Chasing the Browns

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

My two days were up. And I was far too chicken to go into school. Something about Vince made me unsure about going anywhere near there…I mean, yes, there was the incident yesterday in the science classroom, but my mind found that startlingly unimportant as opposed to the alleyway incident. Like Vince had said, everyone knows what happens to little girls in dark alleyways, especially when a creepy guy is involved.

But this was different.

If I didn’t get my dad to step down, something very, very bad would happen. I mean, the robbery of the plan wasn’t so bad because we didn’t actually have any evidence that someone had come into the house to get it off the computer.

But if my mum and dad got hurt because of me…

I’d slept over at Marie’s because I hadn’t wanted to go home, hadn’t wanted to have to explain to Mum and Dad what had happened. Of course, Mum had started getting really annoyed and demanded I come back home, but I told her that my battery was dying, hung up, turned off my phone, and turned it back on in the morning when I’d come home – and I’d definitely made sure that Mum and Dad weren’t there before I was – and a tonne of texts and missed calls came in.

Now I was lying on the sofa, watching some comedy on low, doing one of the assignments that Jack had come round with the other day. At a time like this, homework seemed totally irrelevant, so I tossed it to the side, turned off the telly and drowned my sorrows in some of Coldplay’s slowest songs. As I listened, I actually began to realise the true meanings of some of them. By the seventh song, I was belting my voice when the doorbell interrupted me. Embarrassed, I stopped. I looked down at myself; I was wearing pyjamas. I was reassured by the thought that it was Mum and that she’d realised I hadn’t gone to school. Then I’d really have to do some talking. At least it wouldn’t be Dad…that would just be even worse. I’d have to tell him and then…then what?

‘What are you doing here?!’

Jack came in without even being invited.

‘Hey, I asked you a question!’ I gave him a look.

‘You weren’t in, so I was curious and asked Nina…but she didn’t really say much. I couldn’t find Poppy, so I asked Marie and she just kept going on and on about the other day…’ he trailed off, scratching the back of his neck.

I laughed weakly. ‘The other day, huh?’ I inwardly cringed. Why did I say that?

He nodded slowly, giving a very unconvincing laugh.

Then there was a silence. A really awkward one.

‘So…’ I drew out the ‘o’ sound. ‘Why did you…?’ I broke off, a little too embarrassed to say it. It was childish, really, then again, it had been my first kiss, so I let myself off.

He shrugged. ‘I’ve wanted to for a while, now.’

Suddenly, the floor was the most interesting thing in the world. I kept my eyes trained on it, waiting for Jack to say something.

But he didn’t.

And I didn’t know what to say, either.

I eventually looked up. ‘Are you OK?’

‘Are you OK?’

I figured that the worst thing I could do now was to burden people with my problems. I plastered a smile onto my face. ‘Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.’

He tilted his head to one side. ‘Why do you always lie to people? You tell them you’re OK, but you’re not.’

‘When have I lied?’