The Trail of Mysteries

Chapter 2

The

Trail

of

Knowledge

Liv stared glumly out of her window at the graying sky. Two months of being grounded wasn't that bad, Liv decided. Her parents were split on the decision. Dad wanted a year and Mom wanted a month. So she had received two months. Her musings were interrupted by someone in her doorway.

"Dad was right you know," a voice commented drily. "It could have been worse."

Without looking, Liv pictured Ty's disapproving expression. "Yea, I could be on restriction for three months instead of two?"

"You could be a cadaver right now," Ty said sternly, "if that guy hadn't have jumped out of that truck and tried to run from the police."

"He wasn't running from the police. He was trying to find the trail!" Liv said starting to voice her impatience. She turned in her seat and stood to face him, jawbone and teeth clenched. "I don't know why I waste my time talking to you."

"Well, none of this would have happened if you hadn't ditched me at the library and gotten kidnapped by that Tighten guy."

"For the last time, I wasn't kidnapped! Mac was overexcited about possibly finding his fiancé! That's all!" Liv's tone and foot stomp on the floor denoted finality. When she turned back to the window, Ty knew he would have to change tactics in order to talk to her.

"So Mac didn't make you get into the truck, you jumped in on your own?"

"No, I didn't but... you wouldn't understand." Liv's voice held frustration in it. Ty realized what his sister needed, someone to understand and see her point of view.

"Try me."

"It's complicated. Go look at your microscope or something."

"I can't. My scope smashed when I flipped my bike chasing the truck."

Liv looked again at her brother and saw genuine concern on his face. Deep down she knew he was very protective of her, his little sister. She relaxed and softened up a little towards him. After all he did make an astonishing effort to find her because he thought she was in danger. That thought was why Liv had come to rely on her brother more than any other person. He was truly amazing at what he could think up on a moment's notice when under pressure.

"Do you honestly think I would go to a stranger's house alone if I didn't think it was absolutely necessary?"

"No, but if you would have controlled your temper I would have gone with you and helped you."

Ty's expression changed. He swallowed hard. The words he spoke were low and barely audible.

"You scared us, Liv. Mom, Dad, all of us thought we weren't going to see you again."

Liv saw tears forming in his eyes. She immediately began to regret some of the rash decisions she had made the day before.

"I didn't mean to scare anyone. I just wanted to go talk to Mac for a minute. I wish someone would believe me, that I'm not an idiot."

"You're not an idiot, Liv. We worried that you had made a bad decision that we all had to pay for." Ty picked his next few words carefully. "Sometimes you tend to act a little impulsively. You know how you are when you get really excited."