Neverland

Chapter 13

Mr. Hart opened the back door to his home. "Molly, you're back!" He said as he swung the door open and gave his daughter a tight hug.

"Yeah Dad, but only for a couple days. Aubree's going on a short vacation." She said desperately trying to escape his grip. Once she wriggled free, she went downstairs to her room and she stayed there for most of the night. Her dad had tried to bring her dinner and he even offered to take her shopping but she refused. She wanted nothing to do with her dad.

She filled those long nights at home with plenty of tears and long guitar playing sessions. She was getting fairly good at playing the guitar, and was very proud of herself.

She thought that the days couldn't go by any slower, and if they did she would end up shooting herself. Things had gotten so awkward between her and her father.

She was so thankful that it was Sunday afternoon. That weekend had been such a waste of her time. She was glad that in only a few more short minutes, Aubree would be coming to pick her up and take her back to her house. She ran upstairs to her mother's room to grab some extra clothes that she had left up there. When looking for her other boot, she stumbled upon a small journal. Her curiosity making decisions for her, she opened it to the first page.

"To Molly

Love,

Mom"

Was written on the inside cover. She hurriedly flipped to the first page, fumbling a little. She read the first couple words

"1/28/96

Dear Molly,"

A car horn blasted through the walls of the house. Aubree had arrived to pick her up. Molly threw the journal into her bag and ran downstairs and out the door, not even stopping to say good-bye to her father.

"Hey Bree," she said as she hopped into the minivan, "How was your weekend? Mine was horrible."

The journal in her bag was quickly forgotten as Aubree and she talked about their weekend and boys and school. As they arrived back at the Shar home, Molly's bag was thrown into the spare room and the journal fell out, sliding across the hard wood floor and underneath the wardrobe.

Molly and Aubree spent that evening as usual, gabbing it up and playing board games. The journal that she had been once so excited to read was now just another thing forgotten.

Day after day went by and Molly was still living with the Shars. Mr. and Mrs. Shar were growing tired of sharing their home with her when she had a perfectly fine home and a worried father waiting for her across town. They tried to subtly hint that she needed to go home by saying things like "Don't you think your dad misses you?" or "Wouldn't you be more comfortable sleeping in your own bed? I know that that bed in the spare room isn't very comfortable." But she always responded with things like "No." and "I'm fine." They finally decided that they needed to talk to Aubree about talking to Molly. They would have talked to Molly themselves but they didn't want to offend her. Aubree hated the idea of her best friend leaving their home but she had to admit that her parents were right; she needed to go home and spend time with her father. He had called every day multiple times to check on her and each time he called he asked if she would talk to him but her answer was always the same, "No." Aubree had tried to convince her to talk to her dad, "You can't stay mad at him forever." She would say. But Molly disagreed. She could and she would stay mad at him forever. "He's apologized at least a hundred times, Molly." Aubree argued.

"But not to my face." She would say, turning her head.

"You haven't given him a chance to!"

She knew that was the truth, but she didn't want to be the one to come crawling back. She didn't need her dad; she was independent, and practically an adult.