Friday Night Dinner

Secrets and Attics

I knocked on the door, same as every week.

"Hello, love!" Jackie smiled.

"Hello, Jackie. Something smells nice!" I complimented Jackie. "Are the boys here?" I asked.

"No, not yet. Probably late- oh no, here they are." Jackie looked behind me, and I saw Adam's red car park in the drive. When is that thing going to break down?

"Hi, boys." Jackie shouted as they got out the car.

"Hi, mom." Adam said, walking into the house.

"Hiya, mom. Hi, Esme." Jonny smiled at me. I smiled back. We both walked into the kitchen.

"Hello, bambino's. You alright, Esme?" Martin walked in topless.

"Hi, dad. Boiling again?" Adam asked.

"Absolutely sweating. Who's going to help me in the shed then?" Martin looked around and everyone individually.

"Excuse me?" Jonny said after a minute of silence and confusion.

"Who's going to help me hide my magazines in the shed?" Martin said as if we should've known that.

"Dad, just throw them in the trash!" Adam groaned.

"Well, I've got to go- do something, me and Esme will be out in a minute." Jonny said. We ran out the room and heard Adam moan as he got dragged outside. Jonny grabbed my hand and pulled me upstairs. He locked his bedroom door, and we sighed.

"Jonny, we can't keep doing this." I whispered. This secret relationship has been going on for a couple of months now.

"I know, but you know my family, how they will all react."

"I just don't like lying to them all, especially your mom." I said.

"I know. Soon, okay?" Jonny hugged me. I would've stayed like this, but we heard Adam screaming our names.

*** in the shed ***

I tried reaching for a box, and realised it was to high up. I grabbed a stool and stood on it, only to realise it wasn't stable. The stool wobbled, and I tried to hold on, but ended up falling off.

"Ow." I managed to groan out.

"Esme, you alright?" Jonny came over and helped me up.

"Esme, what are you doing on the floor?" Martin asked.

"I was just trying to get a box from the top shelf. Sorry." I chuckled.

"Hello? Anyone? If anyone's interested, dinner's done!" Jackie yelled from the house.

*** dinner ***

"Lovely bit of squirrel, Jackie." I said.

"Aww, thank you, Esme." Jackie said.

"So, Jonny, Adam, any females?" Martin asked. Jonny choked on his food, whilst Adam just groaned.

"Dad, for the last time, stop calling them females!" Jonny said, his eyes drifting to me near the end.

"To answer your question, no I haven't got any 'females'." Adam responded. Everyone looked at Jonny.

"What?" He said.

"Jonny, have you got a girlfriend?" Jackie started to get excited.

"What? I-uh, yeah, you know what, I have." I looked over at Jonny, who had a nervous smile on his face.

"What! Jonny? Seriously?" Adam and Jackie both said.

"Yeah, mom. Everyone, meet my girlfriend." Jonny smiled at me.

"Well, where is she?" Jackie asked.

"Mom, she's right there." Jonny looked at me.

"What? Esme?" Adam yelled. The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Both me and Jonny jumped up and ran to the door.

"That went well." Jonny said to me as we opened the door.

"Hello, Jack- you're not Jackie." Jim said.

"No, I'm Esme. You talked to me last week, Jim." I smiled.

"Oh yes. Ellie." Jim replied. I didn't bother correcting him.

"What do you want Jim?" Jonny asked.

"Uh, it seems your roof is making a funny noise." We all listened and heard nothing.

"Thanks, Jim. We'll keep an eye on our roof." Jonny smiled and shut the door.

"Jonny, do you think we shouldn't of told them?" I said.

"Nah, it'll be fine." Jonny put his arm around my shoulder as we walked into the dining room again.

"What did Jim want?" Martin asked.

"Said the roof was making noises." Jonny said.

"I was up there earlier, there's nothing up there." Martin said.

"How long has this been going on then?" Jackie looked at me and Jonny.

"A couple of months." I said.

"I'll take the plates in." Jonny took the plates and I followed him in. I got onto my tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.

"Ooohhh." Adam mocked.

"Shut up, Pusface." I said. Me and Jonny high fived.

"Maybe we should go and check the attic." Jackie said as she walked in.

"Alright, Jonny and Esme, come with me." Jonny groaned as Martin dragged us up into the attic.

*** back in the living room ***

"Nothing." Martin said.

"I've gone cold again." I noticed. "Oh, for crying out loud, I've left my jacket upstairs." I ran upstairs and back into the attic. I looked around and walked carefully over to the other side of the attic and grabbed my jacket. I heard a thud, and saw the light from below disappear. "Oh no. Hello? Hello!" I yelled. I started hitting the door, but it was no use. Nobody will open it.

I grabbed my phone, and saw that it will be near impossible to text someone on 1%. I text Jonny really quickly, before my phone ran out.

Me: STUCK IN ATTIC!!!

Jonny: What?

Me: OPEN ATTIC!!!

My phone died, and I hope Jonny understood what I was asking. I continued to hit the door and yelled 'help' over and over. I heard a noise, and got excited, until I realised the noise was in the attic with me.

"Hello?" I said. I know it was probably stupid, but they would've known I was in there anyways with all my shouting.

I heard footsteps and a shadow, and screamed. The door opened and I jumped down, missing the ladder. I fell, but never reached the floor. Jonny had caught me.

"Very cheesy." He laughed.

"Something's up there. Jim wasn't kidding. I saw- I saw a shadow, and footsteps, and I'm not going crazy." I said in one breathe.

"Okay, okay, calm down." Jonny tried to calm me down.

Everyone walked up to the attic, and I stayed directly behind Jonny whilst directing them. Jonny shined the torch in the direction of the shadow, and we all screamed as we saw Jim turn around.

"Bloody hell!" Martin yelled.