Stupid Love

Chapter 9

That night, while I was helping fix dinner with my mom and Mrs. Hart, Mr. Hart walked in after work later than usual. He seemed tired, agitated, and paranoid all at the same time. I couldn't blame him though. After all, with Mrs. Hart being a stay at home mom, he's the one who's going to have to make all the money for the new house.

"Hi honey," his wife greeted. "How did work go?"

"Fine," he mumbled, taking off his coat and then taking a seat at the kitchen table. Silence fell upon the room, as Amy looked down at the food on the stove, a meloncoly expression covering her face.

"Caroline, why don't you go get Nancy and Bryce and tell them dinner's ready?" asked my mom. I immediately understood that the adults wanted to be left alone for a few minutes to talk, so I simply nodded and then proceeded to the living room and up the stairs.

Since we only had one guest room, Nancy shared with Bryce. Figuring that's where they were, I knocked, and then opened the door. The two siblings were sitting up in bed, watching a movie on the old T.V. that my mom and I had put in years ago. It used to be mine, but once I got a larger one for Christmas, we both figured to just put it in there.

Leaning up against the wall, I crossed my arms and said, "Wow. You're letting your little sister watch a movie that features kids killing each other for victory. Aren't you just an amazing brother?"

Bryce tilted his head back to look at me, raising an eyebrow. I smiled at him, but he kept his same expression.

"Well, yeah. But at least most of them are conflicted about it," he said, standing up and stretching. "What do you want?"

"Dinner's ready." He nodded before turning and pausing the movie. Nancy followed after us as we made our way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

The adults were whispering to each other, but as soon as we entered the room, their hushed voices became completely silent. The next several minutes were like that, as everyone grabbed a plate and loaded it with food. It wasn't until we were seated and feasting that conversation was finally brought up.

"Bryce," his father started. "I just wanted you to know that since the incident happened, I'll be working even later hours than usual. I'll need you to take care of Nancy and your mother. Understood?"

I sat and watched as Bryce's face hardened even more than before. It was obvious to me that he was trying to block out all emotions. Everytime his expression became exactly like that, it meant he was hiding from something or from someone. Understanding him was beginning to become a tad easier.

"Okay," he answered.

"You and your family are allowed to stay here as long as you like. Caroline and I certainly don't mind," my mom said to Mr. Hart.

"That's very kind of you, but it wouldn't be fair if we intruded," he replied.

"Nonsense! It's not an intrusion. You four can live here until you are completely ready to move into your new house. No matter how long it takes, I am not letting you leave until things are done and done right."

Dinner remained silent for the rest of the evening, except for the small conversation the adults had. Afterwards, I offered to do the dishes and clean up while Nancy and Bryce went to finish their movie. My mom started laundry and Bryce's parents went into the living room, flipping on the news channel. The only thing I caught was that there was going to be some storm coming. My heart skipped a beat, but I pushed the feeling down. I'm not the biggest fan of thunder and lightening, but I'm not exactly terrified of them either. I just happen to get paranoid every now and then.

"Caroline," my mom called.

"Yeah?" I asked, walking up the stairs to the laundry room. She had just finished folding everything and handed me a huge stack of my clothes.