.1

          “You’re such a fucking baby!” Michelle screamed at me as I fell out of her car, scrambled to my legs, and ran to my house.  I dug through my purse for my house keys as I reached the darkened door.

          I heard a screech of tire on asphalt and saw the blur of deep red turn the corner.  Michelle’s and Leo’s laughter echoed in my ears even after they were gone. I had my hand on the door when it was yanked open by Linden.

          “What the hell?  I thought you were spending the night at Shelly’s?” he said as I wedged in between him and the door into the hallway.

          “Not anymore,” I murmured, walking toward my room.

          “Are you okay?”

          I didn’t answer him.  I unlocked my door and stepped inside to the familiar comfort.  My floor has very soft black carpeting that you sink into when you step on it.  When I stepped, I wondered why I just didn’t keep sinking, slip through the floor to the ground beneath.

          “Aspen,” I heard my brother say right outside the door.

          “Yes?” I choked, holding back everything I wanted to scream.

          “Is everything okay?”

          “When has that ever mattered?” I said, ripping off my black wrap dress, kicking off my flats.

          “It’s always mattered.  You just never noticed it,” he responded in his kind voice.

          I scrambled into some tennis shorts and an oversized shirt and promptly crawled into the safety of my sheets.

          “Can you please leave me alone?” I asked, sliding my head under the pillow.  I heard his footsteps fade away.