Before the Morning [BEING EDITED]

23 | Nothing

Nora had just settled on the living room floor when Nolan's cell phone rang.

He frowned, finger hovering over his screen. He glanced at her, then the others, then the kitchen. With a small sigh, he forced himself off the couch and out of the living room.

"I vote we watch—"

"No, you don't get to vote," Willow said from her place in front of her flat screen TV, pointing a DVD accusingly at Max. "You lost all voting privileges."

Max lounged innocently on the couch. "Hey, I was just getting into character," he said, holding up his hands. He couldn't even say it with a straight face.

Willow pretended to throw a DVD at his face, and he flinched, shielding himself with his hands.

"You still getting into character, James?" Andy asked.

Max chucked a throw pillow. Andy dodged, and the pillow hit Erin instead. She blinked. "Ow."

They laughed.

"What?"

All eyes veered to the kitchen. Nora's eyebrows creased.

"Is everything okay in there?" Willow asked, gesturing to the kitchen.

"I'll check," Nora said. She hoisted herself off the floor.

She peeked into the kitchen just as Nolan shoved away from the counter, jaw taut. She tensed. What was wrong?

"What the hell?" he demanded, and her stomach squeezed. "Who—?"

He stopped. His eyes widened.

"Johnny." His free hand clenched into a fist.

Nora stepped slowly into the room, toying with her necklace.

"What about Sam?" he asked.

So, this was about Caleb. She reached him and placed a hand on his arm. What that was supposed to do for him, she didn't know, but there wasn't much else she could do—not yet.

His jaw worked; his eyes distant.

"Nolan," she said. "Nolan, what's wrong?"

"I'll get him," he said. He hung up, and faced her. "I need someone to give me a ride," he said, voice soft, calm on the surface, but sizzling underneath. "Caleb's hurt."

Her eyes widened. "I'll get Andy."

✝

"So, what's going on?" Andy asked, looking through the rearview mirror, at Nolan. "Nora said something happened to Caleb?"

Nora followed Andy's gaze. Nolan faced the window as he said, voice devoid of emotion, "He got in a fight."

"What?" She whipped around in her seat. "That doesn't sound like him."

"He wasn't the one doing the fighting."

Her eyes widened. Oh.

What did Johnny do?

"What the hell, man? Who's the kid?"

She reached for Nolan's hand and squeezed. He squeezed back.

"A kid from school," he said, letting go of her hand.

Silence draped over them. It pressed down on her, too hard. She did her best to keep her gaze on the road, but she couldn't help but periodically glance at the rearview mirror, at Nolan's troubled frown.

Soon enough, Andy pulled into the driveway of a one-story ranch bungalow. He wasn't even able to park the car before Nolan hopped out, the door slamming behind him.