To Survive without the Guardians

Chapter 15: The Defense Issue

Duran eyed the four objects on Grandpa Sloan's dining room table and raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's the best you can do?"

"No," Matt retorted. "But I didn't have time to be perfect. I'll get everyone over again once I've made better ones."

"And how long ago did you say you texted Haven?"

"An hour. I told her, 'They're ready', but she hasn't replied."

"Hm." Duran paused for a moment and frowned. "Should we be worried?"

Matt shrugged. "She's probably just out with her friends and didn't notice, but I'll try again in a few minutes."

Duran nodded. "I'll be notifying the others that you're done. It was a good thing I came over here when I did. But I want to add you, and Haven if possible, to our group chat so you can contact us whenever you need to."

"Yeah, that'd be good. I don't think Haven's parents would let her be in it if they found out, though."

Duran sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right. But look: there's a reason I came, and it wasn't just to see if you had any weapons done yet." He looked Matt straight in the eye, almost into his soul (at least, it certainly felt like it to Matt). "We need to talk about your behavior."

Matt raised an eyebrow and gave Duran an incredulous look. "My behavior? Garvit's is worse than mine."

"That may be true, but I can't make him change. I've tried. That's why I asked you to disband and not him. You at least have some sense, but he doesn't, not unless he had been in Angelia's place. If I got you to do it, you could've told Haven to, and then it wouldn't have been a group anymore, with only Garvit left.

"Look: we can't split up again. The Fearlings took advantage of that last time. We may have weapons now, but we're still not much up against them. So could you please at least try to listen to others' ideas?"

"Fine, I promise."

*}{*}{*}{*

When Angelia and Garvit arrived, they went straight to the dining table, where Matt's first weapons lay.

"Those look like crap," Garvit said.

"I'm very aware of that," Matt said with a glare.

"Where's Haven?" Angelia asked.

"I've texted her twice now, and she still hasn't responded," Matt replied.

Angelia frowned. "Maybe she got in trouble for being with you, Matt. Her friends didn't look like they approved of you."

Matt furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Her friends would take her phone away?"

Angelia shook her head. "No, but maybe they told someone."

"Then we have to go get her."

"But her parents wouldn't let her come."

"But we have to go get her," Matt insisted.

"Do you even know where she lives?" Garvit asked.

"You could look it up in the district phone book from junior high," Grandpa Sloan said, entering the area from the laundry room to the left.

"And how are we gonna get her parents to let her be with your grandson?" Angelia asked.

"Leave that to me."

*}{/*}{/*}{/*

Haven was in her room reading when the doorbell rang, making her jump. All her senses were on edge from fear. However, once she realized the ringing hadn't been a dangerous noise, she went downstairs, curious. Who would be at the door? Someone delivering a package? Her strange neighbor Beatrice, who sometimes tried to talk to her parents about random things while attempting to inspect the inside of the house?