Candy Apple Red-Book Two

Chapter 10 - The Accident

As I sprint up to the house, I notice that Mariah's car is parked in the driveway. Oh boy,  I wonder if she got into an argument with Dylan over that stupid toy. Ugh! He's so annoying! I better make sure she is okay. 

I quickly stumble up the steps and barge inside, turning the corner to the living room to find that the lights and television are out. Is it possible she's in bed already? Hmm... It's only 9:00 pm; surely she's not. 

I trudge up the steps and down the hallway to the spare bedroom to find her curled up in bed asleep. That's strange; she's not normally in bed this early. I can't help but chuckle aloud.  Maybe all those sleepless s*x-filled nights are catching up with her. Regardless of the reason, I'm not going to wake her right now; I'll wait to speak with her tomorrow. 

I march over to the linen closet in the hallway, grab two towels, and tiptoe into the bathroom before closing the door behind me. I need to wash off all the sticky grape goo residue from my body. I turn the lever to the shower on and wait for it to heat up before climbing inside. 

My mind is racing as I quickly run the sudsy loofah across my entire body. I can't help but think about Seth. How am I going to quit him when I have to leave for school? Those days are fast approaching, and I dread it. It's already the end of July. I leave for school in August. 

I place my hands up against the shower wall to stabilize myself. I am catching feelings for this man so fast, and it scares the s**t out of me. I guess I'm not the type of girl who can carry on a meaningless physical relationship with someone for a short period of time.  I had hoped that I was strong enough to see this through, now I'm not so sure. 

Before realizing I'm getting caught up in my own worrisome thoughts,  a chill runs down my spine as goosebumps spread across my body. Jesus, how long have I been in here? The water is frigid!  I quickly turn around to flip the lever to the shower and climb out, wrapping a towel around my body and hair before sneaking down the hallway to my room. I can hear Momma softly snoring with her sleep mask on as I pass by her room into mine. 

I walk over to my dresser to pull out a gown and panties before slipping them on and rush downstairs. I snuggle up on the sofa with an afghan while flipping through the channels on the television. After a few hours, I end up crashing there before I even realize what hit me. 

The next morning I wake up to the sun shining through the blinds. With one eye squinted, I glance at the clock on the wall; it's 10:30 am. I push off the sofa and walk through the entry to the kitchen, but something catches my eye on the coat rack as I pass through- Mariah's purse. 

Hmm... that's odd; she must have left her purse at home today. I continue to walk through the kitchen to raid the refrigerator but catch a glimpse of her car parked in the driveway out the window in the exact spot it was last night.  Oh s**t! she didn't go to work today? 

I spin around and run up the steps to her bedroom to find her curled up in the same spot as she was the night prior. I hate to wake her up; she looks so peaceful. I'll give her until the afternoon, and I'll check in on her then. I quickly get myself ready for the day and head back down the steps into the kitchen to fix some grub. I anxiously kill time by eating and watching television until noon approaches. I can't wait any longer; I need to find out what is going on with her. 

I trudge up the steps and peek in the doorway to find her curled up in the fetal position, facing the window. I tiptoe into her room and climb into bed with her while cuddling up under the covers. She flips over, facing me, "Do you need anything,  Colie?" I ask as I brush the hair from her eyes. 

She shakes her head from side to side, "No, I'm okay. I'm just spent right now, and I'm cramping hardcore. Aunt Las gave me something this morning, but it hasn't helped. Plus, I'm bloated, and nothing fits me. I feel like a beached whale."

I chuckle while running my fingers through her hair, "I know what you need...Chocolate. Do you want me to get you some?"

She lays there, contemplating for a moment before covering her mouth with the cover, "Yes." she whispers. 

The two of us roar with laughter as I pop up and rush downstairs to the kitchen to scavenge for chocolate. Chocolate is always my go-to for that time of the month. That should make her feel better. 

I open the cabinets to rummage around for anything good. I sigh in disappointment as I realize there's not an ounce of chocolate to be found, not even girl scout cookies. Momma is slacking! Either that or I ate the whole stash. That's highly possible. 

I open up the freezer to see if there are any ice cream bars left. Ahh, crap! Nothing but frozen dinners and chicken patties. Well, it looks like I'm going to have to run out and get her something; maybe she will allow me to drive her car to the gas station to pick something up. 

With my hands on my hips, I lean against the kitchen island, contemplate for a moment what I should do before I'm startled by the sound of the doorbell ringing. My body jolts from the initial surprise. Who could that be? 

I walk out of the kitchen to find Mariah standing at the door as I stroll into the entryway. I creep up behind her, "Hey, Colie, I can't find the chocolate. I'm going to get some from the gas stat...." I begin to say before I notice Dylan standing in the doorway. "Oh, hey, Dylan." I greet him as I step closer. He looks pissed off; why is he gritting his teeth and glaring at Mariah?

