Chapter 10
Family game night with my family was normally a dangerous thing. Almost everyone in my family, apart from me and my mom, were very competitive, so if anyone lost, there would be a riot happening. Yet my family always insisted on having a game night.
So far, it was an extremely calm game night. Almost too calm. It wasn't going to be long before someone rioted about losing, or claimed that someone else was cheating.
When it was Alan's turn, he looked at everyone suspiciously before placing down three of the cards in his hand. "Three kings," he said.
"Cheat," Ryder said almost immediately.
"What?" Alan asked. "How did you know? Are you the one cheating?"
"Nope," Ryder said. "You just always look at everyone suspiciously whenever you're planning on cheating, as if that would make it less obvious. Get a different tell."
Alan sighed heavily, flipping over the cards he placed down to show that Ryder was right about him lying. He then picked up every card in the centre of the table, now being the person with the most cards. "This game is bullshit."
"Watch your language," Dad said.
"You swear all the time."
"Not with little kids around."
"Not with little kids around," Alan mocked.
"Watch it," Dad warned. "Or you won't get any pizza when it gets here."
Alan scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in his seat as Orchid took her turn. So the rioting was slowly beginning. It still seemed a bit calm but if Alan got caught cheating again, he would probably knock the table over.
Orchid placed down two aces, and nobody called her bluff. I rarely called someone's bluff in this game unless I knew for a fact they put down different cards from what they said. I didn't want to risk getting all the cards in the dark, like Alan did.
As Mom was taking her turn, my cell phone started ringing. I took it out of my pocket, furrowed my eyebrows at the number I did not recognize. I normally didn't answer numbers I didn't recognize because most of the time, it was spam calls.
However, Alan loved talking back to spam calls so whenever I was around him, I did answer those calls.
"Ooh, is it a spam call?" Alan asked. "Please say it is. I haven't talked back to a spam call in a long time."
I shrugged before answering my cell phone. "Hello?"
"...Hey," Jerome said in a soft voice. "I, uh... I need a favour."
I placed my cards down on the table before getting up from the chair, heading to the kitchen for a bit more privacy during the call. "What number are you calling from?" I asked.
"...The police station."
"The police station? Is everything okay?"
Jerome sighed. "Yeah, I just... The police took all my possessions, including my wallet so I can't even pay the bail they want. I tried calling Brandon but his dumbass isn't answering the phone and I'm still somewhat avoiding my other friends so--"
I cut him off, knowing what he was trying to ask me. "How much is the bail?"
"Sixty-five dollars," Jerome said. "Of course I'll pay you back right away. The police just won't let me pay it myself. They said someone has to do it for me, which is bullshit." I heard someone mutter something, then Jerome slightly pulled the phone away from his ear to talk more to who was by him, judging by his voice sounding my distant. "Well, then let me pay my own bail if you don't want me complaining about how run things here." He sighed before bringing the phone back to him. "Will you be able to come? I understand if you can't but--"
"Hey, don't worry about it," I said. "I'll head over now."
"Thank you," Jerome said. "Really."
"It's no problem," I said. "You would have done the same for me. N-not that I'd get arrested or anything. But... You know."
"I know," Jerome said. "And the police is giving me a dirty look. I think he's trying to tell me to wrap up the call, so want to stay on the call even longer?" Before I could even reply, Jerome continued. "Never mind, he's trying to grab the phone from me. Thanks, again."
"You're welcome," I said before Jerome had to hang up.
I put my cell phone back in my pocket before heading to the dining table where my family was playing the card game. Judging by how none of them were doing anything, it was probably my turn and they were waiting for me.
"I've got to head out somewhere," I said. "Is... Is that okay?"
"What about family game night?" Mom asked.
"It won't take long," I said. "At least, I think it won't..."
Ryder looked at me suspiciously. "Seriously, what's up with all those secret calls?"
"Alan is the one with secret calls," Orchid said.
"I am not," Alan said. "You're the on with secret calls."
Orchid snorted. "I don't have any secrets, Alan."
An argument ended up breaking out between Ryder, Orchid, and Alan, surprisingly not over the game. I bet when I came back from bailing Jerome out of jail, they would be arguing about the game.
While my siblings were arguing, Mom looked at me. "You can go do whatever it is you need to do."
"Thanks," I said. "I really won't be long." I think...
I had to go upstairs to get my wallet before going back downstairs, putting on my shoes. The argument was still continuing so I took the opportunity to leave the house before I could be questioned, yet again, about the 'secret' phone call.
The police station, thankfully, wasn't too far from my house so I was able to walk there no problem. I didn't think my parents would be too happy if I asked them for a ride to the police station to bail out a friend.
When I got to the police station, I had to wait for my turn to talk to the police officer behind the counter. I was a bit nervous when it was my turn, but that was because I was always nervous to talk to someone I didn't know.
I walked up to the counter, fidgeting with the sleeves of my hoodie. "I, uh... I'm here for Jerome Roy."
