Golden Boy

F O U R

I sat quietly in the back of my car. My parents, unaware of the internal turmoil I faced, as we drove back to Ardsely. I wasn't sure of what Jace was doing in that room, but I do know that it wasn't something innocent. If something went missing or was damaged in any way, it would be safe to say that Jace was at fault, and I was one of the only people who knew that so far. 

I hoped that someone couldn't find a way to blame me as well since I didn't immediately report anything, but I never got the chance since Jace had dragged me out of there. Then my parents had found me on the way to the car, which didn't give me a chance to turn back to the museum and alert them of anything suspicious without arising concern from my parents. 

It probably wasn't the smartest thing for me to keep quiet about this, but I don't think that I have much of a choice at this point. A lot was happening that I didn't have an explanation for, and the question that constantly ran through my head was, why me?

Why was I suddenly encountering all of these situations that didn't make any sense? What did I walk into without knowing? I needed someone to explain everything right away, but I knew that getting anything out of Jace would prove to be difficult. He didn't seem too happy about me knowing his secrets. Whether I would be keeping them, is up to him now. His next moves needed to include a solid strategy to get me on his side, otherwise, I'll be forced to spread everything that he has been hiding. 

My mom's face appeared in my vision as she waved a hand in my face to get my attention. I took out my headphones and turned my attention to her. "Are you okay?" Her eyes search mine for any indication of something being wrong. "You've been acting weird ever since we left the museum. Did something happen?" 

I cleared my throat and shook my head. "Everything is fine. I'm just happy to be headed home now."

My mom offered me a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. She didn't seem too convinced, but I wasn't in the mood to explain my behavior at this moment. "Okay," she says letting out a sigh and looking over to my dad who was driving. He didn't seem as concerned, but then again my mom has always been better at recognizing my different moods. 

The conversation ended there and we arrived back home ten minutes later. It was already past midnight so I said my goodnight and holed myself in my room. Before I could relax, I had made it a new habit to double-check every corner of my room to make sure I was alone. I checked the lock on my window to see if it was still secure, not that I think it would stop anyone who really wanted to get inside. I didn't lock my bedroom door, in case I needed a quick exit or if my parents needed to come inside. 

The next morning, I had trouble focusing so I called up Cami to hang out. I needed to get out of the house and stay distracted for a couple of hours. We made plans to get lunch at Mama's Diner, a local restaurant with really good milkshakes, and I was happy to get ready to leave the house. 

I waited in one of the booths, eyes starring unfocused at the menu the waitress gave me, as I killed time before Cami showed up. We agreed to meet at 2 pm, but I left my house early since I was already ready and needed to get some fresh air. 

"Hey," Cami greeted me as she slipped into the booth opposite of me, Dave closely following in. "I brought Dave with me. I hope that's alright." Dave sends me a meak smile, seeming awkward about the situation. 

 I tried smiling back. "I was actually avoiding him," I teased. "It's been a minute, Dave. How are you?" 

He eases into the booth, and runs a hand through his hair, relaxing a bit. "I've been good. You haven't been out in a minute, so that's why we haven't seen each other. What are you so busy with these days that you can't take a break to get drunk with your buddies?"