Chapter TWENTY-Two
• Charlie •
I walked to the car infuriated. From behind me I could hear my step brothers walking to their car and their friends following behind. They weren't going to watch me drive off or anything. By the time I was in the back seat with my seat belt on, they were already out of the school parking lot. Gone.
"You okay, Charlie?" Taylor asked me, turning around to look at me in the back seat.
"I'll survive."
Jason looked at me through the rear view window. "They were out of order. What was that even about?"
"I think it was about them using any excuse to have a go at me." I said, even though that was only a fraction of the truth.
By the time Jason pulled up in front of their house, I was feeling weird. I was starting to wonder whether I had made the wrong choice. After all, where was Billy? Surely he knew that my stepbrother's would have said something to me after the game? I didn't recall seeing his car in the parking lot.
I was beginning to have a bad feeling.
I sighed and texted Billy: hey, where did you go after the game? X.
The text message sent just as I followed Jason and Taylor inside their house. They led me through to the kitchen and I sat down at the table with Taylor.
"You want ice cream?" Taylor questioned me.
I shrugged. "Whatever."
"I'll get you ice cream." Taylor decided for me, standing up and going over to the fridge.
Jason glanced at me. "I'm guessing suddenly being the Lakewood brother's sister isn't going as well as you hoped?"
"You think?" I sighed. "It's torture."
Jason shrugged. "Could be worse, right? You could be Jack Williams stepsister. Imagine that."
I shuddered at the thought. "It would be worse to die. Jack's a dick."
Taylor brought the ice cream over to the table along with two spoons. It was my favourite: chocolate cookie dough.
"Ew, I can't even think about it! I'd never be able to go round to your house ever again!" Taylor exclaimed.
Jason nodded. "I can't object. I can't stand the guy. Besides, you of all people should keep your distance from him."
"Why should Charlie keep her distance from him? He's just a jerk." Taylor said as she sat down besides me.
Jason opened a can of Coke that he had just retrieved from the fridge. "Jack came to the party, the night Alice died."
I thought back to the party Jason threw. It was packed and it was like the whole school was there. It didn't surprise me Jack was there. Everybody was there.
"So? Half the school was at the party." I said. "Even us and we weren't supposed to be there."
"Alice wouldn't have been either if I hadn't of pressured her to come." Jason admitted, his voice full with regret.
I shook my head. "Jason, it's not your fault. You weren't behind the wheel of that car. You couldn't have known." I told him.
I didn't blame Jason for pressuring my sister to go to his party. Alice needed to get out of the house, especially with all the arguments my parents were having. I just wished I had gone home with her that night. She left before me. I should have been with her.
"Well, Jack could have prevented what happened to Alice." Jason told me.
Jack?
I bit my lip, imagining the worst. "Jack had something to do with my sister's death?" I questioned, my eyes watering. The papers and the police never mentioned Jack Williams. Never. Not even once.
"Wait, wasn't it that girl Kiera that was driving the other car that night?" Taylor asked. "What did Jack have to do with it? I only remember Kiera, her name was all over the news."
The memories of the news stories flashed through my mind. Echoes of the name Kiera O'Connor swirled around my head like a lingering butterfly. The memory of the headline intoxicated Highschooler kills Long Shore High's golden girl is all I can see.
"Yes. Keira O'Connor killed her. And they're both dead because of it." I replied.
Jason nodded. "Kiera O'Connor did kill Alice, but Jack Williams contributed to what happened." Jason told us.
"Contributed? What do you mean?" I persisted.
"I saw them leave. Jack and Kiera got in the car together and left the party. They were fighting and Kiera was clearly drunk."
"Jack was in the car that killed my sister?" I whispered, tears threatening to spill.
Jason nodded.
Taylor didn't look convinced as she looked to me with sympathy. "Who got in the drivers seat?" Taylor questioned, searching for clarity to ensure my peace of mind.
"Kiera O'Connor." Jason answered. "But they were arguing."
I bit my lip. "Was Jack drunk? Do you think he was in the car when she killed Alice? How come I'm only just hearing about this?" I questioned as a million questions made their way into my head.
"No, Jack seemed sober. He just seemed angry. He chased Kiera down the driveway as she was walking away from him. It was obvious the two of them had just had some sort of fight. It would have been all over school the next day if the accident hadn't become the talk of the school." Jason explained.
