The English Boy

Chapter 11

Dad woke me up at 2 in the morning. I know today is All Saints Day and the next day is All Souls' Day, and I took note of that. But do we seriously need to go to the cemetery this early?!

"Is she alright now? She's such a stupid girl!" dad was standing beside my bed, talking to someone on phone. Did he just say "Stupid girl"? Was he referring to me? Is this about that dinner again? "Yeah! Yeah, she's awake now"

"Dad?" I got up "Who is it?"

"Here! Let me put her on phone" dad said, placing his phone on my ear, and then I took it

"Hello?" I said.

"Joe" mom said on the other line.

"Hi! What's up?" I said.

"Joe? I'm at the hospital right now. I'm working" obviously! "and then-" I could hear mom sobbing on the other line.

"Mom? What's wrong?" I shrugged as I turned to dad, but he just sat down on the bed with me and patted my back.

"I saw Jenna's brother in a stretcher being rushed to a room. At first, I wasn't sure if it was him. I asked one of my secretaries to search his name on the patients list to make sure, and he was the one I saw".

"Michael?".

"Yes!"

"Where's Jenna?"

"Jenna's at her house. She's grounded"

"I'm confused! Is that about Kate's party?"

"Yes! How do you know!?"

Okay! Now, I feel guilt! I sent Michael to cone and get Jenna out of Kate's party. I know for some teenagers, parties are a tad bit normal. But, this is Kate! Kate and her gang party hard, and it's not good, because I've been to her parties before!

"Very hard to explain! I called Jenna and then she sounded drunk and then this guy just spoke to me using her phone and then he hunged up, which got me worried a lot. I know I couldn't call anybody else but Michael. This thing was only supposed to be between him and I, but-"

"Michael got beaten up by a group of drunk guys because he was stopping his own sister from taking shots of alcohol"

"Is Michael alright?"

"I visited him in his room earlier. He's full of bruises"

"And" I coughed "Jenna?"

"Believe me or not, honey, Jenna's changed! I'm not impressed with her performance right now!"

"Same here!" I said.

Later on, I just sat down on the bed trying to be silent. I couldn't stop thinking of Michael. How is he? God! This is all my fault! I shouldn't have sent him to check on Jenna. At the same time, I thought, what could've happened to Jenna if I hadn't asked Michael to go check on her!?

"Are you doing alright, darling?" dad patted my back. I didn't answer him "Teenagers do a lot of insane things, don't you forget that! Jenna's no longer 16 like you"

"What?!" Ohh! God! Jenna turned 17 last July. July 27- Jenna's Birthday! How could I forget?! No wonder why she's upset! She probably thought that I really meant to avoid her!

"How did you know that?" I asked him. Yes! How did he know that?!

"You told me a lot of times"

"And I can't believe I was the one who forgot!" I covered my face with my hands, feeling ashamed "Besides, I'll be 17 fourteen days from now"

"Yeah! I know"

"What else did mom say?"

"What else did you hear?"