Special Tutoring

Fallout Boy

"Hello, this is Qin."

Only my sister would answer her phone like an office lady. I almost expected her to bid me a good evening,  but I wasn't in a mood to critique her for once.

"Qin." The apprehension emitted through my one word must have piqued her instincts, because her next words were spoken in curbed urgency.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Amy and I are ok. We are going to the hospital because Sam Rhodes hit Trevor. Emily and Ethan are already driving him there."

"Is he seriously injured?"

"I don't think so. Amy's a wreck though," I looked over at my best friend who was still fumbling with her keys. I didn't think it was a good idea to let her drive, given what an emotional mess she was being, even though she claimed she hadn't drunk a drop yet. Then again better that she crashed her own car than Emily's. "Could you come and drive us instead? We are outside her place."

"Why do I hear music in the background?"

"It's from the party."

"Someone's injured and Amy still let the party go on? Is she mad? Where are Mr and Mrs Coltram?"

"Amy," I hissed urgently. "Where're your folks?"

"They are out for a dinner date in New York." Amy's face was ashen. I could see her concentrating on slotting in the car key but missing at her every attempt.

"Did you hear her answer?" I asked my sister.

"Yes, tell Amy to call her parents to come home immediately and shut down this party before the cops get called in.  You'd better clear out of the area NOW. Don't go to the hospital if you can.  Avoid trouble."

I wanted to heed her warning. I knew my parents would ground me for life if they knew what happened. Probably cage me and throw away the key. But what about Ethan? My poor innocent boyfriend?

"I can't. Ethan went with Trevor and Emily to the hospital. I am afraid they will arrest him by mistake."

I could visualize my sister shaking her head at the other side of the line.

"Go to the hospital then. I will bring you there myself. But call Amy's parents immediately and tell them what went down."

I ended the call and hurriedly harrangued the panicking Amy to call her parents. To say Mr Coltram was furious was definitely an understatement. Thankfully they were already on their way home and were about half an hour away. They told us the same thing, stay away from the party until they were back. We waited impatiently in the car as we watched people coming and going into the house, some of them we didn't even know. I wondered how was Ethan doing. I reached for my phone, wanting to message him, when my eyes fell on Amy. Her eyes were large and unseeing against her pale face.

"You feeling calmer now?" I reached out to hold Amy's hand in mine. It sprawled limply in my palm for a while before closing around my fingers.

"Not really," she said softly, nodding her head at the figures going in through her front door. "I don't know that woman in black. Or those men."

I had no idea either. But I couldn't stamp out the bad feeling I had that some helpful person had shared her party details on Twitter or Facebook. I prayed heavenward that the Coltrams would be back soon.

"Ohmigod, May!" Amy yanked her hand out of my clasp to dump her head onto it. " What a disaster... I should have dumped Sam months ago. I don't know what I saw in that jerk. Do you think that Trevor is ok?"