Terror By Night

Chapter 11

Principal Mooreland continues amid the lingering murmurs among the group in the gym. "Please quiet down, there's more. At roughly 3 o'clock, you will be getting visitors. I do mean you. We have gotten in contact with you families or guardians and you will have to a chance to see them before you leave."

The room erupts in applause and cheers. This is the best news we've had so far. Better than the yard time. My grandparents are coming! Nolan and Zoe's parents! I'm practically bouncing. I reach over and hug Zoe. She has tears rolling down her face, but this time, they're happy tears. I understand completely. A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I've been concentrating so much on my friends' well-being so distract me from worrying about my grandparents. Contacting them, seeing them, had been out of my control. But the relief I feel at knowing I'll get to hug them and talk with is immediate. I don't know if that decision had been National Security or if Principal Mooreland pulled strings or strong-armed them into allowing this. However it came about, I'm grateful.

I hug Nolan as well. He's been hiding it pretty well, but I know how worried he's been about them. I've been concerned as well. The Reed's are the closest thing to parents I have and they're my family too. I'm so thrilled I'll get to see them with everyone else. I peer over Nolan's shoulder as we come apart toward Xavier. He doesn't look as happy as the rest of us. Does he not have anyone he's excited to see? Doesn't he have family?

Now that I stop to think about it, I've never heard him talk about family. I don't know anything about his home life. It could be perfectly normal or really terrible. I have no clue. Guilt gnaws at my heart. Here I am gushing with Zoe and Nolan, and maybe he has no one who cares enough about him to see him before he's shipped to who knows where.

I lean over to him. "Do you think someone will come to see you?"

He gives me a small sad smile and shakes his head. He won't look me in the eye. My heart breaks a little at his words. "No idea. My dad doesn't live around here and my mom had left town a few days ago to visit her sister. She got sick and was in the hospital. My mom went to see her and check on the family there. They live in Georgia."

I bite my lip. After nearly three years, this is the most I've learned about his family. I try not to beat myself about it. After all, we hadn't exactly been friends before today. Still, I feel bad that he won't have anyone to say good-bye to. It just feels wrong. "No siblings or any other family around here?"

"My older brother is in the military and stationed overseas somewhere. He's my only sibling. All the other relatives live in Georgia and other places. So, nope. Just me and my mom." He turns back to me. "It's alright Layken. I know they're okay and they trust me to know how to take care of myself. Don't feel bad for me."

"I'm sorry to hear about your Aunt."

"She'll be fine." He seems pretty flippant about it. Maybe she's not that sick. I decide it's better to change the topic. Xavier's developed a closed off look and it feels like a wall has been put up between us. I don't understand why talking about his family would cause it, but it bothers me. We've gotten to be more relaxed with each other, I don't want to lose that.

"I know you can take care of yourself though. I've seen that first-hand."

His lips curve into a smile. "That was not me taking care of myself. That was me taking care of you," he teases.

"Ha! Before you came along, I was doing alright," I throw back. It's kind of true. But I'm enjoying our banter. He's coming back around and the wall that was present before feels down once more.

"Sure you were. You seemed to be having trouble with a certain lock." There's a challenging glint in his eye.

"Finally, you show up to help. I've been struggling with that thing for two and half years. Where were you before yesterday?"