On the Run: The Texas Files ✔

Chapter 19: The Tales of the Lost and Unforgiven

Everyone is staring at me. My body is frozen, and my mind is racing. They caught me in a huge lie, but I'm not the only one in the wrong here.

"Hold up," I say. "Before we turn this into an interrogation of me, I'd like to know where Andrew and Noah have been all night."

"You know," Dad says. "That's what I want to hear first. You're still 17, boys. You still have to follow my rules."

"Jackie literally got into a car with a boy," Noah grumbles. "And we're being punished?"

Really? You're kidding me, right? "Oh, shut it, Noah," I bark. "If you weren't drunk off your ass last night, I wouldn't have."

Tyler rolls his eyes. "Whatever. I just want my coffee table replaced."

Noah looks pretty hungover. I can feel Andrew's sober disappointment from here. Parker's staring Tyler down. Tyler's looking at him too. Dad sits down in the chair in the corner of the room. Everyone follows suit by sitting somewhere. My brothers, Lily, and Marissa on the couch, Tyler on a stool, and Parker on the floor next to me.

"Now," Dad says. "Andrew, tell me what happened."

"Of course," Noah rolls his eyes. "Typical. Ask him."

"Well, Noah," Dad says. "Your sister said you were 'drunk off your ass' so I'd like to talk to my kid who wasn't drinking about this."

Noah crosses his arms and sighs. Dad nods at Andrew to begin.

Andrew takes a big breath. "I can't exactly discuss why we weren't home, but I can tell you where we were."

"They went out to find me." Marissa pipes up.

"Marissa," Dad says. "I heard you were here, dear, but I really don't know why."

Marissa starts weeping again. She tries to speak, but all that comes out is high pitched squeals.

"She's pregnant, Dad," Andrew says. "With twins."

Dad's eyes widen. "And they're yours, Noah?"

Noah nods in response then winces.

Dad shakes his head. "Just when things were starting to look up," he mumbles. "Continue, then."

Marissa's sobs are louder.

"And, uh," Andrew says. "We were looking for her because Noah said some things that were pretty harsh to her."

"He called her a whore," Parker states with a bit of anger.

"Man," Noah says with gritted teeth. "If you don't shut the hell up..."

Parker's eyebrows furrow. "You'll what? Because I can easily give you a matching black eye."

"All right!" Dad raises his voice.

Parker and Noah give each other death glares for a second.

Dad smirks. "That explains your eye," he says to Noah.

"Come on," Tyler whines. "The biggest victim here is my parent's mahogany coffee table."

Lily rolls her eyes. "Still weird that you know that."

"That thing was over $500, Lily!" Tyler exclaims.

Dad sighs again. "I'm sorry," he says. "Who are you?" he looks in Lily's direction

"Lily's my friend, Dad," Andrew says.

"Ah yes," Dad responds. "You were saying, Andrew."

"Well, after the argument between Marissa and Noah," he explains. "Noah got pretty angry and shoved me into the coffee table Tyler's referring to, and it crumbled under my weight when I fell."