H.I.C.C.

Chapter 4: Elias' Plan

When I wake up it is pitch black. I jerk up. My eyes start to adjust to the darkness. On my bedside table I can spot the glass of water. I must've fallen asleep before my mother even came back. I slowly get up. My head hurts. I feel for my forehead, and notice a bandage. It all comes back to me. I was worried about L. She had been hurt pretty badly. I carefully get up and stalk towards the door. Then I hear it. Downstairs my dad is discussing something with mum. I slowly creep towards the stairs so I can hear better. "..and no one wants to have seen anything?? No, Kate, impossible! I say we bloody go there and ask for details!" I can hear my mother sigh. "But according to the only apparent key witnesses that's how it happened." My father is angrily hammering on the table once. "RIDICULOUS! Kate, our daughter has a bloody laceration, and the only friend she ever took home with her had two cuts! One of them deep that had to be sewed! And you're actually suggesting that the teachers told us the entire story?? Something fishy is going on, and I will not rest until I know what. I'm not gonna sit here and enjoy my life when our daughter was INJURED ON HER WAY TO SCHOOL!" It remains silent for a while, and I can hear footsteps, Mum probably went to Dad to hug him. "Elias, calm down. We can't know for sure. And our daughter is sleeping, please be a little more quiet." As I doubt I'll hear much more, I decide to join the conversation. I carefully walk down the stairs. "Evening." I say, trying not to sound too exhausted. My parents both look at me, and my mother instantly runs over. "Jen my love, did we wake you?" I shake my head. "No, I woke up on my own." My mother gives me a hug, careful not to squeeze my head. She gives me a tender kiss on the bandage. "Does it hurt?" She asks, a worried expression on her face. I shake my head again. "Jennifer", my father suddenly starts, "come here." He pats his legs, meaning I'm supposed to sit on his lap. Reluctantly I walk over and sit down. He gently pulls my head to his chest and kisses the top of my hair. "I'm so glad you're safe and sound apart from that little scratch." I subconsciously wrap my arms around his waist and relax. "Now", he whispers, "PLEASE tell me what happened."

It takes Jen a while to explain the story in her own twisted way. She didn't want her parents to know the truth. She had to cover it up. She tells her father that only Mark and L got into a fight. She didn't mention the rest of the boys. Most of them wouldn't dare to report anything anyway. Mark wouldn't forgive them. And his reputation was more than enough to keep them in check. Jen's father listens carefully. Then he slowly gets up and puts Jen to her feet. "Give me your friend's address." He suddenly orders. Jen looks at him, confused. "What? Why?" He looks at her. "I want to talk to her parents." Jen feels a little uneasy all of a sudden. Her father notices. He gets on her eye level and gently grabs her shoulders. "Want to tag along?" He asks. Jen relaxes at the thought and nods in relief. "Alright. But you're not going like this." He smugs. Jen looks down at her body, and her cheeks turn bright red from embarrassment as she realises she was still in her underwear. She turns around on the heel and rushes up the stairs. Her mother can't help but let out a laugh, and the father is smiling as well. But that smile quickly vanishes. "I don't trust this." He suddenly says. His wife raises a brow and looks at him. "What? Our daughter?" He grabs his chin and looks to the floor. "I trust HER. But something doesn't add up. And if she is keeping something from us, she does it with a reason. We made sure of that, didn't we?" She nods. "I'm interested in what... errm, her name?" She rolls her eyes and looks at her husband. "Seriously? It's just one letter, that can't be that hard. She called herself L, remember?" He flips his finger. "Yes, that's it, L. I'm interested in what she told her parents. If she even told them anything yet." Now she looks worried. "Why wouldn't she? I mean she couldn't have possibly hidden the fact that she had a deep cut on her arm and scraped knees." "Judging from the fact that she does sport very frequently, she could've told them anything concerning the origin of those wounds." His wife wants to reply, but then Jen is coming down again. Her father smiles again. "Ready to leave?" Jen nods. "Alright, let's go. How long until we get there?" Jen puts on her shoes. "It's just a few streets away, so a few minutes maximum." He rubs his hands. "Fantastic. I wouldn't feel like having a long walk in this weather."

