The Lying Serpent

Chapter Nineteen: Directions

The week passed slowly, and when Saturday finally came, I was beyond excited.

"I'm going camping, I'm going camping, I'm going camp-"

"Shut up Linda!" Tommy shouted down the stairs.

"You're just jealous cause you can't go," I sneer childishly, poking my tongue out for good measure. Tommy sighs at my antics.

"Whatever, I'll be glad to have the house to myself."

"You're forgetting Mum," I point out.

"Mum doesn't count, she's never here," he scoffs.

"True."

A car rolls up the drive just as I get a text.

Nita: Sorry Linda, I can't pick you up. Jacko packed way too much stuff and he's adamant that we'll need all of it so I have no space in my car :( I've sent someone to pick you up. Don't ask why he's coming, you'll have to ask Jacko. Xx

I gape at the text message. I'm going to skewer Jacko alive. How the hell does he always manage to overpack to the extent of the backseat being full? Knowing Jacko half his stuff will be in the trunk and the other half would still occupy the whole backseat.

I swing the door open after hearing a loud rapping of knuckles on wood.

"I rang the bell like five times," came an oddly detached voice.

"Yes, well, it's broken. Anyway, let's hurry up. I want to get to the campsite," I retort in an equally cold voice, glaring at Ryan. How dare he judge me over stupid rumours and half-told stories! I don't see why the rumours even matter to him anyway. It's not like we're best friends or anything.

The car ride is suffocatingly silent, the tension so thick even the Sword of Gryffindor wouldn't be able to cut it.

To occupy the time, I decide to spam all my friends with texts.

Linda: Who the HELL invited this dude to pick me up? It's so fricking awkward! I'm gonna kill Jacko!

Nita: Jacko says Ryan wanted to come. Obviously he didn't know you'd be there. Also, Jacko finds your threats highly amusing and not threatening at all.

Linda: Jacko why the hell are you hijacking Nita's phone?

Nita: I don't know what you're on about

Linda: Whatever! Just explain why no one else could pick me up!

Nita: Sam is taking Taylor, Ley, Summer and Lissie, Nita is taking me and since all my stuff is in the back, there wasn't any space for you. Ryan was coming by himself anyway, so it seemed logical to let him take you.

Linda: Yeah, well logical doesn't diffuse the awkward silence, does it?!

Nita: Well, I'll leave you to it, won't I?

Linda: Jacko, I'm not kidding, I will skewer you with a pitchfork!

I sighed out loud as the texts stop coming through, signalling that Jacko is ignoring me. This earns a curious glance from Ryan, which I blatantly ignore.

Throughout the drive, Ryan continuously side-eyes me, leading to my mounting irritation.

"What?!" I finally burst, having had enough of the silence and annoying glances.

"Well, I was just wondering, um, if what The Lying Serpent posted was true?" he stuttered.

My blood runs cold and I hastily glance out the window. I ponder it over in my head. Should I tell him the truth? About how my mother thinks I'm a disappointment, how we didn't have enough money to visit, how my Dad is the only one who has ever treated me like an actual human being and he's stuck all the way in England? How my mother hates me for ruining their perfect little family? Everything was wonderful for her, she had a loving husband and a handsome young son. Then she had me, and the perfect family was shattered.

"Linda? It's ok if you don't want to talk about it, you know," Ryan snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, no, it's alright. Um, let's see...well, to some extent it is true. My Dad did get cancer, and I didn't visit him. My brother didn't either. Only my Mum did, cause we didn't have enough money for all three of us to fly off to England. That's where my Dad works, you see. Yeah, well that's the story."

This wasn't the whole truth, but he doesn't need to know about my strained family relationships.

"Oh, Linda, I'm sorry. I didn't realise you had financial troubles. I didn't even know your dad live overseas."

I smiled sadly. "Yeah, not many people do, huh? Anyway, where is that campsite, we should've arrived twenty minutes ago."

"Umm, where was the campsite again?"

"Just on the outskirts of town, you know a rough few miles from that cute little ice cream store?"

"Right. Right. Um, so that would be the one we should have passed forty minutes ago then?"

"We're lost aren't we?"

"Yup."

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A/N: Hey guys, I know that I missed a few updates, so I decided to make up for it by updating today despite it being Monday hehe. Deds to shining_angels for being such an amazing reader and always voting and reading my updates even when I reappear after months of absence. It's much appreciated! I also updated White Roses so check it out! Keep your eyes peeled for my updates on Wednesday and Friday for this book!

Much love

~ Mel