All of us seemed to of inherited the brow rubbing that I was now doing. It seemed that when ever we were tired, stressed, embarrassed or deliberately diverting our gaze we all scratched one of our eyebrows with the tip of our thumb nail. I did so now as I was drowning in the stress I felt. My parents had only just stopped screaming at Lance and so the house was brimming with tension and anger.
Ella had fallen asleep leaning on my shoulder. She had poured out her emotions about her relationship. So I knew and some she had kept deeply hidden. I hugged her shoulders and kissed her crown in a motherly fashion before getting up and gently laying her head on my pillow. We had been leaning against my bedroom wall while watching the films and so instead of waking her I decided to just let her sleep there. I pulled the duvet up to her shoulder before tiptoeing around the room to turn off the TV and DVD player and silently tidy away all the drinks and sweet packets that littered the floor. I then slowly tiptoed out the room and quietly pulled the door closed so it was just ajar. As I wander down the hall to the guest bedroom, I wandered into Lance's room to see how he was doing.
"Hey!" I announced myself.
"Hey!" Lance replied.
I could see the bruises that were already showing. My father hated violence and would never lay a finger on us so I could imagine his apology in the morning when he saw the bruises. Lance noticed me staring at them and quickly pulled on a high necked jumper.
"I deserved it," he mumbled.
I smiled weakly, "I understand stay out for dinner but coming in at nearly midnight is asking for trouble."
"I know," he laughed.
"What happened?" I asked, "You never break curfew!"
"I fell asleep," he replied.
"You fell asleep?" I questioned sceptically.
"Yeah...we both did...one minute we were talking and the next it was almost eleven," he recalled.
I smiled weakly, "Next time at least call one of us to tell us you might be late. Even a text is better than this."
He snorted, "Yeah!"
"Punishment?" I asked.
"Cleaning the toilets, bins and dumpsters at Dare's publishing," he replied, "Could get worse I suppose."
I smiled, "Don't let mum hear you say that!"
"Yeah," Lance laughed.
"Well I'm gonna go downstairs for a drink. You want one?" I asked.
"Covered," he said flashing a glass of brandy.
"Lance! You're fifteen..."
"Dad gave it to me!" He replied, "it's for the pain more than anything."
I sighed, "I'll double check that with dad."
Lance simply smiled as I left the room. I wandered downstairs with my head full of thoughts. I wasn't mad at Lance for coming home late or for sleeping with Miss Naraway but I was frustrated at the time he picked to do this at. After the God knows how many months of him meeting her after school, he had to pick tonight to be the night to come in late and freak us out. Jason didn't need this to worry about and Shannon sure as hell didn't need to listen to it.
I reached the bottom of the stairs and wandered towards the kitchen when I heard the soft whispers of my parents. I pondered on whether to make my presence known but decided against it when I heard them talking.
"What do you mean it's back?" My mother hissed, "I thought it was gone."
"Obviously not!" My father replied sarcastically.
"Well we need to tell the children!" Mum whispered.
"No!" Dad replied firmly.
"Why not?" Mum asked.
"Because they have enough on their plate with worrying about Bradley and Jason and Shannon and what with Lance tonight..."
"We have to tell them at some point!" My mother pleaded.
"No!" Dad told her.
"We have to!"
"No!"
"But why?"
"Leave it alone Alex!"
"I can't David! Why can't we tell them!"
"Because I said NO!" My father shouted.
I was as shocked as my mother was at my father raising his voice at her. In my entire life they had never shouted at each other. Sure the had argued, but it had never escalated to this level because my father always ending up giving in to my mother. This was a shock bigger than anything else this week.
My father must have seen the shock and almost fear in my mother's eyes because he pulled her into his embrace and held her there and gently stroked her head. He planted a kiss on the top of her head and lingered there for a few moments.
"I'm sorry Alex. I didn't mean to shout at you," my dad whispered.
"I know!" My mother replied, "I just think they have a right to know but I agree with your decision."
"You do?" My father questioned.
"You have always supported me so I'll support you!" My mother replied, "But promise me that you will tell them at some point!"
Dad sighed, "I promise. I'll tell them after Lance turns sixteen, after his birthday."
I could see though the ajar door, my mother nodding in agreement, "OK!"
"I love you Alex Ride."
"I love you David Ride!"
My parents embraced each other in a full passionate kiss and I chose that moment to leave as I didn't wish to witness my parents private moment and be labelled as a pervert. I rushed silently back upstairs. Before I ran into my room to collapse on the bed, I checked in on Shannon in the other guest room. She lay on the furthest left side in soundless slumber. I softly closed the door again before going into the room next door. I literally fell into bed with racing thoughts of what could be so terrible that my parents would fight over it. One thing was for sure, my siblings were not going to find out. I scratched my eyebrow with one last weak action.