Chapter-Five: Psychopaths & Mary Jane

After Caleb cuts off the engine and gets out of the vehicle, I wait patiently in the cart for him to return. But my eyes widen as I hear muffled shouts, vivid to me ears, crescendoing through the walls of the cabin after the engine fully dies down. 

I'm positive Caleb hears what I'm hearing as well, but to my surprise, he continues jogging up the steps like it's a regular Tuesday, pounding his fist on the frame of the screened door. He knocks three times. Nothing. He pauses and knocks a few times more. Still, nothing.

Leaning his back against the door, he waits. While doing so, his lips pucker, blowing raspberries as he waiting. I step out of the car and take a stroll around the rubble driveway to stretch my legs and look around. I then watch Caleb as he straightens his posture before jogging down the steps, ambling towards me.

The background ambiance of shouts and hurled insults — which I assume are being thrown — remains muffled and incoherent to my ears. It reminds me of my neighbors back home. A young wife and husband from next door. They were kind to us, but to each other? That was a different story. They always threw fights and threatening to leave each other. Sometimes lasting until the early morning, and sometimes their screams were replaced with other noises, which I'd rather not speak of, let alone think about. It was god awful. 

However, they always found a resolution at the end of it all, but by the sounds of this argument, a resolution seems unlikely. In a strange way, I can't help but wonder what the fuss is all about. What occurrence could cause such heated discourse? I wonder.

Caleb, now leaning against the cart, crosses his arms. He seems a lot more bored than concerned, strangely. He clears his throat as a huff leaves thin and grey lips. " I can't believe they're going at it again. They literally just got here," he moans in annoyance. "

"I swear, there's never a day where she doesn't get into a fight with her mom." He says, revealing more about the situation. 

So this is a mother and daughter dispute, huh? I figured that was the case. The high-pitched  screeches kinda gave that away. But although i have a but more clarity with what's going on, I'm struck with a  hostility between a parent and child. Don't get me wrong, mom and I have had our fair she of rough interactions.  Yesterdays incident is proof enough. But our confrontation were never this bad.

Kaleb combs his fingers through his blond locks, and smirks. "I can guarantee that McKenna will storm out of that door. It's kinda her thing, and she usually does it when she's upset. And considering I'm late to pick her up, I wouldn't be surprised if she causes an earthquake." 

I wouldn't blame her, honestly. I stare at the door and asks him, "Are you taking her on a tour around the grounds too?"

He chews on the swollen flesh of his lip, huming in deep thought.

"Uh, sure. I guess you could say that," he mumbles, every word seething with vague conviction. 

His eyes then widens at me, and he point at the door and says, "I bet 20 bucks that she'll walk out of that door within the next 10 seconds."

"I- what is-" my stuttering mess of a mouth is interrupted when the screened door burst open, almost tearing of the hinges. And right on cue, a young girl stumps out of it with a vexed scowl stretched on her delicate facial features. She has curly, golden brown hair that stops almost shoulder length, brown sun kissed skin, thin lips, and a intimidating look in her eyes that could kill. Her expression screams nonchalance over the whole situation, despite the fact a woman inside --which I assume is her mother-- is screaming obscene curses at her from inside. If anything, she looks more annoyed by it than angry, considering how she strides down the driveway as if she doesn't have a care in the world. This must be an occasional thing that happens. And I can't help but feel a bit sad for her, for them.

Caleb stands up, arms still crossed against his chest. He leans forward and he whispers,"You owe me 20 bucks kid," before marching away.

I send him glare, ready to protests his absurd claim. But deciding to keep it in, I keep my unbothered composure, no. I try to, atleast, since I feel that there is no need to argue with what i assume to be a joke of his. At least I hope so.

The girl, McKenna, halts before him, and her thick brows furrowed as she begins to speak.

"You're late," she hissed at him, and walks a around and heads towards the cart. Intimidation preceeds her, and here I'm feeling more anxious then before.

"Oh c'mon. You haven't seen me for a whole year, and this is how you treat me," kaleb whines, pretending to be offended.

"Fuck off, alright!" I flinch, hearing her yell at him. Caleb, unfased, stares at her with unreadable expression. She returns the stare. The air feels suddenly cold. It's queit. Tension is stirring. But out of then air, I watch McKenna step foward and gives him a warm hug. He smiles, wrapping his arms around her, resting his chin on her head. "Yeah," he starts, "I missed you too."

My heart relaxes, relieved that whatever just happened didn't turn into a bloodbath.  The hug last for what seems like forever, And by the looks of it, they seem to be close in someway. Feeling out of place, i shift from one foot to another. It feels so awkward just standing here. Like I'm interupting something. 

