"Key, are you okay? You've barely touched your food." My mother asked me, looking concerned.
"What? Oh, nothing, I'm just tired." I muttered, continuing to push the bits of meat and vegetable around my plate, avoiding Lock's frowning gaze.
"Are you sure? You said you were really hungry earlier." Mother continued.
"I said I'm fine!" I growled. "I'm going to bed." I angrily pushed my chair out and stomped upstairs like a child, before slamming my door shut. I dive bombed onto my head, the stress over powering me and reducing me to tears. I wasn't one to cry, but this creeper was seriously stressing me out. I sobbed into my pillow, smothering myself in it to silence my sobs. A knock sounded at my door and opened. Someone walked in and sat down on my bed next to me, laying a hand on my back.
"Why didn't you tell me this was affecting you so much?" Lock's voice sounded throughout the silence of my room.
"It wasn't, until I got the last one." I mumbled. Lock took my phone from my back pocket and I felt him tense as he saw the message.
"You have to tell someone. This is full on stalking and that's not acceptable."
"I can handle it." I muttered.
"No, you can't, this just proves it!" Lock argued. I turned to face him and glared.
"I will not just go weeping to someone about all my problems when they have better things to deal with. I will handle, so back off!" I shouted at him, instantly regretting it from the hurt that flashed in his eyes, before his face went blank.
"Fine, but don't come crying to me when you realise that this is too much for you to handle." He snapped back, getting up and walking out the room. A fresh load of tears pooled in my eyes, before spilling over. I smothered my face again and screamed into my pillow.
"Can I come in, Honey?" Mum asked from the door to my room. I nodded into the pillow and I heard her footsteps getting closer. She sat down, causing the bed to dip slightly under her weight; her hand began rubbing circles on my back and I buried my face further into the pillow.
"What's wrong, Key? You never get upset like this, is school going okay?" She sounded concerned but I refused to look her in the eye.
"I'm fine, just a bit stressed about school that's all; that and it's my time of the month." The pillow muffled my fake laugh. I heard Mum chuckle and pat my shoulder.
"I can't argue that those two are a bad mix." She said softly, and then got up and walked towards the door. "Are you sure that's all that is going on, baby girl?"
"That's all Mama bear." I reassured her, before getting up and wiping my face. "See, all good, but quick question, do we have any chocolate?" I asked and Mum laughed.
"That's my girl! Yeah, we have some in the pot, but don't tell Jo-Jo, or she'll get your Father to raid it for her, you know he can't resist her puppy-eyes." Mum said looking distant as she remembered all the times Jo-Jo was able to scam our Dad. Oh, how weak minded he is.
I followed Mum downstairs and into the kitchen, running to the cupboard and jumping on the side so I could reach the sweetie jar, which was housed on the top shelf.
"Uh, Key, what are you doing?" A voice came from behind me. Dammit, I'd been discovered.
"Jamie, don't tell Jo-Jo, she doesn't need to know." I said, worriedly.
"Oh, yeah and what's in it for me?" Jamie asked me with a raised eyebrow.
"A small bag of Fruit Pastels and I'll do load the dishwasher for you tomorrow." I bribed.
YOU ARE READING
Locks and Keys
أدب المراهقينVanessa (or Key as she is more commonly known as), has just moved back to England after living in the US for the past three years. On the first day of a new school, both she and her twin brother become targets, but for different reasons, which is t...
