Lonely Souls

Mistake.

"Rebecca," came that voice from my hallucination. Of all the things to happen now. "You want to kill him, don't you?" he whispered, and I tensed. I looked around and there was no one. "Don't you?"

"Of course I do," I answered angrily. "Go away."

"Why don't you do it?"

"Who are you?"

"Who do you think I am?"

"An annoying person," I scoffed. "Go away."

"If I choose not to?"

"Then I'll ignore you."

"Not if I hurt you. That's hard to ignore."

"What do you want? Show yourself."

"Not today, younger Rebecca. You're not ready to find out who I am."

"Then don't bug me until I am ready," I growled and then a car popped into my vision, and there really was people out and about, working in gardens and cutting grass. How did he put me in a place where no other human was?

There was a knock on my door, and my mom called for me from the other side. She didn't wait for a response, just told me to meet her downstairs in five minutes. I had to agree, but I knew this was me getting in trouble over last night. I walked downstairs after checking my hair and making sure I didn't look too dead around my eyes, which happened to be pretty dark.

"Rebecca, I've come to the conclusion that you can't live under this roof with Charles here as well. So that leaves me only one option," she began, and I managed to butt in between her sentences.

"So I'll move out. I'll go to Karli's, like I was going to do a month and a half ago, like I should have done," I said, and she shook her head.

"You're going to your father's. I called him last night after you ruined the wedding, and he agreed to have you. He was overjoyed. Can't wait to see you."

My heart jumped, and then skipped a beat, and my stomach seemed to try and curl into itself. "Why would I go there?"

"That's the logical place for you to go," Charles said before my mother could speak. "I suggested it, actually."

"You would too," I hissed. "Great! Where does he live? A trash can, cardboard box?"

"Ha, no," my mother said. "He has a two-bedroom house, and he said he's lonely and thinks you would make his life more complete."

"Busier, anyway," I replied and rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

"I've already ordered the ticket and printed it out."

"What ticket?"

"The plane ticket so you can get there quicker. I'm not driving you there, and neither is Charles. That would take too long," she said, and I realized she was well and truly angry with me. I wondered how long it would last. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach as my heart slowly descended to where it was meant to be in my chest.

"When do I leave?" I asked, already scheming. One last catastrophe before I go.

"Two days from now." She passed me the ticket. That was a short time, but I could pull off an earthquake of a party in a couple hours planning time, provided her and Charles were leaving somewhere tomorrow.

"You can bring one carryon bag, and up to five pieces of luggage," Charles said and I nodded. Then his eyes narrowed. Maybe he was catching on. "You're going to miss the plane, aren't you? On purpose so you can move with a friend."

"It was a thought," I said, and shrugged. He wasn't catching on.

"Well, we have to go out tomorrow night, but we'll make sure you get on that plane," my mother hissed and walked away. "End of discussion."

"Whatever you say, Mother," I said, emphasizing the title of her position in the family. She turned back to me as I walked up the stairs. "I'm going to start packing."

While doing that I called Karli and told her to call everyone she knew and tell them there was a party at my place tomorrow night. Nine o’clock sharp.

I finished packing the next morning and lounged around the house in wait for that evening. My mother and Charles were going through some of the finer details of their evening when I burst out laughing as I watched Jeff Dunham and Ahkmed the Dead Terrorist. Charles came in and I settled myself as they cracked another joke.

"What was the last thing that went through you mind?" Jeff asked.

"My ass!" the skeleton said, and I almost fell off the couch. Charles smirked and then looked at me, and I stared back at him, waiting for a comment that I could snap back at. None came. He just smiled softly and walked back into the kitchen. I had a feeling I wasn't staying here tonight, and that thought put a crooked smile on my face.

Around seven my newlywed parents announced their departure, and told me not to wreck the place, that they would be back tomorrow morning to bring me to the airport. I agreed to not wreck the house, but I didn't mention that I might have people over that were potential threats to my agreement. They left, and I sat up, watched them go and went up to my room to start bringing my things downstairs. Karli was here by eight and we had everything packed in her trunk and back seat by quarter after. I moved the main important things into my mom's room, and locked her door, mine and the guest room upstairs. Then the spare room downstairs. No animals in heat doing anything nasty in my house.

Just before nine o'clock people started showing up by the dozens. The music was cranked, the party started. I knew doing this was wrong, but I would pretend that I didn't have a conscience because that would piss off my parents. I wanted to make things even worse. Turned out I didn't have to.

People started rolling in large kegs of beer and others brought in the hard liquor. I did not say this would be an alcohol party, it was just supposed to be loud.

"Hey!" I yelled, and Karli followed them in with an anxious look on her face. "No! This is not staying in here!" I screamed over the music. "Get it out!" I said throwing my arm at the door. "Outside!"

They weren't listening, and I knew why. This was just a house to have a party in, nothing in here mattered to them except that they had their alcohol. Red plastic cups started filling up and everyone seemed to have one unless they were holding a bottle of something else to themselves. I screamed in frustration and pushed my way to the living room. Karli was trying to yell an apology to me, but I didn't have time for that. I unplugged the music, and everyone was yelling to put it back on.

