reticent

5

• AMALIA •

After Frankie comes back out to the garden and announces that he's successfully gotten everyone out of his house, Mia sets a protective hand on my back and leads me inside. I hold the paper towel over the cut above my eye, wincing from the sting.

Ow.

Frankie sends me a sympathetic look as I sit down on his couch. Archer, Gracie and Edie are scattered around the room, but Mia sits beside me, as does Frankie.

I interrupt the silence in the room with a laugh. "I've been wanting to do that for ages."

Mia smiles, her neutral expression splitting with a grin. "Everyone has."

     "Do you want me to call your dad for you?" Edie asks.

     "No, I will in a minute—"

"We got it!" Ollie exclaims, stumbling into the room. Ezra scrambles in behind him, a first aid kit in his hand. He passes it to Frankie, who mutters a thanks before opening it.

     Both of them fall onto the couch beside Mia. She rolls her eyes, pushing Ezra away when he wraps an arm around her. "You stink of alcohol. Get away from me."

     He leans into kiss her, and she pushes him away. "Not with that breath."

He laughs as he smooths back brown hair from his forehead. "You know you love me."

"You wish, Myers." Mia replies.

He winks at her.

"Amalia." Frankie says, returning my focus to him. "Do you want me to wipe it for you?"

     "Yes please." I say, clenching my eyes shut, bracing for the impact of an ache. It comes a second later, but it's not as bad as I thought it'd be. I relax a little, only to seize up again when my phone starts ringing.

I peel my eyes open, sighing when I see my fathers name pop up on the screen. I glance at Mia, who sends me an encouraging look, before putting it to my phone and answering it.

"Hey, dad." I say.

"Hi, sweetheart." He replies, voice light. "You okay?"

"That's enough about me." I say quickly. Natural. Act natural. "How are you?" I ask.

     There's silence for a moment, before: "Amalia." My fathers voice holds a hint of confusion. And warning. "What's going on?"

     "What do you mean, dude?" I cringe. "Ew. Im never saying that again." I add, quieter.

"I need you to come home now." He says.

"Okay." I respond, looking around. "Is Cole still there?"

     "Yes. He's with me now."

     "Can you put him on?"

There's a dot of movement before I hear my brothers voice.

"Amalia?" Cole questions.

"Hey Cole. My favourite brother." I say, smiling even though he can't see me. "You know at the party I came to?"

"Amalia, you're on—"

"I accidentally got into a fight. Well, no, I started it. But she deserved it."

"—speaker." He finishes with a sigh.

"What?" I ask, sitting up.

     Bad move. My head begins to ache immediately. I hiss through my teeth as Frankie gently lowers me back down to the way I was sitting. I muster up a grateful smile for him.