The DuBois

Bianca

When we came back from Mass, I was surprised to find an unfamiliar boy sitting at our dining room table. He looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks. I walked up to him and touched his shoulder. He flinched back, but that was the only sign he gave that he was acknowledging my presence. "Who are you?" I asked him, kindly.
At that moment, Zack and Quinn entered the room. They both froze when they saw me. "Mom, what are you doing back so soon?" Quinn asked nervously. I felt the boy tense under my hand.
"It's four hours after Mass, we had to come home eventually."
"Oh, right," Zack said, while rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
"So, who is this?"
"That's Nick. Is it okay if he stays the night?" Zack inquired.
"If it's okay with him, it's okay with me."
Nick nodded his head. He's certainly a quiet one, isn't he?
"Okay, he can borrow one of your pajamas," I said directing my comment at Zack. While I said that, I noticed the large cast-like bandage wrapped around Zack's arm. I wracked my brain trying to remember if he had had it yesterday. I couldn't remember, although he had been wearing a long sleeved shirt. "What happened to your arm, Zack?"
His eyes widened, almost like he had been caught doing something bad. He tried to hide it behind his back, but must have decided there was no point since I had already seen it. He then responded, "I fell from my tree in the backyard. Actually, that's how I met Nick." He gestured to his new friend. I then noticed how Nick and Quinn had been staring at Zack during his response, almost as if they weren't quite sure what he was going to say.
I pondered this. There was something they weren't telling me. I thought back to yesterday. His arm had been fine before his talk with Andrew. A memory from a few years ago. Quinn had gotten a broken ankle, three cracked ribs, a sprained wrist, and her face had been one big bruise. She had been alone with Andrew at the time, just like Zack. I mentally laughed it off. Andrew was too kind to do something like that. Right?