I stand there frozen in place once an old familiar face peeks around the door to glance at me. I cross my arms in protest once I realize who it is...Fucking Aaron! "Aaron? What the f**k are you doing here?" I yell as I curl my lip in disgust.

I might as well have been invisible at that point because I get no response. Instead,  Mariah and I watch helplessly as the boys have a heated exchange before Dylan storms off the front porch, accusing Mariah of hanging out with Aaron all day. She runs after him as he squeals out of the drive before returning to confront Aaron. 

I notice a smug look on his face as he flashes her a grin ear to ear. That mother fucker! Mariah marches towards him. Oh boy, she looks irate! I have never seen her that pissed off before. Her face is three shades of red. 

I overhear him explain to Mariah that Reagan sent him up here to get her and not to take no for an answer. Of course! Reagan always has to have control! Well, Mariah loses her s**t! I find myself quite entertained watching as she chews his ass out, telling him to leave and never come back. That's my girl! I'm so proud of her for standing up for herself. Of course, being the arrogant prick that he is, that doesn't sit well with him.  He storms off the porch after pushing Mariah off to the side and stomps towards his Camaro, yelling back with a rude and condescending tone, "You are going to regret this! By the way, put a f*****g bra on; you look like a dirty slut! Oh, wait, I forgot... You are a dirty f*****g slut!"

My blood boils, and I'm seething with rage! How dare that piece of s**t come to my house, yelling that kind of bullshit out at my cousin; I run down the steps after him as he climbs into the Camaro, "f**k you jack ass! Leave my property now, or I will call the cops!"

He squeals his tires as he hauls ass out of the driveway and down the road. Mariah collapses to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably, "Oh no, Brie! Dylan thinks I lied to him and was with f*****g Aaron all day. What should I do?"

I begin anxiously pacing the porch, "I don't know he seemed pissed. Maybe you should give him a day and call him tomorrow to explain. I've never seen him like that," I respond as I bite my thumbnail nervously. Dylan is so f*****g stubborn; I wonder if he would be reasonable right now if she tried to explain? I lean against the doorway, waiting for some direction from her. I think I'm going to have to vouch for her on this one since I was home with her all day. 

Mariah darts past me inside the house, grabbing her keys before dashing off the porch towards her car, "I have to set things straight now. I'll call you later," She hollers as she climbs in the car and squeals out of the drive and down the road. 

I stand in shock as I take in what all just went down as I notice the sidewalk and drive are wet. It looks like a storm is rolling in. I reach my hand out past the porch awning, feeling raindrops on my palm as I look around at the houses on either side of us. God! My neighbors are going to think we are a bunch of heathens over here. We definitely put on a show for them to see. I'm sure Momma will hear all about it from Alice, the nosey elderly lady next door.  Oh well, I cannot do much at this point but sit and wait for Mariah to return. Hopefully, she can talk some sense into that knucklehead.  I turn around and march inside to watch television in the living room while I wait. 

After an hour of flipping through the channels to find something good to watch besides soap operas, my cell phone rings; I lean over to answer, "Hello."

"Brie, Oh my God! Something terrible has happened to Mariah!"

Fuck! It's Momma. I sit up quickly; the hairs on my arms stand on end," Momma? What do you mean?" I ask. 

"Mariah has gotten into a horrible car accident! The police found her car wrapped around a tree down the road; they just called me. She must have been speeding and hydroplaned!" she responds tearfully.

"Oh, my God! Is she okay?" I choke out.

"She's vanished, Brie! They can't find her anywhere. They searched a fifty-foot radius around the vehicle to make sure she wasn't thrown from the crash's impact, and she's nowhere to be found!"

"No, Momma! How is this possible?!"

"Baby, I don't know. Have you heard from her?" she asks. 

"No! I wonder if Dylan knows. Have you called her phone?"

" Yes, I tried, but there's no answer. Wait, I thought Dylan was at work today?" she asks. 

"No, something happened between them today. I'll fill you in later, but right now, I'm going to his house to make sure she isn't there."

"Call me the minute you find out. She needs to go to the hospital immediately to be checked out. I am coming home now. I already called her mother, and it was not a pleasant conversation. She's on a rampage, and she's on her way up here. 

"Momma, I'm leaving now; I'll call you once I get to Dylan's."

"Okay, please do." 

I disconnect the call, slip on my tennis shoes, and run as fast as my legs will allow in the pouring rain towards Dylan's house. 

God, Colie, Please be okay. This is all my fault! I'm riddled with guilt for allowing her to drive in her state of mind. Tears well in my eyes as I sprint down the road.