Hide (Sequel to RUN)

Chapter 11

"No. I'll make it. The only thing you are going to do is wear it," the laughter was suddenly gone from his face. "And you better wear them, Lekia. Or all your etiquette training is going through me again." My face fell.

So much for a nice father-daughter moment.

"Yeah?" he questioned. It was his way of asking if I understood. I finished off my milk in a large gulp, slammed the cup down, and began to walk past him.

"Crystal," I muttered as I stalked by.

~~~~~~~~~~

I walked a ways from the house before slipping my cell phone out of my pocket. I swiped the screen this way and that before pulling up Em's contact. I would join the calls. Easier to talk with them all at once instead of making seven different calls.

"Hello?" Em answered.

"Yeah, hold on." I did this six more times, calling Kala, Keke, Levi, Luliana, Valda, and An.

"We all here now?" I asked. A chorus of yes' greeted me.

"So... you guys wanna have a sleepover?" There was silence at the other end of the line.

"You what?" Valda finally spoke up. "Honey, you barely talk to us. Now you want a sleepover?"

"Long story. So what do you guys say?" Silence.

"I barely get out," Luliana's voice distinguished itself from the silence. "I'm in."

"Well, crap. Of course I'm in," Valda chimed up. The four others piped up quickly. They were all in for it.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Em's voice. "You were barely talking at the psychiatrist."

"You were at the psychiatrist?" An this time.

"Another long story." I swiped some loose hairs back from my face, smirking a little. "It involves a taser."

"I'm sorry, did you say a taser?" Luliana.

"Yes, yes. How does this Friday sound?"

"That was quite the change in subject, darling," Valda commented.

"Friday, anyone?" I smiled. "Come on. Help me out!" One after the other, the girls declared that Friday would be good for them.

"So, about that taser," Valda began.

"Gotta go, bye!" I uttered very quickly. Then I hung up the call and sighed.

"What have I done?" I asked myself. I brought my phone up again in a kind of mad panic. My fingers flew across the screen, pulling up Tristan's contact and pressing the call button.

"Hello?" Tristan answered. He sounded a little groggy.

"Were you sleeping?" I asked, starting to pace.

"Ummm, yeah. Must've. Still a little foggy," he mumbled into the receiver. "Sorry...were you talking in a British accent?"

"I don't think I was," I commented, but I noticed it this time. I was speaking with a British accent.

"I guess I am. Sorry," I realized, still not bothering to drop the accent. "Sometimes I do it when I get stressed."

"I know you do, Lekia. I've known you your whole life," he kept mumbling. It wasn't like him to mumble. "Why are you stressed?"

"Can I come over?" I asked. "It's been a long day. I need my big brother."

"Yeah," he mumbled again. "Wanna meet in our spot?" I agreed and signed off, but continued to clutch my phone to my chest. Why was I so nervous about this?