"I guess someone's death really does affect petty gossip, huh?" I laughed, bitterly.
I was tired of gossip and rumours. Who cares?
Jason gave me a sympathetic look. "I've got to be honest with you, Charlie. I can't say I'm completely sure that Jack was in the car when Alice died." He said, looking like he didn't even what to be implying what he was. "I don't like gossip or speculation."
"But you think he was?" Taylor asked.
Reluctantly, Jason nodded. "It doesn't make sense for him not be. The accident happened at Long Point Bridge. That's not far from here and Jack's house is the other side of town from it. So was Kiera's. It's unlikely he was dropped off somewhere." Jason answered.
"I think so to." I agreed. "But I want to know if it is true." I told him.
I didn't understand any of it. Why wasn't it in the news? Why did I not know? Would it even matter? If Jack wasn't driving, it doesn't change who was behind the wheel. It does, maybe explain why she was behind the wheel drunk.
Taylor raised her eyebrows. "How you gonna find out? No ones gonna admit they were in a car that killed somebody."
"I know." I sighed. "I'm going to have to see him tomorrow, aswell."
"Tomorrow?" Taylor questioned.
"The dinner party?" I replied, "he's invited. His parents are friends with my stepfather." I said, remembering Peter and my Mom had told us at dinner last night.
Jason gritted his teeth. "Seriously? Can you believe the nerve of that guy, turning up at your door step for a fucking dinner party?"
Taylor shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't want anyone to know he was there that night. If he can't face Alice's family, doesn't that just make people question why?"
I nodded. "He couldn't back out. It would look odd. His friends will be there. Why wouldn't he go?"
"I don't know, a conscience maybe?" Taylor replied.
I shook my head. "He doesn't have one. I knew that guy had a problem with me. I just thought it was because I was making the football team look bad. I thought it was just some lame rivalry taken way too seriously. But, now it makes sense. It was never about that for him. He hated that I was Alice's sister."
"But surely only you can hate him? I mean, he was in the car with Keira. He's the one that's done wrong." Taylor said.
"Yes. But, that's probably not how he see's it."
Taylor agreed. "He's probably scared that you'll know he was there."
I nodded. "Maybe."
I turned to Jason. "Would you mind taking me home?"
Taylor's eyes lit up. "Are you sure that's a good idea? You can stay here tonight."
"The night before my parents dinner party? Yeah, that's not happening. My mom would kill me. Besides, this fight about Billy with my stepbrother's is the last thing on my mind right now. I need to find out if Jack Williams was in the car."
Jason sighed. "Okay, I'll take you back. But, be weary of him. I don't trust him."
"Don't worry, neither do I." I sighed, thinking of him being at my house right now with the rest of the football team.
Fun.
Taylor, Jason and I head outside to Jason's car.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay? Or want me to come with you?" Taylor asked me as I opened the car door. Jason had already got in the car and was waiting for me to get In.
I shook my head. "No. It's fine, I just needed to give them some cooling space. I'm sure it's fine. If not then I suppose it's their problem now. I've made my peace with it."
Taylor raised one eyebrow, but seemed to be okay. "If you change your mind just call me. I can get Jason to come and pick you up or drop me of."
Jason leaned over and looked up at us. "I should have known coming home for a couple of days would lead to me becoming your Chauffeur."
Taylor rolled her eyes and placed one hand on her hip. "Why else would you come up?" She smiled, sarcastically. "Besides, stop pretending that you have something better to do."
Jason rolled his eyes and looked at me. "You ready?"
I nodded and turned to Taylor who engulfed me in a hug. "I'll be fine." I told her as we came apart. She sighed, unhappily, but let me get into the car and shut the car door.
As soon as the door was shut, Jason pulled out of the driveway. I watched Taylor watch as we pulled out and just before we turned out onto the road, she waved.
Jason drove down the street lit streets in silence. I enjoyed the peace for a moment. It must have been a twenty to fifteen minute drive from Taylor's house to my new house. It was much longer than it would have taken to get back to my old house. We passed it as the car turned a corner and I saw the house again. It looked the same, not much had changed. I felt like I could say to Jason just drop me here. It felt like my house was just there, my family were just inside and sadly, that was when it hit me, I was still attached to a lost time.
