White Lies

Chapter 6

TW BLOOD, GUNSHOTS, PANIC ATTACK. idek what I'm supposed to put here but just know that there is a trigger warning this episode.

Brinley's POV

Books...they can take you anywhere you want to go. From a place where witches and wizards learn the importance of friendship through hardships, to a camp where children of myths fight monsters for the summer. To a school where good and evil isn't as clear as you think it would be to a maze where a bunch of teenage boys roam. 

What ever I read, I am there. Sometimes I'll fight the urge to cross out names and put my own in. I spend multiple hours rewriting endings. Siblings live to see another day together, she avenged him in the right way, she saved all the forgotten and he was immune...all endings that I would sell all my belongings for.

But this isn't a fairy tale. My life is amything but.

I woke up, Vera still asleep. Yesterdays pool fight was tiring and we barely had time to talk to Rowans parents about The Resistance meeting they went to. I slipped into comfortable clothes and walked out of the spare bedroom and into the kitchen. Rowan was already up, Maya was munching on cereal while watching a movie and Ivy was in the kitchen making food.

Mrs. McIntyre INSISTED on being called her by her first name. I didn't mind it but Ve sometimes had a hard time remembering.

"Hey Ivy!"

"Good morning Brinley!" Ivy said looking up from what she was making in the pan. Looked like pancakes.

I sat down next to Rowan, watching the movie with half interest the other half looking down at his phone.

As I sat down, he pulled me into his arms, peppering kisses on my temple and forehead.

"Good morning to you too" I said laughing.

After a few seconds of looking at the screen I turned my attention to Maya.

"So Maya, what are we watching this fine Saturday morning?"

"Brother Bear" She said before putting a piece of cereal into her mouth.

Maya was anything but a sticky iPad kid.

I peeked at Rowans phone, he was look at a news headline.

"FIRST LADY DIES AT THE AGE OF 48"

The next one...

"LUCY BRIDGERTON LEAVES BEHIND A HUSBAND AND THREE KIDS"

Rowan scrolled down the article and a picture of Lucy, Jack, and their three children, Elliot, Karen, and Bianca. I felt bad. Then I felt bad for feeling bad. Yes, these kids lost their mother, but their mother is part of the reason my family is missing.

I started reading in the middle of the article.

"Cause of death has not been explored  further but Mr. President believes that The Resistance is apart of the 'attack'"

I looked at Rowan. The look of confusion washed over his face.

"If the cause of death hasn't been explored further, why did he say it was an attack?"

I gave a shrug and looked more into the article. Reading down a paragraph further.

"President Bridgerton has decided to step down from office immediately after his son, Elliot, is old enough to run for office. The President has voiced his concern to congress about wanting the age to run for president to be lowered and congress has made a law making that any person who is 20 at the age of running is allowed. This will make Elliot Bridgerton able to run in about two years. If Elliot runs, President Bridgerton would of been in office for seven years."

"What if it was an inside job?" I asked Rowan. "The President said he would be stepping down but he doesn't really show any emotion that would be I don't know normal for losing your wife of 19 years."

"Not to side with him," Rowan started, "but everyone copes in different ways. Think about Vera. Her dad threw himself into his work while Ve closed the topic off from everyone."

I nodded, but the idea was still in my mind for the rest of the day.

"Dinner was amazing Ivy!" I flashed a smile across the dinner table while standing up to scrape the rest of my lasagna in the garbage.

Vera got up as well and started doing the dishes. I walked over to the sink to rinse and dry the dishes.

"So, Mom, what's the whole deal with the Ex First Lady?" Rowan asked.

"Well," Ivy started. Before she could finish the window shattered in the living room. Before I knew it, windows were breaking everywhere guns shots raining over the house. Rowan pushed Vera down under the table and grabbed my hand to guide me. Everything moved in slow motion. I dropped on my knees covering my ears with my hands. Tears were streaming down my face. A hand rested on my back. Vera, knowing I was panicking started rubbing circles. I focused on the circle, starting on my lower neck, spreading to my right shoulder blade, then to my mid back, to my left shoulder blade then back to my neck. Then she helped me get out of the table, taking it slow, but I could tell that she wanted to hurry. She led me to the spare bedroom. Rowan, and Maya were already in the room. Maya was fine, tears filled her eyes. Then I looked at Rowan. A cut on his cheek looked deep, one of his ankles looked swollen and little cute from glass peppered his skin.

Ivy busted into the door.

"You have to go"

"Mom, we cant leave you guys here!"

"I told you to leave NOW!"

I have never heard Ivy yell before. That seemed to work for Rowan because he moved right away, going into his room and a second or two later, limping back with his bag. Vera and I followed by grabbing my bag, throwing a few clothes in there and standing by the door.

Ivy shoved a note into Rowans hand, giving him a kiss on the cheek, hugging Ve and I.

I helped Rowan to the door. I grabbed a fist aid kit from the trunk while Vera climbed into the driver's seat. She started the car while I turned to Rowan in the back. He still had the note in his hand, now wrinkled by his hand clenched in pain. I carefully picked up his leg while he winced. He had had injuries like a twisted ankle before. Broken fingers from playing varsity football stuff like that but never anything like this. His eyes closed then opened again slowly as be took a deep breath. He gave me a weak smile. The cut on his face dripped red and as I looked over his arms and legs, spotted with blood. Vera started driving, her knuckles white on the steering wheel.

"Where are we going again?" Vera asked.

Rowan unfolded the piece of paper that was in his pocket.

"The safe house"

We all knew where the safe house was. The house where Vera grew up. In case of emergency we would meet there.

I started cleaning up Rowans legs.

He read over the paper. He opened his mouth to talk, but before words came a person ran in front of the car. Vera slammed into the brakes.

Like I said. Anything but a fairy tale. Being in the middle seat, I flew over the dashboard and hit my head on the window. The window shattered. Everything went black.

Nothing goes right. We dont have information, we don't have a family, we don't have a First Lady. We don't have a lot of things, but right now, I don't have my conscious.