Mckenna pulls away from his arms and steps back, puffing in annoyance. "So apparently, I'm grounded for two weeks." 

Caleb sighs. "Even a monkey could tell that. So, what did you do this time," he teases as she begins to walk. He shortly follows her behind.

"She found my stash while I was unpacking this morning."

"She did what?"

"No, you heard correctly," she sighs.

Caleb, who's trying to refrain from laughing as much as he could, bursts in tears. "Y-you're kidding, right."

"Nope! I left my room for a second, then when I came back I found her rummaging through my junk, claiming she was trying to "help me unpack" which by the way, I didn't even asks for her help. What a fucking lier.  Anyways, she found the pot I rolled in a pair underwear."

"Underwear? How discreet," he teases.

"What? I didn't think she was going to find it in there." Frustrated, she crosses her arms, tucking her stray hair behind her ear. 

Caleb's histerical laughter dies down. "Wow, your mom is... something else."

"No, she is insane! I swear she's a goddamn Psychopath." McKenna begins pacing around aimlessly and scoffs. 

"Do you want to know what irks me the most? She has the nerve to call me delinqquint. A delinquint?! As if she doesn't , in fact, stash away weed in her top drawer. I swear, i'm sick of this, and-" she pauses and turns in my direction, eyes meeting my very own. "Who the hell is this?" she points at me.  I look at Caleb for help, grasping for words I can hardly find. 

"Her name's Lilith," he interjects. I sigh in relief, feeling less anxious than before. "I was just giving her a tour of the place." 

She looks at me, no, observes me, stripping me down to the bone from the head down. I can't tell if she's judging me in a good way or a bad way, and the uncertainty makes me feel unhinged. I decide to break the ice by extending my palm for her to shake. "H-hello! " I can feel my palms turn sweaty as she looks at me with an unreadable look on her face, then her eyes brieftly land on my hand and up again.

"Uh, hey," she replies with no particular regard, or care for that matter, before turning her gaze to Caleb. She leaves me hanging. I lower my and and squeeze the him of overall. God, I haven't felt so humiliated. 

"Can we go now? I don't want to stay here for more then I need to. Gosh, I'm so irked that I even want to be near her right now."

"Geez, relax. I got you, girl. Just hop in," the boy waves her over, turns around, walks to the other side of the golf cart and hops in. McKenna looks me up and down once more before walking towards the vehicle, and I follows suit sits in the passenger seat, where I originally sat. And then, we drive off once again.

~~ 

I sit in the back in complete silence, fidgeting with my fingers. My heart is throbbing vilently in my chest, for a reason I'm still uncertain of. Caleb and McKenna are talking in the front like old time friends. The laughter and grinning mixed with loud gossip about residents. And oh, the friendly teasing. All the stuff that I've hardly experienced myself. 

I've never had a connection with friends this way, at my school, or at the ballet conservatory I use to attend in Florida.  I was always the 'stand-offish' one. Always queit, answered questions with brief answers. At most times, I was pushed to the backround. I admit fault.

I feel jealousy pull at my lips, so I begin to chew them. I don't mean to feel this way, but it's jealous of the relationship they have; close and dependable, it seems. But, this feeling is potent, and it's stench.

Unsure where we're currently heading. We follow the main road, where cars are the busiest, until we pull up to a dock leading out the northern ridge of Lake Omaha, where white, metal foundations are being built under the forest glade. Caleb explains that their building a tent structure, where the Summer Celebration, my aunt mentioned before, will be held tonight. Wait? Tonight? Crap, I completely forgot about that. My aunt must expect me to attend it with her. Great.

We pull up to a parking lot next to the site. People are everywhere, roaming to and from. Some contruction workers, some children running around by the lake and dipping their toes in the water, as dangerous it may be. A lot seems to be going on at once.  McKenna jumps out of the vehicle as soon as it stops. She turns and looks through the cart. "Hey! You're still on for tonight right?"she ask him, peaking at me from the corner her eye.  

"I already got it covered." he replies, his go-to smirk full on display. And here I am, yet again, left completely out of the mix, wondering what they're talking about.

She says a brief goodbye, and looks both ways, and i watch her saunter away, toward towards a trail lined with trees, leading into the mountains. 

Caleb drops me off at the house. 

"I'll see you tonight, right? I'll be serving tables and whatnot?" saying something about working the kitchen for tonights event. With the keys aunt gave me earlier, I enter the house; and unlike the thought roaring in my head, it's silent. I call for my aunt. Nothing. And once again, I am alone. And I wonder what tonight has in store for me.