Denial

Where Are You?

A couple hours later, Norman's phone was ringing. 

And the caller was the person he least expected, his sister.

"Who is that?" Theodore looked down at him, watching him take out the phone from his pocket. The two were trying to eat together in the private dining room, but was then interrupted by the ringing.

How would he explain this? Norman sighed out, "My very dumb sister. She thought it was cool to call me this time."

"Huh."

"Don't get me wrong, this was really unexpected." I hope she isn't going to scream about something very girly. Ugh. Norman looked back at Theodore once he looked at the phone again. "Please give me a moment."

"Of course." 

When he picked up the call, he was met by an innocent cry of a fourteen-year-old. "Nooooorman!!! Mom and Dad keeps thinking you're dead but they don't believe me when I tell them you're not!!!" by gods. She cries so loud her voice appeared to be audible, even without the speaker on. 

"Well, I'm not. I'm just off somewhere," Norman responded, noticing Theodore's unimpressed look and he shrugged. 

"Oh! Off where?"

"I can't tell you, because it's a surprise."

"Aw, man. I really wanted to know because I know you are still alive."

"I wouldn't be calling you if I weren't. Besides, why the hell are you calling me at this time? I think it's like, past bedtime for you."

His sister pouted from the other end of the line. "Because I'm worried and bored! And I can't find your Instagram account and I'm freaking out! Mom and Dad aren't home yet either."

"Well, I'll tell you what's my Instagram account later, when I come back to New York sometime tomorrow. And they aren't home yet?" 

"Yes they aren't. Mom's too busy doing those dumb business thingies. And dad hadn't came home from his dumb fishing thingies. I don't know what to do except watch YouTube, call you, and potentially eat nail polish because I can't cook!"

Norman almost hollered onto the phone. Yikes. And it didn't help that his sister can't do much besides eat frozen food. "Did you at least lock the doors? Crazy shit happens all the time in New York." 

"That's a swear, Norman," she reminded him with a tsk tsk. "And no, I did not lock the doors. I wanna make sure that they come home without using the keys. And also, my friends might come over!" Damn, isn't she the most stupid person on the planet besides Silver Eye? But hey, it's in a cute way. "But where are you? Dad thinks you ran off somewhere, while Mom thinks you raised enough money to get a college dorm."

First off, how would Norman explain this? When he's all the way in Mexico, and living in some Beyblade boot camp rather than working at a McDonald's. Two, his sister would tell their parents in a heartbeat. His mother wouldn't be shocked, but her reaction would be confusion. His sister would probably ask to come along, which wouldn't be helpful one but. And oh gods, his father was a very different story.

"Hellooooo? Where are you? If you don't tell Mom and Dad, then Dad will disown you." whether that was a joke or not was a little vague. "I mean, I think he's joking. But like he said, I probably don't know if he's joking or not!" 

"Cassie, I'll tell you later if you shut up. I'm at a very educational place and you happened to call me, especially when I'm trying to use brain energy."

"Then you go shut down if I shut up. Easy as that."

"No. I can't use my brain if I shut down."