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⊹ Book 1 of the Aldergrove Duology ⊹
After being told he has only six months left to live, Clementine decides to track down his sister's murderers, leading him to Aldergrove Academy, a place...
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The dinner table was crammed with pots, plates, and bowls of steaming, delicious-smelling foods. Mashed potatoes, turkey, ham, a selection of different vegetables, bread rolls, cranberry sauce, roasted potatoes, and of course, gravy. Clementine had sworn Elliot had said he and his aunt weren't doing so great finance-wise, so he wondered how she'd been able to afford to fill this table. But he remembered what Elliot had said about his father—a rich businessman, and since that same man was also Ellis' father, Clementine suspected it was his money that had paid for this dinner. The hesitant look on Elliot's face made his suspect so, too.
Elliot's aunt rushed around in the kitchen, and with each passing moment, Clementine could see he wasn't the only one eager to dig in. Mathew looked like he could go full-on berserker any moment, a look of desperation in his eyes. Mavis' eyes were almost bulging out of her head, and Sebastien's stomach could be heard rumbling over the sound of Elliot's aunt's clattering.
"When's your dad getting here?" Sebastien asked Elliot.
He glanced over at Sebastien and shrugged. "I don't know."
"This all looks wonderful," Mavis said as she clapped her hands, looking over at Elliot's aunt as she finally returned to the table with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
"Oh, thank you sweetie," she said, placing one glass at the head of the table where the only empty seat remained. Then, she sat in her seat beside Elliot and poured herself a glass. "Your father will be home any moment, dear," she said to Elliot. "Make sure you're ready to answer the door."
With a nervous nod, Elliot slowly turned his head to look over at the window.
"I could get the door," Clementine offered.
"Oh, that's lovely of you, but Brendan would prefer if his son—"
She abruptly silenced as a loud knock thumped at the front door. Clementine watched a look of utter dread smother her face, and a similar expression had claimed Elliot's, too.
"Go on, dear," she said, nodding at Elliot.
Elliot uncomfortably shuffled out of his seat. "I'll be right back, guys." Then, like a schoolchild heading off to receive a cane across his hands, he left the dining room, which sunk into a tense silence.
Clementine listened, and as the front door unlocked, he started to feel anxious for Elliot. He heard his roommate greet his father, who replied with a deep, almost monotone voice. The door shut and locked, and then their footsteps echoed up the hall. As they grew louder, the silence of the dining room intensified, and Clementine could see Elliot's aunt practically sweating.
