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The Road to Home

By Ruth A. Douthitt

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What is it about dogs? Molly watched as the little white and brown pup trotted along the sidewalk. The crisp autumn breeze tossed a few leaves around the gutter, where the dog sniffed for food or something else.
Molly chuckled as she sat on the sidewalk in Queens, NY outside the art studio, her home away from home each Thursday after school. Although the studio was far from the apartment in Brooklyn, her mom insisted she take classes there. The renowned instructors would provide what Molly’s artistic talent needed.
A foundation.
But today was different for Molly. Instead of being inside the studio, she sat outside after her mom dropped her off.
The pup’s little tail wagged and it sniffed the ground. With no collar, Molly knew it was without an owner. Without a home.
“Here, puppy.” She held out her hand, hoping it would come to her.
It did.
“Are you lost, little girl?” Surprised that it allowed her to stroke her back, Molly sensed that it must have had a loving owner. “Don’t you have a family?”
The dog sniffed Molly’s nose, tickling her. She giggled and kissed the top of her head.
Her phone vibrated. When Molly saw it was a text from her mom, she ignored it and shoved her phone back into her pocket.
“You’re lost, aren’t you?” Molly scratched the dog’s ear. “You need a home. Maybe I could convince my mom and dad to—”
The approaching car startled the little dog and it scooted away.
“Hey!” Molly stood and began to head after it.
“Come on!” her friend Amber shouted from inside the car. “Let’s go. We don’t have much time.”
“Oh, alright.” Molly watched the dog trot off for a few more seconds before she got into the car.
“Whose dog is that?” Amber’s brother Justin asked from behind the wheel.
Molly shrugged. “I dunno. It’s a stray.”
“Probably full of fleas.” Amber winced. “Gross.”
“I love dogs. They make me smile.” Molly said.
“Not me.” Justin exclaimed. “I like cats.”
“We’re a cat family,” Amber explained.
Molly wrinkled her nose. “Cats? You would like cats.”
Justin glared at her in the rearview mirror. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Molly and Amber huddled close together and giggled.
The interior of the car had that new-car smell. “Did you buy this car, Justin?” she asked.
Amber rolled her eyes. “He got straight As, so Dad bought him a car. Can you believe it?”
“I’m sure you’ll get one, someday…if you ever get an A,” Molly teased.
Amber slugged her arm. “Shut up.”
The giggling continued until Molly’s phone vibrated again. “Oh my gosh.” She frowned as she removed her phone and scrolled. “Another text from my mom. She texts me, like, every five minutes.”
Molly replied to the text with a single word then returned her phone to her pocket.
“You’re parents are so protective.” Amber shook her head.
“I know, but things are going to change.” Molly watched people cross the street. “You’ll see.”
For the first time in a long time, the twinge of rebellion pricked her insides. “I can’t believe I’m doing this again.”
“I know, right?” Amber asked as she scrolled on her phone. “Sneaking off to the mall without telling your parents is so not like you.”
Molly playfully shoved her. “Yeah. Not everyone’s as devious as you are.”
Amber stuck her tongue out.
The crowds of people on the streets of Queens passed by in the window. Molly removed her phone and texted Amber even though she sat right next to her.
Do you think he’ll be there?
Amber felt her phone vibrate, opened her phone, read the text, and glanced over at Molly. “Dunno.”
The butterflies in her stomach tickled, making Molly giggle.
“What?” Amber asked.
But all Molly could do was cover her mouth and continue to giggle.
The girls laughed all the way to the mall.
After Justin dropped them off at the entrance, the girls rushed through the crowds and pushed through the revolving glass doors. Heat greeted them, so they both removed their jackets.
Store after store was filled with people browsing merchandise or shopping. Amber bought the scarf she had told Molly about. With no money of her own, Molly just pretended to shop, picking up shirts and holding them up to her torso as if admiring them. She’d turn and ask Amber what she thought of a dress or blouse as if she intended to buy it. The trick worked, and Amber never suspected a thing. Molly did enjoy watching Amber gather several items, plop down her credit card, and sign receipts without care or hesitation. Must be nice.
Even though her dad was a successful attorney and could afford to buy her whatever she wanted, Molly’s parents insisted on an allowance. Amber came from money, so her parents paid for everything. Molly sighed as she remembered arguing with her mom about money. She had asked about the possibility of increasing her allowance. The smirk on her mom’s face said it all.
Molly’s grades hadn’t improved and chores went undone. The last argument they had, Molly had told her mom she didn’t want to go shopping or spend time with her. It wasn’t her best moment, but Molly wanted her mom to see that she wasn’t a little girl anymore.
“She just doesn’t understand. I need my alone time, you know?” Molly searched through a rack of blouses, rudely sliding the hangers to the right as she dismissed each one.
“Yep.” Amber took an armful of clothes to the counter to pay for them.
After an hour of fun at the mall, they stopped at the food court for a slice of pizza.
Sneaking off with Amber felt right. It was about time she had some time away from her mom’s grip. And without guilt.
