Thicker than Blood - Book One (Watty Awards 2012)

Chapter Four

I was shocked when Elliot suddenly placed his hands on my knees, 'We're here Amelia,' he said softly. I nodded and got out of the car.

Elliot seemed to sense my mood and enveloped me in a hug but it just didn't feel the same as it did with Nathaniel. Still it was sweet and I smiled at the handsome blonde guy, 'Thanks...'

'So about that date... I'm really sorry you're grounded and can't go,' he told me.

I felt guilty now... It was true I couldn't go because I was grounded but I had also told Missy I'd try to get out of it and go to a party with her on that same Friday.

Better be honest with him.

'Yeah, look I really am grounded, but eh... I don't think anyone but my dad knows and he's not here...' I started.

'Oh so you can go?' he interrupted me hopefully.

'Well...'

'You don't want to go? That's okay... I understand, I'm a little old for you I guess anyway,' Elliot said, laughing a little forced at the end.

'No that's not it!' I exclaimed, thinking about how Nathaniel was even older... 'My friend, Missy just asked if I could come to a party with her on Friday... And I forgot, I'm sorry.'

'Oh,' his dazzling smile came back, 'You go have fun at that party hun. We can go out another time, if you still want too...' He winked and ruffled my hair. 'I can wait, after all, I'm just the chauffeur.'

With those last words he sauntered right out of the garage, probably to go home. I stared after him, a little worried that I'd hurt his feelings and feeling rather guilty that I still hadn't made it clear to him that I just wanted to be friends.

The rest of the day I spend playing with Hayden and talking with Missy on the phone again. It was fun to hear her banter with both her brothers in the background occasionally. Although it was mostly with Nathaniel.

I fell asleep that night with Hayden by my side again. He didn't like the house, his room gave him nightmares he told me. The nanny was still not nice according to him as well. She didn't read the bedtime stories the right way.

During the rest of the week I felt increasingly more worried about Hayden, he was complaining about school too. How the kids all hated him and never wanted to play... How the nanny wouldn't let him play with the toys he liked. How Jessica snapped at him every time she saw him. How he hated all the strange men in the house all the time.

Eliza had luckily not paid too much attention to me. She seemed to busy flirting with Nathaniel or any of the other jocks to notice me. After her revenge through making my dad mad at me she seemed content to let things be.

Jessica really didn't seem to know my dad had grounded me, because when I asked her if I could sleep over at Missy at Friday she agreed in a heartbeat. That went way easier then I thought it would... Then again, maybe she was just glad to get me out of the house.