The Beautiful People - Butterfly Logic

Chapter 10

Liam's phone rang out loudly in class, preventing him from focusing on the lesson. The shrill sound cut through the quiet room like a knife, and a wave of embarrassment washed over him. His face flushed a deep red as he fumbled to silence the device, his hands suddenly clumsy under the weight of a hundred staring eyes. He quickly muttered an apology, his voice barely audible over the uncomfortable murmurs of his classmates. How could he have forgotten to put his phone on silent? He scolded himself, mentally kicking himself for the lapse.

Glancing down at the screen, Liam's heart skipped a beat when he saw the caller ID: "Tucker's mom." That caught his attention and struck him as odd. Tucker's mom never called him, and as far as he knew, there was no reason for her to reach out now. The unusualness of the situation gnawed at him as he quickly silenced the phone and tucked it back into his bag, resolving to check the missed call later when he had the chance. But the niggling feeling of something being off wouldn't leave him.

Beside him, Zoe leaned in with a frown, her concern evident. "Liam," she scolded in a hushed tone, her eyebrows furrowing. The tension in her voice made it clear that she was just as unsettled by the disruption.

Feeling the need to explain, Liam silently mouthed, "It was Tucker's mom," his brow furrowing as he tried to make sense of the unexpected call.

Zoe's expression shifted from mild annoyance to genuine concern. Her frown deepened, her mind racing. It didn't make sense. Tucker's mom is calling Liam out of the blue. What could it possibly mean? The situation felt off, the kind of off that made her stomach churn with worry. Instinctively, she glanced at her phone, almost dreading what she might find. Her heart sank when she also saw "Tucker's mom" on her screen. A sense of unease washed over her like a cold hand gripped her heart.

She quickly showed Liam her phone screen, her eyes wide with surprise and confusion. They exchanged a look, the air between them suddenly thick with unspoken questions and growing anxiety. This was no coincidence, and they both knew it. Something was wrong—wrong. Zoe shot Liam a loaded look, her mind swirling with possibilities, none good. What could have prompted Tucker's mom to reach out to them? And why now?

"Answer it," Liam whispered urgently to Zoe, his voice tense. He didn't want to admit it, but fear was starting to creep in, seeping into his thoughts like a dark cloud.

Zoe hesitated, her hand hovering over her phone. "I can't," she replied, her voice filled with hesitation and apprehension. Her mind raced between the fear of what she might hear and the dread of not knowing. The call felt like a time bomb, and she wasn't sure she was ready to face whatever it might bring.

Before Zoe could react further, Liam's phone rang again, the sound jarring in the quiet room. This time, it was his mom calling. The familiar caller ID was almost a relief, though it didn't quell the growing unease gnawing at him. He exchanged a glance with Zoe, who looked just as unsettled, before deciding to answer. Curiosity and concern overrode his worries about the interruption.

He quickly exited the classroom, the phone pressed to his ear. "Mom?" he answered, trying to keep his voice steady, but the tremor in his tone betrayed his nerves.

"Liam," his mother's voice was strained, filled with an urgency that made his heart race. "You need to come home. Now."

Panic gripped him, his mind racing. "What's going on? Is everything okay?" His voice wavered as a cold sweat began to form on his brow.

There was a pause on the other end, the silence stretching like a yawning chasm. When his mother finally spoke, her voice was tinged with a sorrow that made his blood run cold. "It's about Tucker... something's happened."

The words hung in the air, heavy and ominous, as the ground seemed to drop out from beneath Liam's feet. His mind reeled, trying to process the gravity of her words. Everything suddenly felt surreal, like a bad dream from which he couldn't wake up.