“I saw you scanning the area for him.” Amber wiped her fingers with a napkin.
“Who?” Molly pretended not to know.
“Give me a break. You know who I’m talking about.”
Taking a bite of her pizza, Molly hoped the subject of Rick Tomlinson would go away.
Rick Tomlinson. Molly’s heart raced just thinking about him. Tall, blond, athletic. He made school worth attending. And he commented once about her artwork in class.
“Maybe we’ll see him by the sporting goods store.” Amber giggled.
“Maybe.” Molly look at her phone and noticed the time. That guilty feeling returned and made the butterflies in her belly turn to rocks instead. It growled. “We’d better hurry. I need to be back at the corner to call my mom to pick me up.” Molly used her finger to separate a long string of cheese from the slice of pizza and her mouth.
“No worries. We’ve got time.” Amber slurped soda. “You still pretend you missed the bus?”
Molly nodded. She’s right. Relax. Molly breathed the guilty feeling away.
“You crack me up.” Amber laughed.
“What are you going to be for Halloween?” Molly changed the subject.
“Halloween costumes?” Amber busted out laughing. “That’s kids’ stuff. Rick is throwing a party that night. That’s where I’ll be. You coming?”
Molly nodded. “Oh yeah,” she lied. “But they don’t wear, like costumes or anything?”
Amber shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess so. I’m just going as me.” She playfully tossed her hair.
Molly laughed.
What would a girl wear to such a party? As if her parents would even consider allowing her to go. Lying to them about the art studio would get her grounded anyway. But being with Amber in the mall was worth it. Doing what she wanted to do, going where she wanted to go for the first time ever was heaven on earth to Molly.
“I really don’t know if I can go to Rick’s party,” Molly confessed.
Amber’s nose wrinkled. “Why not?”
“You know. My parents don’t allow me as much freedom as your parents do.” She sipped her soda through the straw. “It’s like I live on the moon and you and everyone else at school live here on earth.”
“They know who Rick is and who his parents are. So, I’m sure they’ll, like, trust you that you won’t do anything stupid. It’ll be fun. You should ask them.”
Molly winced, knowing how awkward that conversation would be.
“And if they say no, just tell them you’re going to Penny’s house for a sleep over after trick-or-treating,” Amber whispered.
“What? I can’t do that. It wouldn’t be true.”
Amber set her cup down with a loud thump. “Yes it is. Look, after the party several of us are staying at Penny’s that night. So you will be telling the truth, just not all of it.”
But Molly knew the probability of her telling such a story to her mom and dad was non-existent. Stretching the truth like that just didn’t come as easily to her as it did to Amber. Sneaking out with her to the mall was causing Molly stress enough already. Lying to go to a party might make all her hair fall out. All this rebellious behavior wasn’t easy for Molly.
Not yet, anyway.
They continued their tour of the many stores in the mall, pausing to take a few selfies in front of mannequins. Posting them on their social media sites took some time, as did reading the many comments from their friends.
“Oh my gosh, look at her.” Amber pointed to a lady standing near a shop window. “What was she thinking, wearing that outfit to the mall?”
Molly shrugged.
“I’m posting this…” Amber took a photo of the woman.
“No, you can’t do that.” Molly reached over to block the photo, but it was too late.
“I didn’t get her face, just her awful body and outfit.” Amber giggled as she posted the photo with a mocking description of the woman.
“Don’t do that.” Molly groaned. “That’s mean.”
“You know it’s funny.” Amber chortled. “Besides, she shouldn’t leave the house looking like that anyway.”
The minutes flew by and soon Justin met them out front.
While Amber scrolled through her phone and read the comments on her photos, Molly stared out the window and wondered when she could do this again. Her classes at the art studio were each week. Could she sneak away like this every week? Did she have it in her? The devilish grin that crept across her face matched the feeling of excitement inside.
“Let’s do this again next week.” She nudged Amber.
Without looking up from her phone, Amber’s eyebrows rose. “Oooh, look at you being all rebellious and such.”
Molly turned to the window again. “It feels good.”
“I can’t next week, but we’ll see about the week after. Okay?” Amber shoved Molly and the two giggled again.
“Not the giggling again,” Justin moaned.
He turned the car right and dropped Molly off on the corner outside the art studio where she was supposed to be in class that night. The lights were off inside the building and none of the other students were out front. For an instant, she wondered what her instructor taught that night. Shading techniques? Composition?
“Thanks for the ride. Night.” Molly gathered her stuff.
The tingle of excitement the simple act of rebellion against her parents gave Molly made it all worth it. This must be what Amber feels like all the time. She smiled widely. Alive.
“See ya at school,” Amber shouted as the car took off.
Molly waved goodbye, removed her phone from her jacket, and read her missed text messages from her friends. There were already hundreds of likes on the photos and dozens of comments, including one from Rick. Goosebumps rose on her arms when she saw his name.
Then she texted her mom.
I missed the bus. Can you come pick me up?
A few seconds later came the reply. I’m on my way.

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