Life's Fear

Chapter Four

The council still had not figured out who had graffitied the bridge.

"Everyone is up in arms at work," Dad announced at dinner that evening. He'd been playing with his mash potato more than he'd been eating it, despite Mum's disapproving gaze. "We still have no idea who did it."

"What was written?" Mum asked, making an effort with the disproportionate-sized mouthful of mash she was about to consume. "Henry, you need to eat," she added once she'd swallowed the mash and saw Dad's lack of interest in his food which was exceptionally bizarre for him.

"'LIFE'S FEAR'." Dad stuck his fork in his mash and left it to hover there whilst he ran his hands over his balding head. Only I and Warren had Dad's blonde hair (that he used to have), and Kendall had died her hair that typical grey/silver colour she thought was so cool, though admittedly it did match with her dark roots; I didn't know being a nursery teacher she was enabled to do that, however. "We all think it was just a joke. It's off the bridge now, thankfully."

"Good, now you can eat," Mum replied, gesturing to his plate that was brimming with food that he'd just been aimlessly gawking at. Did he think it was just going to disappear without actually having to touch it?

Jesse had been latched to his phone for the entire duration of dinner so naturally there was the arrant abandonment of his food too. Kendall was the only one on her phone and eating at the same time. Yvette and Carmen were having a discussion about some celebrity between themselves. I think it was Zac Efron. Carmen had recently just watched High School Musical despite Yvette's ceaseless demands to watch it with her. Then there was Warren... happily munching down his pork chops, vegetables and mash.

At least Max hadn't told anyone. That was all I could ask for right now. I didn't even like to think of what sort of predicament I'd be in considering I had the most vital piece of evidence. Would it go to court? There was not a single part of me that was aware of how the criminal justice system worked in America as I had never been one to watch shows like that, but right now I felt like I needed to educate myself. Sadly, we weren't allowed to leave the table until we'd finished eating, and by that point I'd completely forgotten.

"You're being oddly quiet... even for you," Kendall commented as we ambled up the stairs together. Her bedroom was opposite mine, so we were standing there staring at one another until I'd replied.

Carmen and Yvette are the only siblings who share a room, but they will have separate rooms once Jesse and Kendall move out... which should be sometime soon according to my parents. Sometimes you can hear insanely annoying squealing when you're trying to read a book or finish your coursework. It was not the best for concentration, and our house was only small. You could hear their squealing no matter where you were in the house unless you were outside, and with a storm coming in a few days' time, that wasn't an option currently.

"I just have a lot of coursework to get on with," I replied, "so I should be doing that."

Kendall nodded once in that way that Dad does sometimes if you haven't convinced him of something very well. Kendall and Dad share that trait of being exceedingly unimpressionable, whilst everyone else had the endeavour there, but it just never worked out.

Kendall rolled her eyes and emerged back into her room. It took me a moment before I did the same. And then I just sat on my bed. I had no idea what to do nor what to think. I'd actually had a conversation with Jason, albeit however brief it was, he'd noticed me staring intently at him, and I had photographic evidence of him committing a crime. The latter was definitely the worse-off choice.

If I could go back a night and not listen to Max when she said to go to the bridge, I wish I'd have stayed at home now, even if I was alone in my room doing coursework. Nothing good has come out of this photo I'd snapped. I could only tell Max about it because anyone else would physically walk me to the police station and show them the photo and I'd be branded as the snitch.