Unknown Friendship

Chapter 8: Heartbeat

Katie Gardner's POV

Katie was seriously about to lose it.

It had been quiet lately, nothing much happening, and it was driving her crazy. In her mind, it was like the calm before a storm, but this calm had been around for a week. A week! Ever since she found out about Percy's illegal doings when she was nine, she knew that quiet meant bad. Recently, she had found out how so very-much true that was.

Now, sitting on her old bed in her new home—which was still weird and foreign to her—with Percy tap-tap-tapping away on his laptop, Katie went over the numbers again in her head: seven days since the last arrest; six days till Percy's last eye surgery. She was trapped right in the middle of two nerve wrecking situations!

She dared a glance a Percy, asking, "What do you think'll happen?"

Percy didn't even skip a beat before answering: "About not getting arrested? Well, I think you'll be in for a surprise." Then after a moment, he added, "Stop moving. There's no reason to be so jittery."

Her eyes widened. "How can you be so—so calm?" It was more of an accusation than a question.

He shrugged. "I'm used to it."

Katie was about to add more, but she was interrupted by her father yelling, "Dinner!" up the stairs. She gave a sneaking glance at her best friend, and then all worries melted away as they raced down the stairs as fast as they could, bumping and pushing and screaming as they stumbled.

Like normal kids—kids who didn't have to worry about the FBI or CSI or Secret Service barging down their doors at any given moment.

Katie pushed Percy behind her and leapt down the last few steps, landing on her feet and sticking her arms up in the air. "And she sticks the landing!"

Percy snorted, jumping down the last few steps as well and actually sticking the landing. "That's sticking the landing, Butterfly." Then he sauntered off, leaving her awestruck.

"No fair!" she screamed, about to pounce. "I jumped at the last second. You had time!"
He turned at the last second, swinging her around so she landed on her feet in front of him. "Silly Katie, no one has time." Patting her cheek and giving a smug grin, he sped off to the dinner table, only stopping to give his mother a kiss on the cheek.

Fuming slightly, Katie stomped to the table to grab a plate and dish out herself some spaghetti. "It still isn't fair," she complained under her breath, but Percy heard her.

He gave a wry grin, serving himself some spaghetti, too. "Nothing is fair unless you make it," he told her, that weird twinkle in his eyes.

She pursed her lips and sat down, Percy then moving to her side. "Well," Ms. Jackson said, sitting down at one end of the table while her father sat at the other, "I guess we start eating." She clapped her hands together, but Katie couldn't help but snigger at her awkwardness.

Everyone dug in though, savoring Ms. Jackson's delicious cooking.

But, it was really awkward. No one said anything—not even Percy, who would usually start blabbing about something Katie didn't know about.

Eventually, it was her father who saved them from the heavy silence. "So, what do y'all miss most about Alabama?"

She already knew her answer. "Grandpa. The Maroon twins, Marcus and Marianna. The lake that we all used to swim in. The heat and humidity, because it sure isn't like that here. Our old house. Cupcake. The acres that surrounded our house. My—"

"O-kay, Katie, I think we all get it. You miss everything about Alabama. No need to tell us anymore."

She shot her best friend a sharp look. "There's also no need to interrupt me," she quipped. "Besides, it's not like you don't miss all that stuff."