Sugar, Spice and a pinch of Fantasy

Chapter 6

---------- Chapter 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

               “Hello?” I whisper into my phone, heart hammering.

               “I knew you would call, Jessica,” comes Carter’s simple reply.

               “I...how did you do that?” I ask softly, intensely aware the boys will hear me if I raise my voice.

               “Do what?” Carter shoots back, feigning ignorance.

               “Programme your number into my phone and slip that note into my pocket,” I retort, frustration seeping into my voice.

The other end goes silent for a few moments, and I keep checking whether the line has been disconnected.

               “How about I explain all of that tonight? Dinner in town? There’s this quaint little restaurant opposite the theatre. Shall we say eight o’clock?” he continues, as if I’ve already said yes.

Dinner with a stranger?

You want answers, don’t you? Carter may prove to be the only one willing to give you what you want, little devil me reminds me in my head.

               “Yeah, okay,” I murmur, sliding my phone closed.

Okay, so setting up the meeting was the easy part. Convincing my guardian to let me go...now that may be a bit of an issue!

I walk down the stairs slowly and enter the parlour where the guys are watching a movie.

               “Grab a pillow and join us, Jess,” Matt calls, grinning up at me before focusing on the TV again.

I sit down in one of the comfy armchairs and watch the movie unseeingly. “Hey, you guys remember that guy from yesterday, right? Reid?” I ask hesitantly.

               “Uh huh. What about him?” Alex asks distractedly, not bothering to look at me.

               “Oh. Nothing. It just seems like nobody else in school seems to know him,” I confess, hoping one of them may be able to provide insight as to why he seemed to have suddenly disappeared.

               “Weird. Maybe he’s a new student too? Why does it matter though?” Haden asks, passing the bowl of popcorn to me. I politely decline and wrap my arms around my legs, pretending to be engrossed in the movie.

               “Umm...so, I was thinking...do you think I could head to town tonight?” I ask softly.

               “Hmm?” is all I get in response.

               “So? Do you think that would be alright?” I try again.

               “Sorry? You mean heading to town? Why?” Haden asks, his tone immediately suspicious.

Of course he’d want to know why...erm...”I just wanna see the town,” I mutter lamely.

               “Fair enough. We can all go,” he suggests, smiling sweetly...a little too sweetly!

               “Actually...a friend of mine invited me to town. Probably catch a movie or something?” I decide to change my story.

               “You have a friend?” Alex teases meanly from across the parlour.

               “Which friend?” Haden begins his interrogation, turning on the couch to face me.