"When the alcohol is gone, I'll turn the music back on!" I screamed at them and they all looked at me like I was insane. "Take it outside in the yard, smash the bottles in the street, I don't care, but take it out of the house. That is my condition for this party to continue. Go get drunk in the yard, pass out and OD outside of my house." There was a groan, but people started making their way out my door. "Thank you, come back in when you don't have a drink in your hand," I said, wondering if people would just take the party elsewhere.

"Okay, crank it back up, amazingly they aren't going anywhere," Karli said as I plugged the amp back in, and blasted the music louder than it had been before. Everyone cheered outside, and the party continued. Lots of people wanted to come back in and dance inside, so they finished their drinks and came back in, some leaving for a drink every couple songs.

I was dancing in the living room with many of them when more people showed up around eleven, and I wondered why no one had called the cops from seeing the alcohol and hearing the music half way across the suburbs and no doubt feeling the base. It was midnight by the time my parents and the police showed up, more or less together. I guess someone had called on us. Everyone paused and watched my mother, Charles, and the policemen get out of their cars before they all began to scatter, jumping in their trucks, cars, and running off on foot.

Karli and Miya stayed with me, while the others in the room slipped out the back door. I sighed and smiled at them both.

"Well, it was good seeing you," I said with a devilish smile and they gave the same look back to me. "See you in the next millennia."

"Move with me," Karli said and I shook my head. It was about time to go be with my father, besides, I hadn't seen him in eight years. Why make it longer?

"You can't leave us, Jade will be upset and who's going to take over the soccer team? I mean, Jade could but she'd just use your old plays that worked in the past."

"Don't worry about it, I'll send her plays and explain them over the phone. Don't-"

"Rebecca!" came my mother's angry voice as she followed Charles in, and the police followed her. "What do you think you're doing? Where is everything?!" she shrieked.

"Upstairs, I'm not a total screw up," I growled, and she looked at me resentfully.

"What would you like us to do, Mrs. Redowa? Mr. Redowa?" The policeman asked, and my mother made no hesitation. Charles looked at me when he heard the last name, and a look came over my face. Where had I heard that name before?

"Take her away," she said, throwing her hands up, and made to walk away before Charles grabbed her arm.

"No honey, come on," he said, "she's leaving in a few hours to her father's, just let her go there and you won't have to worry about her anymore."

"I'll worry more with her gone to her father's," my mother hissed and pulled her arm away from Charles.

Still... that name...

"Thank you officer, we'll take it from here," Charles said and walked my mother into the kitchen. I could tell they were having a muffled argument. I sighed and turned to Karli and Miya.

"Wow, did he just help you?" Miya asked, and Karli crossed her arms.

"There's something weird going on here," Karli speculated and I nodded.

"You have no idea," I replied and walked to the door. "Come on, let's go."

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" Charles asked as my two friends came to the door after me. "You're not leaving tonight. Go to you room."

"f**k you," I said and opened the door. He lunged forward and slammed the door shut.

"I said go to your room you selfish little brat. I'll be up to talk with you later."

"Yeah, I don't know how much talking you'll be doing," I said. "I've seen how you looked at me, don't even start telling me what to do. You're not my father!" I screamed and pushed him against the wall, then onto the stairs, and flew out the door, Miya and Karli ahead of me. We ran to Karli's car, and I scooted over to the middle between the seats, Miya on my right, Karli in the driver seat. She turned it on and stepped on the gas as Charles ran across the lawn toward us.

As Karli drove, Miya and I set up the middle into its own seat, complete with seatbelt. We drove to Karli's and within minutes Hailey and Jade were at her front door. We spent the night laughing and singing to music, making our own videos to remember each other by. We were only one year away from graduation, and I was out of the grad photos now. Maybe I would transfer back, I wasn't sure. Or I'd surprise them somehow.

I pulled out my airplane ticket, and I thought for a moment about ripping it up and just staying here. It was such an appealing idea, and it was my choice, but I longed to see my father and I didn't want to pass this opportunity up. I could try to convince him to move to Florida, maybe.

Then I looked at the destination and wrinkled my eyebrows.

"What is it?" Miya asked, having noticed I was reading the ticket.

"This says Toronto." I was stunned. My father lived in Canada? Maybe my friends could move with me there rather me moving back. Maybe it depended on whether I liked that better than the constant water and pretty sea creatures we swim with. At least there was water around there still. Not the ocean, though. How was I even going to be enrolled in school?

"Really?" Jade asked sitting up. "That's in Canada, I heard everything is cheaper there. My mum's been to Toronto on business before, and apparently, it's pretty cool. You should definitely go," she said and that settled it. I'd go and see this place for myself. How bad could it be?

That morning I went to the airport with them and found my terminal. We had a few minutes to say goodbye, and Karli passed me the USB with our finished video on it.

"I have a copy, you have a copy. I'll send mine to the girls, you keep this one," Karli said and I swallowed. I was friend sick already, and I wasn't even gone. Anxious wasn't the word for it now. More like terrified and panicky. Would I ever see them again?

I looked past them and saw Charles and my mother. Loathing filled my heart and mind, but I turned from them and gave my friends hugs and spitefully boarded my plane without giving my mom and Charles another look. My friends waved as the plane left the terminal and all at once I realized something. I made a mistake.