Ripple Effect: A Novel by Adalynn Rafe

Author:Adalynn Rafe [Rafe, Adalynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-04-20T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 30

It takes me ten minutes just to fix my makeup from crying. My mascara’s everywhere and my eyes are all puffy and red, aka not attractive. I’m a mess and have to clean up!

While running down the stairs, I squeal in excitement. In the living room I find Adie, Hazel, Darien, and Daphne playing a shooter game, totally oblivious to me. I clear my throat and throw my hands up in the air before squealing in excitement one more time.

The four of them look at me with that look. You know the look. When they are wondering what your problem is. Jema is asleep on the couch.

“Kelly is coming over!” I squeal, my hands flinging around in the air, not sure what to do with themselves in all the excitement.

Daphne and Adie look confused. “Kelly?” Adie asks.

“Some new man meat,” Hazel jokes as she winks at me.

Adie looks at Hazel with confusion. “Uh . . . okay. I’m not asking.”

“He’ll be here soon!” I yell. “Wake up, Jema! Everyone needs to be on their best behavior.”

“Queen Hazel, I think you just got booted from the throne . . .” Jema says tiredly. She is stretching on the couch like a cat, her brunette hair cascading down the side of it.

After shooting her an annoyed look, I run into the kitchen to tidy up our snacks. Usually we’d just leave them in their bags, but this time I put them in special glass containers. Organization is key when trying to impress someone.

“So, why did you go running upstairs?” Hazel asks, watching me closely as she enters into the kitchen.

I shrug, as if nothing happened and I didn’t just cry my eyes out. “I had to check something.”

“Something?” Hazel raises her eyebrows with curiosity.

“Yeah, something. That’s all,” I finalize the discussion.

“Like that one thing . . .” Her eyebrow rises and she mouths, Mr. Leison?

I nod hesitantly. “I guess.”

“Mom?” Hazel whispers.

“Yeah.” I turn away from her, not wanting to talk about it.

Hazel perks up. “Well, that is fan-freakin-tastic!” Clearly, she thought Mom had taken care of the problem but she hadn’t.

“Things are going to be fine.” Well, almost fine. I am not going to kill myself anymore, and I say no more to drugs and alcohol. I am not entirely lying.

“Were things ever not fine?” Jema walks into the kitchen and heads for the cupboard to pull out a blue glass. She pauses for a minute to think. “Well, were they worse than they were? Are they going to be fine now?”

Daphne sits at the bar and shoots Jema a look to shut up. Then she looks at me, waiting for an answer to Jema’s question. “You are going to be fine, right?”

My lips purse in thought and I decide not to answer that truthfully. “Silly question.”

The doorbell rings, causing me to jump out of my skin in excitement.

“Get it!” Hazel yells to me.

Nodding, I push past her and through the living room. Once I reach the door, I sigh once and put a smile on my face.

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