5.4. On the Edge(Iphigenia)
Both Lyzzie and Ashton had their birthdays at the same time. Joy to the world – what a happy family. I was trying to keep in the bitterness I felt and most likely failing spectacularly. That made me even more bitter, because it was my own baby sister’s birthday. It wasn’t her fault that I didn’t like Mariah – they got along just fine and I was the difficult one.
If only I could bide my time and sneak out after they had blown out candles. Perhaps it was low of me, sneaking out on her birthday, but I wasn’t scared to do it – Dad was at work. If he had been there I wouldn’t have thought about doing it but now that he wasn’t here it seemed safe enough.
I admitted to myself that Ashton, while unfortunate with his genetics, was a sweet kid. He’d never been anything but jovial, and he was growing up pretty well. A bit lax with his schoolwork but his grades were average. And Lyzzie was fond of him. Even more so now that they lived with us.
I had found myself wondering if maybe her and Ashton would fall in love. It wouldn’t really be wrong even though their parents were together, and Lyzzie was growing up so pretty. I was so proud of her. Even if she’d never be a social butterfly, hanging out with Ashton was obviously good for her. Maybe that was why I tolerated the kid more than the mother…
That was it, everyone was almost done with their cake and it was my chance to sneak out.
“Where are you going?” I was by the door when Grandma caught me.
“Out. I’m studying at the library with a friend.”
She knew I was lying, I could see it, but she just nodded – either because she wasn’t my mother or because she wanted me to have my freedom. “Okay, but be home before eleven.”
I nodded and ran off.
I didn’t go to the library, of course and when I stood by the graveyard half an hour later, I caught myself wondering why not. I’d agreed to meet Flint at the graveyard. Why? Damn if I knew.
The place was ominous, but that was probably a given. Knowing that magic and probably ghosts were real things, I only agreed to come here because it was Flint. I wasn’t exactly sure why, but I liked him. At first I’d been completely dense until my friend said he was flirting with me… and that I was flirting back. It reminded me of something Cadie told me about Dad and how they got together. How completely oblivious he was until they suddenly stood there kissing in the snow… Guess I was my Dad’s daughter after all.
Even if I’d never tell him that out loud… Then I wondered if maybe he had been the same with that woman; but I didn’t think so because his feelings for her had been so obvious that the gossips of Isla Paradiso had realised it. Probably even before he…
“What’s up?”
I spun, startled, to see Flint standing there, leaning on the statue. He must have snuck up on me. When our eyes met, he smiled. “I scared you, didn’t I?”
“No.”
“Liar.”
I shook my head. “You can’t scare me.”
“Well, then let’s go for a walk in the creepy graveyard…”
He smiled. “If you dare.”
“Oh god, you’re turning into a movie trailer.”
Flint just laughed and signalled for me to follow him. There were two reasons my Dad knew nothing of this flirting: One, we weren’t exactly on speaking terms lately (at least we rarely spoke about anything significant, and when we did we usually ended up arguing), and two, on the internationally recognised Scale of Guys Dads Don’t Want to See Their Daughters With, he rated an amazing fourteen… out of ten.
Not that he was that bad. He was a nice guy but he just radiated Not Good Guy. He was more or less the exact opposite of the qualities that put parents at ease – he didn’t bother to be overly polite, he didn’t bother working constantly on his schoolwork and he liked parties more than I ever really understood. He had invited me to late night parties and I wondered what Dad would have thought If I’d gone. He probably would’ve had a heart attack.
Maybe that’s why I liked him. Did I only like him because of the fact that I knew my Dad absolutely wouldn’t like him?
Possibly. Normally, a guy who partied and stayed out late in graveyards wasn’t my type, but I took his arm and let him lead me around anyway, a strangle tingle in the back of my head at the thought of this disobedience.
“Are you going to explain why you wanted to meet at the graveyard?” I asked him.
“Maybe I just wanted to talk to you.”
“Are you trying to be mysterious?”
“Maybe.”
“Extra mysterious, huh?”
He laughed. “That’s me. Just tell me, though, how did you manage to sneak out? Didn’t you say your Dad is super careful?”
