Seashells

July 6th, 2007

We ended up staying another night in Sim's grandmother's house. It was because we just didn't feel like leaving yet. And we knew that our parents would flip out, and that would have to be postponed as much as possible.

The house was not a bad place to stay. There was everything we wanted, from a huge game room to an indoor pool. I have no idea why a single old lady would need all this, but I wasn't objecting.

"She likes to feel rich," Sim explained. "She has enough money to buy like ten of these houses."

"Tell her to buy me one," Matt said. I knew Sim's family was rich, but I didn't think they were that rich.

"She doesn't really like people. She thinks they're all out to get her money," Sim said. "Which most are... But she's accepting of family, at least."

"Okay. Marry me, Sim?"

"Maybe some other time."

"But I'm pregnant with your child!" he exclaimed, and she ignored him.

We ate lunch at the house and then got ready to catch the ferry at one o'clock. We saw so many tourists trying to get home. I wondered if we'd seen any of them before, or if they knew what we'd done.

Now that our little trip was over, I felt really sick. Before, I tried to block the consequences out of my mind, because I didn't have to deal with them yet. And now, when it mattered, I had no idea what I was going to do.

"What will your parents do once you get back?" I asked everyone.

"I don't think mind will care," Sim said. "Not that much, anyway."

"My mom will probably just yell at me for an hour or so," Matt said, "then go back to sleep or whatever she was doing."

"You guys are so lucky," you said. "As far as I know, I'm dead."

"Me too," I said.

"I bet they sent out a missing persons search or something," you said.

"Shit... I didn't think of that."

So now I had a dilemma. On one hand, I was really eager to get home so that my parents wouldn't call the cops or anything. On the other hand, I really wasn't looking forward to being grounded for the rest of my life.

We got on the boat and I basically started freaking out. You sat next to me and held my hand, trying to calm me down. I appreciated it, but it didn't really help.

The ride seemed to pass by too quickly. We got off and said our goodbyes when we got to the ice cream parlor. I considered getting ice cream before walking home, but I just wasn't in the mood for it.

You and I walked home together. I didn't say much, since I was imagining what horrors were in store for me. I guess you were doing the same.

When we got to my house, you asked, "Do you want me to go in with you?"

"No, it's fine." It really wasn't, but I didn't want you to see me suffer my mother's wrath.

"If you're sure," you said, and then you hugged me goodbye. You didn't let go, though, and I didn't want to either. But I knew I had to. It was only a matter of time before my parents noticed I was outside and came out to murder me.

"I'm fine," I said again. "Good luck."

"You too." You walked down the street, heading for your house. I watched you go, wishing you didn't have to.

I took a deep breath and turned to my house. I fished around in my bag for the key, hoping it wasn't in there so I could stall for time. But it was in the inside pocket, just where I had left it. As I turned the key in the lock, I wondered if this would become a scene in a movie. You know, the one where the parents are waiting patiently (and creepily) with a stern look on their faces.

That's not what I got. The living room was empty and so was the kitchen. Maybe they all went out for a late lunch. Or maybe they were out looking for me.

I walked down the hallway. Austin's bedroom door was closed and I wasn't going to check and see what he was doing in there (if he was home). I walked up to my parents' door and knocked. I head a muffled reply and headed in.

My mom was reading a book and my dad was on his laptop. They didn't look up until I said, "Uh, hi."

My mom looked up from her book. "Cassie."

My dad turned around then, and he looked at me for a few seconds before saying anything. "Cassidy. Where have you been?"

I didn't answer for a second. Was it better to lie or tell the truth? I couldn't come up with a lie that quickly, so I said, "Sim's grandma's house."

"So why haven't you called us or anything?"

"I left my phone at home."

"I know that," my mom said. She opened the drawer on her nightstand and pulled out my phone. "I have it here and that's where it will be staying."

"Okay," I said. That wasn't too bad.

"Why didn't you come home for the night? Or called us to tell us that you were staying over? Do you know how worried we were?"

"I..."

"Cassidy, we'll deal with this later. I'm not in the mood for this. But I know you were with Sim, Matt, and Aden."

"What?"

"You all went missing at the same time," she said. "It was obvious."

"Oh." I had no idea what to say to her next.

"You're grounded," my dad said. "That's just to be expected. You can't argue your way out of this one."

"But..." I said, wanting to argue anyway.

"Three weeks, Cass," my mom said. "I don't want to do this but I think I have to."

"What am I supposed to do for three weeks?"

"Stay home," she said. "And no friends. Especially not the ones you were just with. I don't want you talking to them any time soon, either."