Runaway Man

Chapter 12: Questions

Chapter 12: Questions

"Florence," A deep voice called from downstairs, "Is that you?" I chewed on my bottom lip. Had I really made too much noise as I flopped back inside? Or was I discovered earlier on?

"What?" I yelled. I noticed that my bed was unmade and the pillows and Barbie had tumbled out and onto my carpet. That gave me the hint that they’d noticed earlier. I wanted to face palm myself.

"Come downstairs!" My dad ordered. Nervously, I crept downstairs and into the living room. His bald head turned around and he looked surprisingly calm. Thankfully, I'd never actually seen him really angry before. Well, I had once but I would rather not go into that!

"What?"

"Where did you go? I made you lunch hours ago and you think it’s okay to run out on me when you're grounded?!" He sipped from his milked tea with beady eyes but his words remained calm. I kicked the floor gently before meeting eyes with him. He was in the right but Joey wanted me to hang out with him. I didn't want to let him down.

"I'm sorry, like real sorry." I bowed at him with my fingers locked together behind my back. When my parents got mad at me, it was the worst so normally it was best to go along with what they had to say. Wrong or right! He raised his bushy eyebrows before taking another sip.

"So where were you then? Everyone else is at school." The tea splashed a bit onto his patterned coffee mat. I wasn't able to take my eyes off it as it ran down the side of the mug. Joey should have been at school too by that logic but he wasn't. I stroked my chin, pondering on my own question rather than his. He coughed which made him regain his attention.

"I went to get lunch. I know you cooked and all but you know."

He glared at me before debating whether or not he should take it or leave it. I tugged my collar as my clothes did its best to absorb the producing sweat. Stupid sweat glands.

"Get out of my sight." He said with his mug shaking slightly from his temper rising. I retreated back to my room just in case he changed his mind. Knowing him, he would but it would look stupid to call me back now that I was upstairs.

Yet again, I faced my pastel pink bedroom walls. I shut the window so that the moths had no chance getting in later in the evening.

I glimpsed over at the window and saw rain drops race down. I tried to work out which would win the race but it became impossible because most of the droplets formed together and made one near the end. With my index finger, I tapped on my desk and yawned. I thought that my exclusion would at least be a bit more exciting considering that to me: it just seemed to be an extended holiday.

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"So you waited outside the school for me... why?" Diana laughed, carelessly flicking her hand to the side at nothing in particular. I shrugged my shoulders, not really knowing the answer myself. To be caught sneaking out, it seemed really silly to just go out again but I felt so isolated locked outside I needed to.

"I get bored sometimes," I stuffed my hands into my pockets. This made her laugh again but it wasn't in a mocking way. Jessica was on the other side to her and her curly hair shone in the sunlight, "How's Linda doing?"

"Bald but fine," Jessica sniggered a bit as she said the word ‘bald’, "We had a group chat on Facebook yesterday and we've kicked her out of our group." As the words wafted into the air and into my ears, my jaw dropped. Really? Are they actually going to do it? I had to look at her twice with a raised eyebrow to try confirm whether or not she was being serious.

"Really?"

"We've been meaning to for a while and now after what's happened, we all had a vote..." Diana explained but her voice trailed off. She diverted her gaze to Jessica and back to me after exchanging a look with each other. Jessica rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, the vote did cause some trouble. Some of the girlfriends have converted into Linda's side so now, there's been a split," Jessica explained, "Anyway, I'm heading off home, talk to you guys soon." I nodded my head and watched her turn and walk across the road.

When she was out of sight, I focused all of my attention on Diana again. She had bracelets of both of her wrists and a tired expression creased onto her brow.

"So, how many are with her?" I asked. There had to be more to the story. It's like there was a major thing that they were avoiding to tell me. They would trail around it but they would never tell me. Diana pushed back her dirty blond hair nervously, which alone was unlike herself.

"Well, there was fourteen of us originally," there was a quaver in her voice as she spoke, "And now... there's seven of us and ten of them now." She observed my expression as I tasted the thought. I tried to figure out who would have left us and who had joined their army of idiots.

"Who?" I blurted out. We watched a few random boys walk past; one of them gave a wolf whistle. I swore at the lads but they just went off chuckling. I knew them anyway; one of them was in my Maths class. His name was Peter or something but everyone called him Pete.

"We obviously have me, you Jessica then Ginger Katie, Sophie, Rachel and Jenny," Diana enlightened me, counting the people on her fingers, "So basically the majority of the people that she insulted that day are with us. I think she's bribed the others now seeing as she has quite a lot of money. Stuck up bitch." I smiled. Then, I started laughing. I wasn't laughing because of the situation but the fact that she bribed them to be friends with her. How could anyone call that true friends?

This made Diana giggle a bit too but she probably knew that the situation was more serious than I thought it was. I'd probably realize what it was like later on. Then, it struck to me like a lightning bolt that I should tell her about Joey but the time didn't seem right. I thought it would be better to leave it for a bit, anyway.

There was a silence as we walked home the rest of the way. I tried to process it all but it sounded so strange. When we got back to near my house, we waved each other off and gulped as I look at the tree.

Maybe it would be better not to climb it this time but to sneak through the back door!