Song: Walk Through the Fire by Zayde & Ruelle
***
Two months later
"Mom, remind my just why we went out to eat on New Year's Day?" Eleanor shouts over the loud buzz of the restaurant. I pull my menu up in front of my face to hide my smirk.
"Should we get an appetizer?" my mom asks, ignoring my sister entirely. I hear a menu slam down on the table and I bite my finger to try and contain a laugh.
"Mooom!" my sister whines. "It's so crowded in here that I can't think!"
"It's tradition," my dad shoots back.
I nearly jump as when I see my mom's hand appear over my menu. Her sparkly New Year's celebration nails peek over the top of my menu, pulling it down sharply. I instantly sit up, trying my hardest to keep a serious face. "And besides, it gives your brother something different to pack for school lunches."
Eleanor rolls her eyes and turns back to her menu. "I'm sure that's the reason," she mumbles next to me.
Our waitress returns with our drinks and takes our orders. After inspecting everyone's glasses, I note I'm the only one without something alcoholic. I motion to my family's drinks. "So, I get to drive home, then?" I say with a grin, and everyone's eyes widen and dart to their drinks.
"How long has it been since I've been in a car that you were operating?" my sister inquires, taking a sip of her mimosa.
I count on my fingers over-dramatically. "A good few months. I promise I don't fall asleep behind the wheel anymore," I joke, flashing my brightest smile.
***
The waitress sets a hot plate in front of me, and I watch the steam rise in swirling clouds of white. I'll tell you what, anyone who says that perfect doesn't exist has never seen a freshly cooked ribeye.
"Enjoy!" the waitress trills, trotting off to her next table.
The napkin beside my plate is blood red. I unravel it and place it in my lap, picking up the steak knife and fork and slicing into my dinner.
"So, Mitchell," my dad says, talking as he loudly chews his food. I cringe. "How's school? You don't talk much about it anymore."
My knife scratches my plate, making a sound comparable to nails on a chalkboard. "Oh, uh, it's good. Just busy with musical and all," I lie.
In reality you're sitting there every day stressing about whether or not the government is going to come after your family but hey, you're passing your classes, right? I think to myself. Ha, no. Let's face it - you're getting a D in French right now.
"Ooh that's right, and Alissa quit, didn't she?" my mom adds, furrowing her brow.
She was murdered in a janitor's closet after rehearsals one night, I tell myself. "Technically she was, uh, pulled, from school," I say, not completely lying. "And that's how Bailey landed Jasmine." But it would have been Eliana, had Bailey been caught murdering Alissa.
Thankfully, both of my parents turn to Eleanor after that. I eat quietly, not wanting to butt in and interrupt. It's strange how cautious I am now, about everything regarding my family. I lie to them so much now that they don't even know me anymore, and that scares me.
They don't know that their lives rest in my hands. They don't know why my grades have been dropping. Why I haven't been sleeping well. Why I've been stressed. They think it's just my workload at school, but little do they know it's so much more than that.
