Down The Hall

Chapter Fifteen

On the car ride there, Henry and I were silent to each other. The only times we talked were when Eli or Ella would ask us something, which was about every five seconds. I wasn't complaining though, it took away from the imaginary brick wall that separated Henry and me.

I had texted the friend group telling them that my Dad forced me to go with my friend's siblings or I wouldn't have been able to go at all. Not including that the friend was Henry and that it wasn't me who was being forced. They replied, in short, 'Too bad you'll be missing all our action, but at least you still can go. Maybe we'll see you still!'

With time to think in the car, I wanted to get Henry out of this situation. The tension I was creating was overwhelming, but I couldn't help it. The guilt sat deep in my gut, making its way out awkwardly through disregard for the driver. Henry had to have noticed this because every so often I would catch him in my peripheral glancing over at me, adjusting in his seat to feel more comfortable about the silence.

Henry pulled the car up to the ticket booth ready to pay the $26 his parents gave him, plus another $40 later for food. Once he paid we went looking for a parking spot. I thought this was the best time to bring up the situation since it looked like it would take a minute to find a spot.

Looking forward, I began, "You don't have to stay. Obviously, you were coming here to meet up with someone so you can just go to their car. I will watch Eli and Ella."

Henry was silent for a moment, possibly considering the idea of me staying in his car while he was not in it. Looking forward just as me he asked, "Aren't you meeting up with some friends?"

"No," I said quickly lying.

He snorted, which prompted me to look over at him for the first time the whole night. "So why'd you come then?" He asked.

The question made me angry. I was trying to let him go but he kept pushing back by now making it seem like I made him take the twins and me. It was frustrating that he wasn't taking the offer I was trying to give. I turned my head away from him and closed my eyes trying to figure out what to say next.

"Why'd you come?" I asked, turning the question back onto him.

Henry was pulling into a parking spot when he answered, "Because I heard you were coming."

Hearing this, I froze. What he said didn't seem real or believable. I fixed my gaze on him, trying to make out whether I was just hearing things. He seemed nonchalant, even smiling at something Eli said in the back before looking at me. The brick wall that was between us the whole night was torn down with just one sentence. Forgetting how to breathe, I took in a deep breath.

Had he been on the stairs listening to the whole conversation I had with my Dad in the living room or did he hear it from mutual friends? There's no way he would have known that Bradly was going to ask him to take me unless he was counting on it. Is that why he stayed instead of leaving straight away when Bradly called for him? I searched the back of my mind for an answer I must have been missing.

He could have been lying to make me feel better about having to take us. At this point, my heart and mind were racing a thousand miles a minute from one conclusion to the next. I needed air quickly before Henry said something else.

"Food!" I exclaimed, "What food do you guys want."

"I can go get it," Henry said, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"No, I want to get it," I said back. Henry didn't question me and instead handed me the $40.

"I want a hot dog, popcorn, a soda, and some candy," Eli answered.

"Same!" Ella said. I unbuckled my seat belt quickly and was about to open the door until I remembered.

"Henry?" I asked, waiting for his answer to what he wanted.