"Well go on them." Mark sounds calmer, "We're waiting."
Iona thinks of Jack. It feels like a part of him is right next to her and she suddenly has the strength to deliver the blow that she knows will take away their trust in her. "Today I was behind schedule and my bike was out of gas, so I caught a lift with Jack, the boy who lives next door."
She tells them what happened. Everything from her deciding that she wanted to go to the beach and not school today. That they went to the nurse's office and that she sent both of them home. Iona because I "fainted" and Jack because he was still recovering from whatever it was that happened at the end of last year. She tells them that he brought her home and how they then got their things together and even though she could have chosen to stay home at this point she still went with him to the beach. She then told them they had gone to have lunch in a cafe and that they were planning on heading home right after that. The whole time that she's telling the story she fails to mention that going to the beach was Jack's idea. 'I'm not going to have my parents convinced that he's a bad influence, even if he is because he got me to skip school before they even meet him.'
"Mike then came into the cafe talking about how you had been calling. Trying to find me and that he needed to bring me home right away."
"Is that so?" Is all he asks after she mentions Mike before turning to Hannah. They exchange a look like they're having a separate conversation with their eyes. Iona nods her response.
"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to worry you. I really am sorry." She's told them everything. 'All I can do now is wait for the outcome.'
Iona feels a little dizzy after everything. It's twenty minutes later, well it's actually twenty-two minutes and fourteen seconds later, but you get the point. It's late and the setting sun has turned the kitchen golden as it sinks towards the horizon at the end of the street. Summer will end soon and today was properly the last day, or one of the last days, she could have gone to the beach no matter what happens next. Her mom and dad are quiet for what seems like an eternity even though it was only a few minutes after she finishes telling them what she did and she can't do anything but wait to see what happens. They then look at each other and something passes between them.
Hannah is the first to break the silence. "Iona," she starts slowly," your dad and I are not very happy with your actions today. I know we raised you better than this, but this is the first time you've ever done anything like this. I'm proud of you for telling us the truth about it though."
She's taken back by how calm they seem to be.
"What your mother is saying is not that you're not in trouble for this," Mark says before Hannah interjects.
"On no, you are in so much trouble young lady, but it won't be as bad as it was going to be..."
"However if you ever do anything like this again you will be in the biggest trouble of your young life." his voice doesn't come out as harsh as his words should be.
They carry on going back and forth, "We're going to talk it over and we'll tell you exactly what's going to happen to you after dinner."
She doesn't understand it but her mom doesn't look that angry or tiered anymore, and she almost misses the smile that passes her lips.
"Wait so you're not mad at me?" Iona has to ask.
"Oh don't get us wrong we're very angry about you skipping school just because you felt like it...but we always knew it was a matter of time before you did something wrong." Her mom laughs. "We'd rather have you mess up now and not later when we can't help you"
"Your Mom's right and we know it's not the worst thing you could have done." He chuckles and shakes his head, "Now we've spent so much time on this that your Mom hasn't had time to make dinner and I don't think she feels like cooking."
Hannah and Iona both look around noticing how late it's gotten, but Mark doesn't give them a chance to ask questions. He looks over at Iona while he pours himself another cup of coffee, "Go get changed and tell Nick to do the same. We're going out to dinner and after that, we'll discuss this again."
Iona looks over at her mom to see if he's serious about this, but she just gives her a look that says that she has no idea what he's doing. She shrugs her shoulders sending a loving look in her husband's direction. "You heard the man. Go get changed, we're going out for dinner."
Iona can hear them talking about what she just told them as she makes her way to the stairs. She can then hear them laughing, and she can't help but wonder what's so funny. She races up to Nick's room and tells him that they're going to eat out and he needs to get changed.
"I don't understand. You skip school to make out with some guy on the beach and now we get to go out for dinner. How did you do it?" He asks me with wide eyes and confusion that mirrors hers.
"I don't know how it happened," She tells him as she walks across to her room then something hits me, "Who said I skipped school to make out with a guy on the beach?"
"Mike. He called Dad in a flat-out panic about you skipping school and him seeing you with some guy at the beach. He went on about how he didn't like the look of the guy and how he thought you were going to be put in some kind of situation or trouble or something. It was kinda funny to see Dad's face turn redder all the way home."