Jason looked to me as we passed the house. "I never really apologised to you." He said as the house came out of view and the feeling of home slipped through my fingers as if it was never mine.
"What are you talking about? You've got nothing to apologise for."
Jason glanced at me slightly. "I made her come to that party. And I threw the party. If I hadn't of done either of those things.... well --"
"-- Jason, stop. I saw her and let her leave that night. I should have got her to stay with me at the party or gone with her. I don't blame you for throwing a party or making sure Alice went. I blame Kiera and Jack. They're the ones that have done something wrong here."
Jason sighed just as we pulled up outside my house. We saw that my stepbrother's and parents car's weren't the only ones parked outside. It seemed that some of the football team hadn't left. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked me.
I nodded. "Yes."
Jason smiled at me. "I can tell it's been hard on you, losing Alice."
"I'm doing better now."
"You seem different since I last saw you." He smiled at me slightly. "In a good way. You're not as lost in your mind."
I smiled back, but tried not to dwell on it. Jason had last seen me when I was lost in the forest of grief. Looking back, it's easy to see how much I was trying to shut myself off.
I moved to unlock the door to the car What I didn't expect was for Jason to do the same. "What you doing?" I asked. "You don't have to come in with me. I'll be fine."
Jason shrugged. "I'm sure you will, but I'll come say hi to your mom."
"That's probably a good idea. It will distract her from whatever the boys might have told her about me and Billy."
Jason smiled and got out of the car, I followed him out.
The pair of us walked up to the front door and I found my key to unlock it. As soon as we walked through the door, we were greeted with the sound of voices further down the hall. I sighed, pretty sure it was my stepbrother's and their team mates.
Jason and I walked through the hallway until we came into the kitchen. My mom was hovering over the stove, stirring something. When she saw me she smiled. I was almost shocked at the warmness she displayed.
"Oh, Charlotte, the boys told me you went to Taylor's house. I didn't know Jason was back today." She said, coming over to face us. Immediately, she engulfed Jason in a hug and he kissed her on the cheek. "I thought you were coming home tomorrow morning."
"I was able to juggle a few things around and come back a couple days earlier." Jason explained.
"Ah, your Mom must be pleased. I take it you're coming to dinner tomorrow?" My mom asked.
Jason nodded. "Yes, I believe so."
My Mom smiled and turned to me. "It was good of you to drop Charlotte off."
"No worries." He said.
Just then, Sebastian and Harry entered the room with boxes of pizza that seemed to have just been delivered. I felt my eyes go wider in rage as the things they said to me in the parking lot came back in flashes and echoes. Anger boiled up inside me at the memory of how they'd been blatantly misogynistic towards me.
I looked away from them, barely being able to face them now that they'd disrespected me the way they had. I knew if I focused on them any longer, I'd lose it.
I focused my attention on my Mom, who thankfully seemed to be pretty in the dark about everything that had happened today. At the sight of them, my Mom's eyes lit up.
"Jason, do you know my stepson's Sebastian and Harry? I think you're a year or two older than Sebastian?" She asked, her voice sounding slightly hopeful.
Jason glanced at the boys and struggled not to clench his jaw. "We've met."
My Mom smiled, not seeming to notice the tension between Jason and I and my stepbrother's. My Mom's eyes switched between us and them, looking pleased by how we all seemed to know each other. I couldn't believe she could be so clueless. I kept my eyes focused on a spot on the wall, trying to ignore who was in the same room as me.
"Lovely. Boys, Jason is coming to the dinner tomorrow." My Mom informed them.
Sebastian and Harry just nodded. Sebastian opened up the pizza box and picked up a slice of pizza and took a bite. He seemed to be pretending that Jason and I weren't standing there.
"Do you want some pizza?" My mom said, turning to me and Jason. "Charlotte, you haven't eaten, have you? I said to the boys you'll have some of their pizza for dinner if not." I shook my head, but refused to look back in my stepbrother's direction.
I was too angry to eat anything else, let alone eat something that meant I had to engage with them.
At my refusal, my mom's attention turned to Jason. "Jason?"
"I'm good, thank you." He smiled, politely.
My mom touched his shoulder and said, "it's good seeing you, Jason. I'll see you tomorrow."
My Mom gave us all a pleased smile, before telling us she had some paperwork to get on with. She then disappeared down the hallway.
I gulped, we were alone with them now.
