Kingston Brothers; Quarantine

Chapter 3

                                  BACK HOME..

CAMERON'S POV
On the road home, I kept my focus on the outside, marveling at the sites I hadn't seen since I left for camp. Nothing much had changed, same old neighborhood with the same old people. Everyone still locked up inside their gates.

' Comforting,' I thought. At least I knew that no one would be able to hear my screams ,except of course for those already within our own gate. Yet from memory, I hoped no one would be home, with Michael as an exception. Everyone else should either be at practice or at a friend's house for sure.

With every landmark that we left behind meant that home got a little closer, my heart sank more and more at the thought of it. The silence in the car didn't help, all I got were bitter side glances from the rear view mirror.

"  Cameron?"
" Yes ma'am"
" You're still sleeping with Max so go put your stuff in his room. Also, go get a shower and then come down so we can talk. Okay."

" ..so we can talk.." rung in my head like a bell going off. I mouthed a 'yes' cause my voice seemed to be stuck in my throat. I tried to shake it off as I put my stuff away in the room I shared with Max. As I got in the shower I realized I couldn't do it. I couldn't even breathe.

GWEN'S POV

" Michael.." I yelled out cause he always wore headsets, the kids of these days impossible as always.
" Come let's go pick up food for everyone else."

I had planned it all out in my head, come home , punish Cameron and cook dinner. Ahh, the energy and the mood happened to have died out on the ride home, and I knew that if I didn't do it, Ben was going to say that I'm being too soft with him again and that I'm spoiling him. Again.

NO ONE'S POV

" Cameron? What are you doing home?"
Shaun was always the first home after Michael, and to his surprise he found Cameron but no Michael.
" I'm sorry, welcome home. Why are home? And where the heck is Michael?"
Cameron was fresh from the shower so he had no idea what was currently going on. His arm was in a sling, he had a black eye and he looked scared so Shaun knew that he was definitely in trouble. The corners of his mouth tugged upwards into a smile and a loud snort bust through his lips as he laughed out loud. " What did you do?"

Within a couple of minutes, everyone had come through the front door, and one by one, they all joined in to hear the story. Everyone sprang up when Michael walked through the door with pizza, mum came in with bags of food and drinks. She set everything on the table and walked away with a bag for herself, a box of pizza and two drinks.
No one dared to holla even the slightest greeting after seeing the look on their mum's face and listening to that story. They watched in awkward silence as she burst through the doors of their dad's study.
" I think you should go now." Everyone nodded in agreement. So without thinking twice, he walked up to the doors that led to the study and knocked.

GWEN'S POV

I sent Cameron to first go have a bite to eat before we had a talk even though I knew that he probably wouldn't be able to keep it down. Well, that was just part of the punishment, the anticipation. Awhile later he walked in, palms sweaty and hands slightly shaking. Now I was definitely sure that he hadn't eaten at all.

" Have a seat Cameron. "
I knew looking at him so intently was very unnecessary except to increase his anxiety, so that's what I did. He never looked up, maybe only once or twice but never for long enough to maintain eye contact. He took a seat on the couch right next to the one I and Ben were seated on, eyes fixed on his sweaty palms.

" Cameron, I want you to tell us what happened?"

NOONE'S POV

" .. what happened?" Cameron wondered what she was talking about. What else could they possibly have wanted to hear that they didn't know already. Cameron looked up at Gwen, confused and then he bit the inside of his lip.