school .”
She smiled through her pain at Gabby . I s any of this real or am I dreaming? Part of her wished for both.
Although BrookLyn wasn’t convinced that Ms. Cora wouldn’t wake up , she was willing to take the chance.
Gabby looked at her impatiently. “Okay, let’s get out of here and go have some fun.” She tossed the blue bag over her right shoulder, and reached back to BrookLyn with her left hand.
A soft knock came on the door and it stopp ed BrookLyn in her tracks. She grabbed her chest and sucked in a rapid breath .
Gabby made a shushing motion and pointed to the closet. She quickly snuck inside and closed the door without a sound.
Then BrookLyn caught her breath and slowly opened the bedroom door. “Yes.” She knew Ms. Cora wasn’t going to sleep all night like she hoped. Would they be stuck here all weekend?
“Honey, I got a call and I can’t stay.”
She didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t believe she was given a babysitter reprieve.
Ms. Cora reached into her pocket . “ Please d on’t tell your parents I left . They’ll never hire me again — I wouldn’t, but it’s a real emergency. Here’s the new key. ”
What?
“Wherever you were going, go. Just be home before they get back.”
BrookLyn couldn’t believe her ears. Not a single word issued from her gaping mouth.
“Close your mouth sweetheart. Call me if you need.”
BrookLyn managed a small smile, gave Ms. Cora a quick hug and then the elderly woman turned to walk away .
“Go out the window like you planned , dear,” she said from the hall. “ Don’t want nosy Mr. Perkins from next door opening that pointy little beak of his to your parents , now do we. I ’ll lock the door when my ride gets here. You have the key. ”
“Um, Ms. Cora, how did you know?”
“I was your age once , you know. ” She went back downstairs and BrookLyn closed her mouth as she had suggested , then she closed the bedroom door too.
Gabby walked out of the closet . “Sometimes you don’t need a reason why. It just is . ” She laughed and then snatched another strand of BrookLyn’s hair.
BrookLyn rubbed her scalp. “Really?”
“Sorry, I needed another one. I didn’t mean to hurt you. ”
“Believe me, compared to what I’ve been through pulling a strand of hair is nothing.” She frowned at the thought of the torment that was her life. Would things change with Gabby?
She watched quietly as Gabby did her little trick with the strand of hair again. She was amazed at Ms. Cora. Actually, she was baffled. No adult had ever stood up for her.
Gabby resumed her position back on the windowsill and BrookLyn joined her, as her book bag hung out the window , swaying in the breeze. She straddled the window in front of Gabby, almost sitting on her lap and Gabby placed her strong arms tightly around BrookLyn’s waist. S o s he closed her eyes and braced her self , wondering how they were both going to climb down from the second floor window . But when she opened them, they were on the ground. Gabby had guided her down so fast that BrookLyn felt lightheaded .
B efore she could say a word, Gabby smiled and grabbed her hand . “It’s time to go home.”
Go home. All BrookLyn had ever wanted was a home, not the house she lived in now . T hat house was filled with hate.
She felt a little giddy with the freedom , and while her feet were moving , it was all just a blur. Next thing she knew , they were walking into Gabby ’s front door as casually as if they had just strolled around the corner.
“How’d we get here so fast?” This made no sense. B ut her life right now wasn’t clear to her either .
Gabby didn’t answer. She smiled and grabbed BrookLyn’s hand tighter.
She wasn’t really sure if she could handle the whole concept of sneaking out , but it was too late to turn back. The deed was done .
Chapter Five
She was still in a fog when they walked into Ga bby’s house , unsure if she wanted to stay or go back
She smiled through her pain at Gabby . I s any of this real or am I dreaming? Part of her wished for both.
Although BrookLyn wasn’t convinced that Ms. Cora wouldn’t wake up , she was willing to take the chance.
Gabby looked at her impatiently. “Okay, let’s get out of here and go have some fun.” She tossed the blue bag over her right shoulder, and reached back to BrookLyn with her left hand.
A soft knock came on the door and it stopp ed BrookLyn in her tracks. She grabbed her chest and sucked in a rapid breath .
Gabby made a shushing motion and pointed to the closet. She quickly snuck inside and closed the door without a sound.
Then BrookLyn caught her breath and slowly opened the bedroom door. “Yes.” She knew Ms. Cora wasn’t going to sleep all night like she hoped. Would they be stuck here all weekend?
“Honey, I got a call and I can’t stay.”
She didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t believe she was given a babysitter reprieve.
Ms. Cora reached into her pocket . “ Please d on’t tell your parents I left . They’ll never hire me again — I wouldn’t, but it’s a real emergency. Here’s the new key. ”
What?
“Wherever you were going, go. Just be home before they get back.”
BrookLyn couldn’t believe her ears. Not a single word issued from her gaping mouth.
“Close your mouth sweetheart. Call me if you need.”
BrookLyn managed a small smile, gave Ms. Cora a quick hug and then the elderly woman turned to walk away .
“Go out the window like you planned , dear,” she said from the hall. “ Don’t want nosy Mr. Perkins from next door opening that pointy little beak of his to your parents , now do we. I ’ll lock the door when my ride gets here. You have the key. ”
“Um, Ms. Cora, how did you know?”
“I was your age once , you know. ” She went back downstairs and BrookLyn closed her mouth as she had suggested , then she closed the bedroom door too.
Gabby walked out of the closet . “Sometimes you don’t need a reason why. It just is . ” She laughed and then snatched another strand of BrookLyn’s hair.
BrookLyn rubbed her scalp. “Really?”
“Sorry, I needed another one. I didn’t mean to hurt you. ”
“Believe me, compared to what I’ve been through pulling a strand of hair is nothing.” She frowned at the thought of the torment that was her life. Would things change with Gabby?
She watched quietly as Gabby did her little trick with the strand of hair again. She was amazed at Ms. Cora. Actually, she was baffled. No adult had ever stood up for her.
Gabby resumed her position back on the windowsill and BrookLyn joined her, as her book bag hung out the window , swaying in the breeze. She straddled the window in front of Gabby, almost sitting on her lap and Gabby placed her strong arms tightly around BrookLyn’s waist. S o s he closed her eyes and braced her self , wondering how they were both going to climb down from the second floor window . But when she opened them, they were on the ground. Gabby had guided her down so fast that BrookLyn felt lightheaded .
B efore she could say a word, Gabby smiled and grabbed her hand . “It’s time to go home.”
Go home. All BrookLyn had ever wanted was a home, not the house she lived in now . T hat house was filled with hate.
She felt a little giddy with the freedom , and while her feet were moving , it was all just a blur. Next thing she knew , they were walking into Gabby ’s front door as casually as if they had just strolled around the corner.
“How’d we get here so fast?” This made no sense. B ut her life right now wasn’t clear to her either .
Gabby didn’t answer. She smiled and grabbed BrookLyn’s hand tighter.
She wasn’t really sure if she could handle the whole concept of sneaking out , but it was too late to turn back. The deed was done .
Chapter Five
She was still in a fog when they walked into Ga bby’s house , unsure if she wanted to stay or go back
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