Jason glanced at me with a look that told me he was asking if it was okay if he goes too. I realised then that I'd rather go up to my room and pretend I didn't live in the same house as the Lakewood brother's than stay here much longer.
I turned to Jason and gave him a smile, telling him I was okay. I could tell by the look on his face he was reluctant to leave me alone with them, but my Mom's home and I don't need Jason Thornton to protect me from their rage. Someone needed to protect them from mine.
Jason nodded, reluctantly. "I'll be off then."
I nodded and told Jason I'd walk him to the door. I told him thank you for everything and we said goodbye. I watched him walk out of the front door and head back to his car. Once he was inside, I shut the door behind me and headed back to the kitchen for a snack.
When I entered the kitchen, the Lakewood's didn't acknowledge me. I saw Harry pick up a piece of pizza and put it onto a plate whilst Sebastian just kept eating and stared at something on his phone.
It was completely silent.
I walked over to one of the cupboards to retrieve a snack. The sound of my footsteps on the hard floor and my rummaging interrupted the cold silence in the room. Yet, I was beginning to feel the weight of their silence as it began to make me feel on-edge and tense.
I huffed and stood up, turning to face the pair of them who were still not paying attention to me. My anger slowly returned at the sight of them. They owed me an apology, yet here they were pretending I didn't exist.
"If you've got something to say, can we just get it over with?" I stated, feeling like the anger inside of me could handle any insult they threw at me.
Harry and Sebastian looked to each other, but didn't look at me. Harry continued selecting pieces of pizza like I hadn't just spoken to them. They were no treating me like I was invisible.
I raised my eyebrows at how well they were keeping quiet now. I found myself wondering how long they could keep it up, especially with how angry they seemed with my earlier. I'm surprised they weren't jumping at the chance to insult me, again.
I went and stood infant of them and narrowed my eyes at their so called display of sience. I realised they were only doing it to irritate me and that only made me want to keep nagging more.
"If you guys always kept your mouth shut like this, we would have gotten along a lot better." I said, walking over to the table and reaching for a slice of pizza.
A hand grabbed my wrist as soon as I reached for the pizza, making pain shoot up my wrist. My rage began boiling again as I realised it was Sebastian he had grabbed it.
"Let go." I demanded, but I got no reply. He just glared at me and made his grip on my arm even tighter. "Sebastian get off."
Sebastian was unfazed by my discomfort. His cold glare just looked down at me like he wanted to see me in pain. It was only then that I saw how angry he really was with me. His anger radiated off him like I'd never seen on him or anyone before.
The sound of someone entering the kitchen made him release his grip from my hand. I yanked my hand away and turned to see not only Tommy entering the room, but also Jack.
Oh, god. I should have gone upstairs.
"Well, well, well. It's Long Shore High's traitor." Jack smirked at me, walking over to us. I felt myself glaring at him as I watched him reach over me and grab a slice of pizza. I was beginning to feel sick as the sight of Jack reminded me of what Jason had told me earlier this evening. "Why the glum face, Charlotte? Is Billy not good in bed?"
My jaw dropped and I glanced at my stepbrother's. Putting aside the blatant misogyny they had showed me earlier, they were now witnessing me being disrespected and seemed unphased by it. Jack was their friend and I was supposed to be there stepsister. How could they watch and condone their friend speak to me like this? It just wasn't right.
I glared at Jack, realising wanting them to show me any kind of kindness or respect was seeming like a lost cause now. We were too far gone. Too much had been said.
"You're the last person that should be making any kind of comment to me." I growled at Jack, stopping myself from continuing. I didn't owe him any explanation for what I was saying. I owed Jack nothing.
Jack looked at me in a suspicious manner whilst my stepbrother's looked confused. Harry ignored my hostility towards Jack and seemed to take offence at my anger towards him.
"What the fuck, Charlotte?" Harry snarled at me. "you're the last person we want to see right now."
I narrowed my eyes at Harry and turned away from Jack. "That's fine. I don't want to see any of you either." I snapped and headed up the stairs. "Like I said in the parking lot, we're done."
When I got to my room, I slapped my door shut and instantly reached for my phone to call Joe and Taylor to rant about how shitty my living situation was right now.
God, Jack had some nerve coming in my house.
Did you suspect Jack to have something to do
With Alice's death?
I love a bit of mystery :)
Thank
You for reading!!!!