Cold As Stone

Chapter 25

Jackson and I sit on the couch, watching a movie. Mom and Dad are out again, so he had to come over to babysit. He holds the popcorn bow out to me, and I take a handful. Clara dances with Eric towards the end of Barbie in the Nutcracker.

"I can't believe you talked me into watching this," he mutters, and I extend a leg across the couch to kick him.

"Hush," I say, watching avidly. He grunts and rubs his leg where I'd kicked him, shooting me a playful scowl. I only catch it out of the corner of my eye because I'm not paying him any mind.

Clara's necklace gets snatched by the Mouse King riding by on the weird-looking bat minion of his. The peppermint girl throws a snowball, striking the Mouse King and causing them to fall from the sky, but Clara is already fading.

"I'm just saying that you better be happy. I wouldn't normally-"

"Shhhhhhh!" I take one of the throw pillows and whack him with it. I turn back to the TV, but then the doorknob jiggles before Mom and Dad walk in.

I'd been relaxed, enjoying the movie, but their presence instantly puts me on edge. I can feel the muscles in my back bunch slightly, and my shoulders tense up.

"Well, you two seem to be enjoying yourselves," Mom says when she sees us on the couch. I shift uncomfortably.

"Wrong. You can't tell, but Myra's been torturing me the entire time you've been gone," Jackson quips, pointing to the screen, which was now rolling end credits. My lips purse, and I try to discreetly shoot him a scowl.

Mom laughs. "She always did love those movies." She must have caught the end of it as she was walking in.

"Myra, we need to talk to Jackson. It's getting late. You should head to bed," Dad says in a serious tone.

I don't argue. I want away from them. With a wave to Jackson and a quick 'Goodnight' to my parents, I head upstairs. I have to pee, so I go to the bathroom.

When I step back into the hall, I faintly hear their voices drifting up from downstairs. Curious, I slowly creep over to the staircase, trying to make their words out better.

"Here's a sample of his handwriting, and this is what I want it to say. Have it to me by the time you drop Myra off from school tomorrow," Dad says. If they were talking any quieter, I wouldn't be able to hear them. As it is, I have to strain to faintly catch their words.

"Yes, sir," Jackson responds.

"Good. Leave," Dad says, and I decide to take that as my cue to stop listening. I move away from the top of the stairs and slowly shuffle to my door, carefully avoiding spots I knew would creek. Easing the door open, I slip into my room and quietly shut the door behind me. I sigh, my heart beating slightly faster than usual just from the little bit of spying.

What had that been about? A sample of someone's handwriting? Was Jackson writing something? For what? And if Dad already has what he wants to say written down, why the need for Jackson's help?

I crawl into bed, wondering what they had asked Jackson to do.

I wake up to little tings sounding at my window. My eyes groggily scan the dark room, thinking I'd dreamt the noise, but it happens again. I drag myself out of bed and stumble to the window, peeking out. Two figures are below my window. I step off to the side so that I'm not directly in front of the window and visible. I rub the sleep from my eyes and squint to see them better. It's Calum and . . . someone else? I unlock the window and ease it open as slowly and quietly as I can.

"What are you doing here?" I whisper to them, not daring to raise my voice any louder.

"Move," Calum whispers back. "So, we can come up." I look at the other figure and am surprised to see Ryder. I move away from the window, and a few seconds later, Calum is slipping through the window, followed by Ryder.