As Lin's car rolled into the driveway, the sight that greeted us sent a shiver down my spine. Emily's car sat parked alongside ours, indicating her unexpected presence at home. Confusion etched on our faces, Lin and I exchanged a glance before stepping out of the vehicle. The front door stood ajar, revealing Emily's agitated figure pacing back and forth in the entryway, her phone clutched tightly in one hand while the other wiped away beads of sweat.
In a flurry of anxiety, Emily punched in a number on her phone, the call ringing out into the tense silence of the house. As the voicemail picked up, her panic escalated. "Shit, shit, shit!" she muttered under her breath, her distress palpable.
"Mom! Mom, what's wrong?" Lin's voice cut through the air, her urgency evident as she rushed to Emily's side. But Emily remained preoccupied, her attention consumed by the unanswered call.
"Mom, stop it! Tell me what happened right now," Lin insisted, seizing the phone from Emily's grasp.
"It's Steven," Emily finally explained, her voice strained with worry. "He hasn't been to school for the entire month."
"What?" Lin's incredulous response hung in the air, tinged with suspicion. Something didn't add up, and Lin's demeanor only fueled my growing unease.
Without hesitation, Lin bolted upstairs, and I trailed behind her, a barrage of questions flooding my mind. Bursting into her room, I confronted her, my voice trembling with apprehension. "Okay, what's up?"
Lin's evasive response only deepened my concern. "What are you talking about?" she deflected, her attention fixated on her phone as she dialed another number.
"Lin, what's going on?" I pressed, my voice tinged with fear.
"Steve is nowhere to be found, Cassie," she admitted, her voice tinged with frustration. "Mom literally just told us two minutes ago."
"Yeah, but you know where he is, right?" I prodded, desperate for answers.
Lin's sudden stillness sent a chill down my spine. "You... you know where he is," I repeated, my voice barely a whisper.
Slowly, Lin nodded, and I gasped in shock. "Where is he?" I demanded, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I don't know," Lin confessed, her expression haunted by uncertainty. "Every time he's disappeared before, he's always been at the games room. But not this time. I've tried calling his friends, but even they don't know where he is. Maybe he's at..." Her voice trailed off, a heavy silence enveloping us.
As Lin struggled to articulate her thoughts, I followed her gaze to the door, where Emily stood with tear-stained cheeks, her gaze ablaze with anger. "Mom," Lin's voice quivered with fear.
"Where is Steven?" Emily's voice cracked with desperation, her eyes boring into Lin with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.
"I don't know!" Lin's voice rose in defiance, her hands clenched into fists. "I mean, I'm not sure, but I saw flyers in his room about an esports tournament today, and I think that's where he is."
"Where is it?" Emily's demand was urgent, her patience wearing thin. But Lin remained silent, her gaze fixed on Emily with a solemn expression.
"For goodness' sake, tell me where the tournament is, Lin!" Emily's voice escalated to a scream, but still, Lin offered no response.
With a deep breath, Emily composed herself, her tone eerily calm. "Linda Hansley, I will count to ten. If you don't tell me where that tournament is by the time I reach ten, you will be grounded for ten months, without your phone, and with double chores."
The tension in the room was palpable as Emily began to count, her gaze locked on Lin. But before she could even utter a single digit, Lin cracked, blurting out the location of the tournament in a rush of panicked words.
Without a moment's hesitation, Emily snatched her car keys and stormed toward Steve's room, determination etched on her face.
"Way to go, snitching on your brother," I couldn't help but criticize Lin's impulsive confession.
"I didn't want to get grounded," Lin shot back, her frustration evident as she buried herself in her phone.
"She didn't even get to one, let alone ten," I pointed out, but Lin's response was a dismissive eye roll as she continued her conversation.
As the tension lingered in the air, I couldn't help but wonder what would unfold next in this unfolding family drama.