-HIATUS- ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇᴍ - ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀᴡᴛʜᴏʀɴᴇ ʟᴇɢᴀᴄʏ (ꜱᴇQᴜᴇʟ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɢʀᴀᴍʙꜱ?) -HIATUS-

Chapter 3

I lay in bed thinking about what I said to Mr. Laughlin. What did he feel? I thought about the game.

I woke up to Alisa knocking on my door. The stylists came in and did what they had to do and Landon talked to me. My sister had already finished. I went down for breakfast and Avery was talking to Mrs. Laughlin.

"Take what you like, your type always does." Mrs. Laughlin said looking at Avery.

"If this is about what happened with Mr. Laughlin yesterday...,"

"You stay away from Mr. Laughlin. It's bad enough what you did to poor Nan."

"Nan told you. About Toby."

"You should be ashamed of yourself. Playing with an old woman's feelings like that. And dragging the boys into whatever you were doing in Toby's wing? It's cruel is what it is."

"Cruel?"

"Toby's dead. He's gone and the whole house mourned him. I loved that boy like he was my own. And the thought of you tormenting Nan, telling her that he is alive. Defiling his things. Hasn't this family suffered enough without you making up things like this?"

"I'm not lying I wouldn't do that." I walked into the kitchen as Avery said that. Mrs. Laughlin gave Avery a banana.

"You should go to school. Do you need anything?" She asked me.

"No nothing today. I'm sorry. You don't have to believe me but Toby is alive."

"You too? Why do you say such a thing!"

"He signed my birth certificate. He is my father. My surname is Hawthorne." Mrs. Laughlin looked at me with puzzled eyes.

"Toby? Your father?"

"Yes."

"Nonsense. He died."

"The reason they broke into Toby's wing is me. I got trapped in there." She gave me a look. "I was exploring some secret passageways and I ended up in Toby's wing with no way out. I'm sorry" I looked down.

"Don't do it again. Go on with searching for a lead. If he is alive bring him back to me."

"I will"

"You never looked like your sister." She said observing me like I was the most fascinating thing anyone had ever seen.

"I know. I better head to school."

"You must dear" I walked out of the house and into the SUV that waited outside. Everyone was waiting for me.

"Sorry. Just talking to Mrs. Laughlin." I sat in the front passenger seat this time.

"What did she talk to you about? Being a liar?" Avery said giving me an annoyed look.

"No. She didn't"

"Then what?"

"I just told her to blame me. She asked me why I said my last name is Hawthorne which she would probably find out sooner or later. She told me I looked like Toby."

"Why is she always so nice to you?" Avery said.

"Cause I am nice to her" I looked at Jameson and Xander watching our conversation. "She wants me to bring Toby back to her. Gave me the clear to search. So blame me if anything happens in this puzzle." I looked out of the window.

"At least we can continue the game," Xander said excitedly.

"What did you find? Under the tile yesterday?"

"Why should we tell you?" Avery said.

"If it weren't for me we wouldn't be able to continue so. Tell me."