I D K

more than one sound °•

"Hey are you good?" the boy with a mop of brown hair is beside me.

 "Yeah- yes, thank you," I answer. I truly am a little child.

 "I know I'm gonna sound completely pathetic, but I'm really scared and I just- I know we're complete strangers, but, please- I." 

Oh god, I'm pitiful. 

This is the exact reason I didn't want Jack and the others to guide me home, I'm so worthless.

 I don't know. 

"Chill, don't stress, let's just walk," he says soothingly, obviously trying to calm me. 

"Where do you live?" he asks. 

My head snaps up. 

"Sorry, it's just I don't like walking home in the dark. It's unnerving. I kinda hoped we live nearby?" he says sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

 Clearly, he's attempting to help me without letting me know. 

But, I'm too prideful to tell him I know his tactic, "Of course, I live near that huge red maple tree..." 

We finally reach my house. 

"Thank you" I whisper so inaudibly, I'm surprised he even heard.

 "Bye." he breathes. Yet, I don't know if he really said it. 

The stars are out in the indigo sky.

 Once I get inside, I'm met face to face with my parents and brother. "Are you mad?" Mom booms at me. 

"Where were you?" she yells.

 "Why did we give you a phone? Just to keep it in your pocket?" 

She's pissed. 

"We were gonna call the cops," Mom says.

 "Jyia you could've called us." my Dad says, his voice on the verge of a shouting session. 

Finally, I convinced them my locker's lock was busted and my phone was in my locker with my bag, so I wasn't able to call them. And my friend needed me to come to her house for our project and she doesn't have a cellphone. 

They bought the tall tale, but it is actually a pretty good excuse.

 Unlike in the movies. 

In the shows, the main character always spurts the most unbelievable garbage. 

But, I, am practical. 

.    .    .

That night, we got a call from the school, apparently, the institution was shut down for a week, investigation over mysterious smoke. 

I kept thinking, what if the security camera's caught my face? 

Then I remembered how heavy the smog was, no one would be able to tell from the grainy footage of a tiny camera. Or maybe Fiera broke the camera before she did her thing with the freshman... A pit formed in my stomach. 

The Deadlock gang is just hurting people. They are just as bad as the said Headlocks. 

.    .    .

That morning my parents leave for work and Ru for college.

 I'm home alone. Nothing unusual. 

When I was little I was constantly home alone. Only recently, have my family been around to keep me "company".

 When I needed them most, where were they?