We arrive sooner than I expected. My dad rings the doorbell. It doesn't take long and a young woman opens the door. A very young woman to be exact. "Yo." She says. My father is stunned for a split second, then greets: "Good evening. I'd like to speak to you about what happened today." The woman seems a little perplex, then suddenly smiles. "So it's about my sister? Sure, come in." We both enter. I look at the woman for a while. L's sister? She didn't mention a sister so far. Well, not that we know each other that long anyway. My father whispers to the woman shortly. "Sure, her room's upstairs." My father looks at me. "Jen, would you mind joining your friend as long as I speak to her parents?" I gape at him. "What?? Why?? Why can't we listen too??" My father gestures me to follow his order. I frown, but take off my shoes to go upstairs. I find L's room fairly quickly, as it's the only one without light. I am hesitating to enter. What if she was already sleeping? I slowly sneak in. I close the door behind me carefully. Then I listen closely. I can only hear very relaxed breathing. Step by step I walk to the bed. As my eyes slowly adjust to the darkness, and with help of the moon I get a glimpse of L. She is lying on her side, legs pulled closely to her chest, hands on head level. She didn't even throw a blanket over. Her face is shimmering. Most likely sweat. And/or blood, I must add. She is extremely pale. And now that I am closer to her I realise her breathing isn't relaxed at all. It's shaky, and out of rhythm. I knee down next to her bed and look at her face. I don't want to wake her up, but she seems so tormented. Maybe it was time I returned the favour.

I slowly reach out to her hand, and as soon as I touch it her eyes flash open, she gasps and sits up, startling me. I jump back and fall on my behind. "Who's there?" L hisses. "Calm down, it's me!" I quickly press out. L falls back on her bed, exhausted. "Hey Jen, glad to see you again today." She slowly manages to smile. "I don't feel too well, can you switch on the bedside lamp?" I nod and turn it on. L blinks at the sudden light and puts an arm in front of her eyes. It's the left one. And I can see the bandage. "Does it hurt much?" I ask. L shakes her head. "Bearable. I've had worse." She rolls to her back. "So, I'm pretty sure you didn't come here to watch me having nightmares and wake me up out of mercy. So why?" I look to the floor. "My dad wanted to talk to your parents." L remains silent for a while. "Can't be helped." She finally says. Words fail me. I'm unsure what to say, and because the silence creeps me out I decide to ask: "What did the teachers want exactly?" L sighs. "This and that, mostly info on what happened." I frown. "I don't want my parents to know the truth." L smiles all of a sudden. "Thought so." My gaze now rests on her. "What do you mean?" L now carefully rolls to the side and supports her upper body with her arms."Meaning I didn't tell my parents the whole truth yet." I look to the floor and suppress a tear of relief. "Thanks." Is all I can say. Suddenly we hear shouting. "JENNIFER! ELISABETH!" I look at L. "That was my father." L smiles. "Figured as much. Didn't know the voice yet." I get up to support L on her way down. When we reach the ground floor my father is standing next to another man, L's dad I presume. And they're looking a little too happy for my liking.

Jen and her father, as well as L and part of her family were all sitting at the dining table. My dad smiles and looks at everyone once before starting. "So, I'm pretty sure we can agree your and my daughter had a pretty rough day today, so I was thinking about surprising them this weekend." Jen and L exchange a quick glance, shrugging. "Sounds nice?" Jen replies. "You two have no say in the matter, it's already been decided. When the week is over, I will pick you both up and drive you to the surprise. You deserve a little break." With that he got up and looked around again. "Well, it's been a nice conversation, but it's getting late, and we don't want our kids to miss out on school now, do we?" L's father and a woman his age, L's mother as Jen thought, got up as well. "Indeed we don't. It's been a pleasure." They all shake hands, and then Elias looks at his daughter. When all farewells were said, and they were both outside he suddenly squats. Jen looks at him with a tired look on her face. "Dad?" He smiles."Get on", he orders,

"Dad-express will take you home."