Casters

CHAPTER SEVEN

Worry

I woke up the next morning, still sprawled out on the floor. I didn’t want to worry anyone with what was going on with me and I was too worried about Robert to even consider going to see a doctor. Slowly, I pulled myself off of the ground and headed to the shower. I don’t know why I had an urge to get in the shower I just really wanted to. I found peace with the warm water that seemed to wash away all of my worries from the previous day away. I stayed in the shower for an hour letting them all flush away down the drain. It’s not that I thought Robert was hurt because he could definitely look after himself, Viola too. The worrying thing was I hadn’t heard anything from him. Maybe they had just went to visit a relative or a friend and not thought to tell me. But that wouldn’t explain the blood. What if he was hurt and I hadn’t told anyone what I had found because I didn’t think it was necessarily. If that was the case I doubted I’d ever be able to forgive myself.

When I called his mobile it went straight to voicemail. Where was he? During my constant worrying my phone started play my favourite song “The Big Bang” by House Mafia and I soon realised it was my ringtone.

“Hello!” I snapped down the phone hoping it was Robert.

“Carmen?”

“Thank god! I’ve been so worried…” I sighed deeply, relief flooding all through me.

“I’m sorry. Viola wanted to visit her friend and I was going to call you but then my phone died.” Robert lied, it was obvious to me.

“Oh, I thought you were hurt, where are you?” I breathed a laugh. It was not funny I was just so happy he was okay.                                                     

“I’m in Italy but I’ll be back tomorrow. Viola missed home badly so we came back for a couple of days. What made you think I was hurt?” He questioned.

“I knocked at your house to see where you were and I saw blood on the porch.”

The call fell was silent.

“Um, yeah. I scratched my hand on Viola’s bag so it could have been that.”

Well that was an obvious lie too and a bad one.

“Oh right, well be safe.” I was shocked Robert lied to me. I couldn’t think of anything better to say.

“Of course, I’ll see you tomorrow.” And with that he hung up.

Why did he lie to me? That blood didn’t come from a scratch that was obvious. But if it wasn’t that what did it come from?

****

The time came to go back to school and nobody was happy about it at all, Erin was telling me all about how she heard rumours Ben had kissed another girl and to top it all off she reminded me we still hadn’t chosen our dresses for the ball.

“So Melissa told me that Holden told her Ben kissed some girl from the city…” Erin was obviously upset by this but was trying not to show it.

“Well why don’t you ask him about it? I doubt he did anyway it’s all talk. Ben is obsessed with you.”

“Yeah, you’re right Carmen. He worships me. Why would he cheat? I’m better than all of these witches.” Erin was obviously pleased at my input but I knew she was looking at me trying to figure out what was bugging me too.

“Okay I know you’re worried about Robert but he probably has no idea how the blood got there either. Maybe he just made up that stupid lie so you wouldn’t worry.” It was like the girl read my mind.