Frozen Mate (boyxboy)

Chapter 12

There is a finite amount of silence I can handle before it becomes unbearable.

There's only so many seconds of stirring my cereal before it becomes too mushy. There's only so many sips of coffee I can take before I'm wired up like the energizer bunny And only so many awkward coughs before something has to be said.

The tension in my family hasn't been this thick since my Dad told us we were moving. I never thought we would be as broken as a family as we were when he hit us with that announcement. But here, silently eating breakfast with sullen faces, I am proved wrong. Even Caroline has nothing to say. For once.

My dad abruptly drops his cutlery and we all jolt.

"We need to talk about what happened." He says.

My face warms up. I don't know what to say. After Christine hung up on me, I spent most of the night imagining scenarios. What was her reaction? Why did she hang up on me? Does she think I'm crazy for considering this proof of the supernatural? I never took the time to come up with an alibi.

"Where were you when the girl -" He pauses, searching for the right word. "Died?"

"I was in the Yearbook room." I lie. I could say I was in the gymnasium, since they wiped the footage, but if it ever was suspected that something happened in there. I wouldn't want anyone knowing I was there.

Even my family.

"How did you get home?" He presses further. "And why on earth weren't you answering our phone calls? We don't pay your phone bill for it to sit in your pocket during an emergency."

I gulp, feeling guilty for omitting so much crucial information. "Rachel drove me home. And my phone was off. I'm sorry."

Only the first part rings some truth. My phone was very much on, but on a farm miles outside of the town center, I had virtually no service. In that state of mind, I probably wouldn't have answered the call even if I had seen it.

"Oh Jack," My mom sighs, disappointed. "We were so worried."

"We're going to have to ground you," My dad says. "Two weeks. No going out."

"What!" I exclaim. My parents have never been stern to us. "That's so unfair! It's not like I killed anybody!"

Both my mom and dad recoil at my bluntness. I look over to Caroline, who I forgot was in earshot of the entire exchange, and I've never seen her appear so pale before. I can't imagine how afraid she was to see someone had been murdered near her school and she must've been so worried knowing I was nearby. I'm being way too selfish.

"It's not meant to be a punishment, per se." My mother explains. "We just want to know where you are and limit your time outside of the house until they arrest someone."

"Don't worry," My dad says. "You're still allowed to work at the bakery tonight. Your mom or I will drive you there and pick you up after."

Oh shit!

On top of the fear of a murderous race of creatures infesting Willow Lake, I also have to work alongside my disgruntled admirer all night for minimum wage. It had completely slipped my mind.

"You know... I should probably quit the bakery." I say expectantly. "Just to be safe."

"Nonsense," My dad says. "It's a great extracurricular activity. And the Blackwells love you."

Not all of them, I think sourly, picturing Vince's expression the last few times I've seen him.

"Speaking of, is Vince driving you to school today?" My mother asks. "I'd be happy to drive you two. I need to talk to Mrs. Smith anyways. She was here when the story broke, she was very worried about your safety."