Not A Finch

Chapter 8: Gone

Gone.

They've all been gone for a while now. At least four hours.

Hunter and Calloway had bolted from the table after they heard the front door slam and the squealing of wheels down the driveway.

They were afraid Rue would do something stupid, like pick a fight with a group of people or crash the car or something dumb. He never thought clearly when he was angry.

Augustus had left an hour later to help, leaving only Adair, Oscar and I in the house.

The kitchen had a dangerous air to it, a sulky kind of taste that only seemed to grow stronger the closer it got to the corner where Adair sat, gripping the sides of his book with white knuckles. He was still furious and I was doing my best to only breathe twice every minute so I wouldn't attract unnecessary attention to myself.

I so didn't need Adair's wrath. No, Rue could have that.

I take a small breath my eyes cutting over to Adair who flips a page in his book.

So far so good.

"They're here." Oscar breaths sounding relieved. He turns away from the window, allowing the curtains to brush from his fingers as he pushes away from the glass that he had been glued to since Augustus left. Our eyes meet and he gives me a genuine dimpled grin. I resist the urge to smile back at him, at any other time I would, but I'm still annoyed with him for ruining my kiss with Connor. And, just because we were momentarily distracted with the news of Hunter losing his job did not mean he was off the hook.

His smile drops as he quickly averts his eyes form me, allowing his dark wavy oak brown hair to shadow his face.

The sound of Adair snapping his book closed makes me flinch, drawing my eyes away from Oscar and to him. His eyes are squinted as he sets them on the entry way of the kitchen. Crap, I hope they don't start fighting again. I quickly slide out of my seat and head to the front door. The sound of muffled voices and loud footsteps makes me open the door slowly. I carefully peak my head out.

I take in my three eldest brothers who had formed a half circle around Rue.

"No! I said I'm not apologizing! He started it not me!" Rue yells attempting to push pass Augustus only for the white haired boy to grab his arm pushing him back against Hunter's chest.

"Even if he started it, you're ending it. Now, I said go apologize and that's what you're going to do." Calloway says his voice low and commanding. It was his tight lipped voice, the voice he used when things were final. It had a mother ring to it, or what I expect a mother to sound like. Zach had said it sounded like being called when you know you did something wrong, and you hear you first, middle, and last named. It was the voice he used to use on us when we got in trouble when we were younger.

"Why can't he apologize?" Rue challenges his voice taking on a softer whiny hilt as he stares up at Calloway.

"Rueben we spent four hours looking for you. If you don't listen to Calloway I'll make sure the police spend forever looking for your body." Augustus clenches his jaw, glaring at Rue.

"You heard them." Hunter says pushing Rue towards the front door.

Rue stumbles before righting himself and walking up the porch steps. "Fuck all of you." I hear him grumble under his breath as he pushes past me to.

"Oh good, you found him." Oscar says rounding the corner with a smile.

Rueben stops walking and crosses his arms over his chest. "Where is that idiot?" He asks turning between Oscar and I.