Night Guardians

Chapter Six- Missing?

My mum smiled from where she was standing at the stove, when I went downstairs the next morning.

“Good morning, sweetheart.”

I replied with an extended yawn “Morning Mum.”

My father laid the newspaper he had been reading flat on the table. He slid his glasses off and held them in one hand. Oh, boy. That was never good. It was something he only ever did when he was serious about something. The only thing I could to do now was quickly remember what I was supposed to have done wrong this time.

“Where were you last night, Ashton?” he said not meeting my eyes.

Crap, now I knew that I’d done something wrong. I had to think about his question for a moment. I wasn’t normally this slow in the morning, but I’d slept like a log last night and I was still pretty groggy now.

“I went to the library straight after school.” I recalled slowly. “I finished my essay and then I came home.”

The sound of my dad’s fist slamming against the table shocked through the entire kitchen. My mum and I both jumped at the sound.

“Since when does it take until midnight to finish a damn history essay?”

He looked at me then, his face flushed and his eyes red from lack of sleep.

I had no idea what he was talking about.

“What are you talking about?” I said, mouth open. “Midnight...? I wasn’t out until midnight.”

Mum lightly placed her hand on my shoulder.

“Ashton, you’ve upset your father enough. Please don’t lie to him now. It’ll only make it worse.”

I turned my face to her. Only dad ever called me Ashton, and that was only when I’d done something wrong. A lump of disappointment dropped like a rock in my stomach. Even my mum didn’t believe me.

“But I’m not lying. I left the library at eight and then I walked home.”

“Then why weren’t you in the house?” My dad fumed. “I was home from work at five o’clock. I expected you’d be home before dark so I wasn’t worried at the time. When you still hadn’t come back at nine I called Will, Matt and Mia, but they said they hadn’t seen you since school.”

He was on his feet now pointing to my mother, who was now looking away awkwardly.

“You’re mother was in tears with worry. We thought something serious had happened to you. I went out and looked for you for hours, only just after midnight you’re mother called me to say that she’d found you asleep in your room still in your uniform!”

I absorbed the look on my dad’s face. He was red cheeked and with a large pulsating vein throbbing on his temple. He looked as if he could’ve gone on for hours, but his voice ran out of steam.

“Ash,” his voice shook. “I understand that you’re growing up, you’re a young man now and you will want to try new things...” he trailed off suggestively.

I groaned internally. “Oh come on, Dad.”

He kept going. “I just want you to know that we do understand, but we’re still your parents and we love you.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “Just call us next time ok? If you ever need us to pick you up or just tell us where you are, just call ok?”

I stood there dumbstruck for a moment. Well, I guess this was better than the raging Dad from a second ago.

I nodded. “Yes Dad, sure I will.”