"Really?" She's shocked that Mike would do something like that. Not really though, she's mostly hurt that her friend would lie to her like that after getting her in trouble. She was pretty sure that she had seen him making a call before he came to get her, and she didn't want to believe that he had called her parents to bring her home, and maybe he was just looking out for her. She tries to make herself believe that he was just looking out for her, but she still feels betrayed by this.
"Really really." Nick smiles down at her as he tells me. For a younger brother, he's quite a bit taller than she is. "I thought you'd be grounded till you finish school for sure! What did you do to get them to let off so easy?"
"I don't know..."
"Well, it was pretty funny in the car...until Dad started swearing murder and then said that we weren't going out to dinner anymore. It was going to be a surprise for Mom. A sort of we've moved in celebration. But it looks like it's back on. So good on you." he gives her a thumbs up.
"Are you two almost ready to go?" Their dad calls.
"Oh shoot I need to go get changed."
"Five more minutes!" Nick calls back down as Iona rushes into her room.
All thoughts about Mike, Jack, and everything else about the day are pushed out of her head while she rushes around pulling on a dress. She's just putting her shoes on when she catches herself looking at her curtains. Still closed from this morning, she suddenly has the urge to pull them open and see if Jack is in his room. Worried that he might also be in trouble for their little stunt she quickly goes over and pulls them open. She's surprised by how disappointed she is that he's not there. His curtains are open but his room is empty.
"Two minutes." Her mom calls, and she knows she's going to have to leave soon but she can't seem to pull herself away just yet. Staring into his room, willing him to walk through the door.
"Hurry up slowpoke!" Nick calls from outside her door as he runs down the stairs, and into the kitchen.
"Coming now!" She calls as she closes her curtains again.
She gives it one last glance before deciding to go open them again. 'Just in case.' She's not sure what it's just in case for, but just in case.
She smooths her dress and her hair as she makes her way to the foot of the stairs when she realizes that she can hear his voice. She can hear hushed voices drifting in from the front door. She slows quietly seeing Jack standing at the door talking to her Dad. Neither of them sees her and she has an overpowering need to listen in. So that's just what she does.
"So let me get this straight," it's Mark, "you're saying that my daughter skipping school today is your fault. That you convinced her to leave school and go to the beach? You drove her to school, back home, and then there, before Mike brought her back, am I getting this right?"
"Yes, Sir. it's all my fault. She only did it because I kept asking her and I told her we wouldn't get caught. Please, Sir. it's my fault, not hers. I'm sorry if I've caused any trouble."
'What are you doing? Why are telling Dad this after I just spent all this time proving you're innocent in this?' She tries to force her thoughts toward him even though she knows there's no possible way that he can hear them.
"And you said that Mike can in and told her that we were all looking for her worries and that's why she needed to leave with him right away?" Mark questions further skipping over Jack's apology.
"Yes Sir," he answers. Both of them seem too focused on the conversation that they haven't noticed Iona yet. At least that's what she thinks. Jack has been aware of her every move since they both got back. "I just wanted to make sure that she's okay."
"I see," Mark stays quite a moment, " thank you for coming here to explain this to me, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave now."
"Of course. Can I just please apologize to Iona before I go?" he asks taking a step back, catching her eye.
"No, and I'd appreciate it if you would stay away from her from now on." Dad doesn't see me as he says this.
"Please Mr. Blake! She's my Link." He pleads and she looks at him confused by what he's saying, "You know that she needs me as much as I need her."
"No, she doesn't!" Mark's voice is dangerously low and reflects the anger that's rising up in Jack. "She's not a part of any of that, and I don't have any right to tell her about any of that."
"I understand Sir." He spits through clenched teeth. He then softens his voice and looks right at Iona. "Would you mind then just telling her that I'm very sorry and that I didn't mean to get her in trouble or for any of this to happen?"
"I'm sorry but I can't do that. I hope you understand that if I did that then it would only hurt Iona more when you don't talk to her after this." He sounds tired of the conversation, "It's best for her if you don't come back here again. Remember you promised."
Defeated he sighs and steps back, "Yes Sir. thank you, Sir."
With that, he turns and leaves as Mark closes the door behind him.
'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Iona.' Even though she's just seen him leave and her dad close the door, she can swear that she's just heard him apologize again.