I guess.” She holds the door open for me and jogs up the stairs. I follow her.

She stops abruptly about halfway up, and I almost collide with her back. She breathes in and out three times. As she inhales, she lifts her arms above her head. She lowers them as she exhales.

Uh, okay? Good time for some yoga, I guess? Maybe she does do Pilates?

She walks the rest of the way up. Fucking weird, but I follow her.

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