Stop Digging: A agad Continuation

~3~

Dinner was quiet, after Val's mother told her father about her project, and her wanted interview he was visibly awkward, dinner was never awkward sometimes just dull, but that can be with any family, anytime.

It was so quiet that the sounds of the scratching utensils on the families china plates seemed loud. James clears his throat and puts his hand to his chest;

"Mom?"

"Oh, yes James?"

"I have a girlfriend at school!"

Valarie snorts putting her hands in front of her mouth to keep her laugh concealed.

Of course he had a girlfriend, her 11 year old little brother, pulling all the babes.

"Hey, doesn't seem like you have a boyfriend!" James retorted rolling his eyes as he did so.

"Your right James I do not, Im focused on school, on my project." Valarie replied, she would admit the last part wasn't meant to be heard and it earned her a look from her family, but it needed to be said." Her eyes return to the clock at the top of the fridge 7:00pm it reads. Valarie excuses herself from the table and walks up her carpet stairs.

'Hey, call meeee!' Claudia texts. Val's phone blinks, and her home-screen pops up, it was a picture of her, Savanna and Claudia all smiling together at a table in the cafe. They were so young, so niave drinking their first sips of there drinks smiling with their braces glued to there teeth.

Pressing in Claudia's number she hops onto the FaceTime;

"Hey!" Claudia exclaims excitedly drawing a smile on Valarie's face.

"Hi, I was wondering what you picked for your mid-year project?" Valarie says, getting straight to the point.

"You know already? Im not surprised, I was thinking maybe revolutions I dunno. What about you?" Claudia finishes.

"I'm doing how the media reacted to Sav's Murder." she says, locking her eyes with a surprised Claudia through the phone screen."

"Oh..."

"Yea, I think it's just a reason to reminisce." Val continues, trying to lighten the mood.

"I mean if it's just on the worlds reaction, you're right." Claudia responds with a weak smile.

"look I gotta go, love ya sister!" Claudia continues pressing the hang up button before Val could respond. It was a little inside joke they had together to add extra smiles.

she had to admit she was nervous tomorrow was the interview with Halil, she thought that he would like to talk, to get the rumours about him off her plate, but alas she still had the same knot in her stomach as before, now it was bigger than ever.

*****