Midnight Paws

Chapter 10: Valuable Information

It figures, that out of all the stuff that happened since we got here, Spencer's silence bothered me the most.

I studied him across the supper table as he silently spooned vegetables into his mouth, still only exchanging pleasantries with me from time to time.

His lack of words felt like I was being eaten from the inside out and I seriously considered blurting out the truth right there at the table.

The events of the day mattered about as much as the food I absently ate out of my plate, and the importance of our friendship repeatedly slapped me in the face.

Ever since Spencer first became part of our family at Calli's age, when the terrible car accident took his parents and his little brother, we understood each other. I don't know if it was because we weren't directly descended from Addison and Matthew, who we treated like our parents or if we were just that alike.

But even through the rebellious stages Spencer went through, he still told me everything that was happening. For a good while our parents conversed with me whenever they needed to know where he was, I never lied to him or our parents.

Well, I didn't before we got here.

"Are you excited to see the orphanage? Maybe we will find out more about your parents there!"

Absently I heard mom ask me this in the background, but I was engrossed in my thoughts that it didn't truly register in my brain before I mumbled in response, "Yeah, sure."

It took a second for what she had actually said to sink into my brain properly, and when it did, looking up, I realized for the second time today, that all eyes were on me.

"Oh, sorry mom," I said, not partial to all the attention I was getting.

I was silent for a second before it dawned on me that they were still waiting for an answer. I scratched my neck nervously as I answered.

"I'm sort of excited, but pretty nervous that they are just going to tell us what we already know."

Dad placed a hand on my shoulder, looking at me, obviously concerned.

"Are you okay Ajei, you seem distracted."

In the background, I noticed Spencer start eating again.

"It's nothing, I'm just worried about what we are going to learn at the orphanage."

A lump formed in my throat, if I was Pinocchio, my nose would have been a foot long.

Lies, lies, that is a lie, my subconscious screamed at me.

And I didn't even have a good reason to be lying, I could have said that Spencer and I are fighting, which would have at least been the truth.

Spencer looked up and met my eyes before looking back to his plate.

"You don't have to be worried Ajei, if they don't know anything new then we haven't lost anything, we have nothing to lose from going to see."

God bless my dad, I thought as I looked over at him, why was he so amazing, he had succeeded in making me feel bad again.

"Spencer and I are fighting." I blurted out like word vomit.

Spencer's head whipped up, and he studied me again, looking at me strangely.

My parents exchanged a glance before mom looked at me, "That sucks, but I have confidence you will make up, eventually."

Glancing over at Spencer I wasn't so sure, I was stupid to have lied to him in the first place.