I hated being so nervous all the time...
Once I paid the bail, the police officer went to get Jerome from the holding cell he was in. I didn't know why Jerome got arrested but wasn't expecting to see him in the state he was in when the officer escorted him over here.
A bruise was forming around his eye, a cut ran down his cheek, and there was dried blood underneath his nose.
I hurried over to him, wrapping my arms tightly around him. "Are you okay? What happened?" I pulled away, gently touching the bruise around his eye.
However, Jerome winced under my touch, slightly pulling his face away. "I'm fine."
"You don't look fine."
"Oh, thanks."
"You know what I mean. So what happened?"
Jerome sighed. "I got drunk in public. Had an altercation. It's just... something happened at my house and I know I handled it poorly but... My impulse isn't that... great."
I didn't want to ask Jerome exactly what happened at his house, for the same reason why he never asked me about my bandages. I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable if he wasn't willing to talk about it.
So instead, I asked, "Need a place to crash?"
"Yeah, but I don't think your family will be too happy with me crashing at your house," Jerome said. "I can just crash at Brandon's. If he ever answers his damn phone."
"I'm sure my mom will be fine with it," I said. "And who cares what my siblings think? They don't own the place."
"Are you sure it will be okay?"
"Yeah. I'll call my mom to make sure, but she'll be okay with it." I mean, I hope she would be okay with it. She never really vocalized her frustration about Ryder's feud with Jerome like Dad did.
Jerome and I left the police station so we weren't in anyone's way while I talked to my mom. Once we were outside, I took my phone out of my pocket to call her. She answered immediately, asking, "Nolan, is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine," I said. "I have a question, though. Can..." Before I asked, I realized if anyone heard the conversation, even just Mom's side, they might try to convince her otherwise. "Is anyone listening? I kind of want to ask you privately."
"They can't hear what you're saying," Mom said.
"But can they hear what you're saying?"
Mom sighed and didn't talk for a few moments, so I hoped she was moving somewhere else. She did. "Alright, no one can hear me. So what is it?"
"Can my friend spend the night over?" I asked. "He needs a place to stay for the night."
"That's what you didn't want anyone to hear?" Mom asked.
"It's Jerome."
Mom was silent for a bit. "Jerome? Jerome Roy? The person Ryder is always fighting with?"
"That's the one. Please?"
"Well, if you're friends with him, then he surely can't be as bad as Ryder makes him out to be. Sure, he can spend the night. Just... be prepared for everyone else's reaction when you come home."
"I will," I said. "And thank you. We'll be there shortly."
"Alright," Mom said. "I love you, Nolan."
"Love you too, Mom," I said. After I hung up, I looked at Jerome. "My mom's fine with it."
"Really?" Jerome asked.
"Yeah, really," I said. "She knows how everyone else is going to react, but she's still okay with it. If it will make you feel any better, they're currently in the middle of family game night and will probably be arguing when we get there."
They weren't.
Unfortunately.
It was like they were waiting for me to come home, even though they could have continued the game without me, because as soon as I walked inside, everyone looked over.
And Ryder did not look happy.
"Nolan," Ryder said. "I have a question. What the hell are you doing letting Jerome into our house?"
Before I could even reply, Dad said, "This is Jerome?"
"Yep," Ryder said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Right, so Nolan, what is he doing here?" Dad asked.
This time, Mom was the one who beat me to a reply. "Jerome needs a place to stay for the night, so Nolan asked if he could stay here. I said yes."
"What?" Ryder asked. "Are you serious? Mom, he's the reason I got detention this week. Now you're just letting him spend the night here?"
"I am," Mom said before looking at Jerome. "Would you like to join our family game night?"
"Thanks, but I don't want to intrude," Jerome said. "But thank you, for letting me stay."
"Oh, so he does have manners," Ryder said. "Shocking."
"Of course I have manners," Jerome said. "I wasn't raised my wolves. Then again, wolves probably have better manners than you."
"Says the one who gets arrested at least twice a month."
"Once a month."
"That doesn't make it any better. You still get arrested."
"Knock it off, Ryder," Mom said.
"Don't take his side," Ryder said.
"I'm not taking anyone's side," Mom said. "Jerome is our guest and if you don't want to treat him like one, the least you can do is ignore him."
I didn't want the arguing to get worse so I said, "I'm just going to show Jerome to my room. Is it okay if I miss the rest of family game night."
"Sure," Mom said.
I led Jerome upstairs to my bedroom. "I can take the floor for the night."
"Uh, no way," Jerome said. "I'm taking the floor. You're sleeping in your own bed."
"But--"
"No buts. You need a proper sleep, don't you? I'll be fine on the floor. I sleep on the floor all the time when I crash at Brandon's. You're already doing enough by letting me stay here. Really. Thank you."
"You're welcome," I said.
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lol i'm surprised i was able to get a chapter up because i'm sick rn
so i'm keeping this author's note short and imma head to bed.