“Oh, he was at work. Told my Grandma that I had to study…”
“Ah, so you’re living on the edge. Lying about going to a graveyard with a boy. It’s a gutsy move.”
“Oh, stop it.”
I told myself it wasn’t like that. At least he hadn’t pulled out a bottle and asked me to lie down with him in a bush, so it wasn’t really that bad. I don’t think I really qualified as a ‘bad girl’ no matter how many boys I met in graveyards.
“As longs as I’m home before curfew, I’m still a good girl,” I said, trying to sound coy in spite of everything. “You’ll see when I graduate with honours and become valedictorian.”
“No doubt.”
“And I guess I should run off soon. Curfew.”
He looked at me over the rim of his glasses. “Seriously? Come on, Gen, I want to talk some more.”
Curfew really was getting ever closer and I didn’t even dare to imagine how Dad would react if I didn’t get home on time.
But then why should I care? He wouldn’t listen to me when I said I was worried. Would he listen if I came waltzing in late?
“Fine then,” I said, and as I made the decision a shiver went down my spine, not altogether a bad feeling. “I guess you’re corrupting me.”
“I probably am. Come on. Tell me more about the whole teenage rebellion you’ve got going on. It was something about you hating your stepmother?”
I shot him an angry glare, but took his hand anyway. “She is
not my stepmother. They’re not married and they’re not going to marry. She’s just my dad’s girlfriend.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard the rumours. I wonder why she won’t marry him though – isn’t she supposedly trying to get all his money? I mean she can make him change his will or something but wouldn’t it be easier to get married and just spend it all?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea. Maybe Dad is putting his foot down and she’s just lying to me. I wouldn’t put it past her…”
For a while we were both quiet but then he said: “If you’re so sure she’s bad, why don’t you try and figure out? Do some detective work, or hire a detective to do it?”
“What?”
“You could… Hey, wait, this way.”
Flint suddenly pulled me with him behind the mausoleum and a second later it became clear why. A police car was pulling up outside the graveyard. “You should hire a detective,” he whispered as we were stood in hiding.
But it was a bit hard thinking about detective work when we stood this close. He must have realised, too, because he suddenly moved close and lifted up my chin.
“I could help you find a detective,” he said. “Wouldn’t it be great to know?”
“Flint?”
“Mm?”
“I can’t concentrate.”
We both laughed.
“Well, maybe later then…”
He moved closer and closer. If this was how staying out after curfew normally was, I’d do it again in a heartbeat…
Our lips were so close when suddenly a gruff voice interrupted.
“Hey, you there.”
We jumped apart and I spun to find a police officer moving around in the graveyard. It suddenly wasn’t so fun anymore.
“Finally found you, young lady. Your dad’s been calling us every five seconds…”
I turned to Flint to share a look, but he had vanished. Just like that. He wasn’t so dumb, that boy, and now I just stood there alone, looking like the sort of freak who would hide in a graveyard. “Come along now,” the officer said.
Up until the point where I sat in his patrol car I had wondered how my dad’s face would be looking when I came back late and I’d derived some sort pleasure from it. I wondered no more. And I had no desire to meet him right now. I naïvely wondered if maybe I could slip in and go to bed… and maybe Dad would magically become his old self and just run away from the confrontation.
No such luck.
“What were you thinking? The graveyard? What the hell would you be doing there?”
“That’s… what do you care?”
“What do I
care?” If he kept going like this he’d be foaming at the mouth. “Anything could have happened. You know why we moved. You know why you have a curfew – it’s not for
fun. If anything had happened to you…”
“Oh, chill out. Nothing happened. Nobody even knows where we moved. None of my friends, none of your family!”
“You think she isn’t looking for us? You think she hasn’t already realised where we are?” He laughed a dark, bitter laugh devoid of humour. “The only reason she hasn’t done anything is we haven’t stepped out of line. We’ve stayed under the radar. You know it – you’re not stupid!”
“No, I’m not the stupid one…”
“Stop. Right now. I don’t want to discuss it anymore. You’re grounded.”
“Grounded?”
“
Grounded.”
I snorted. “That’s a new parenting technique. Learned that from the Briar woman?”
I almost hoped he’d defend her. Tell me how good and kind and perfect she was so I’d have an excuse to lash out. Let out all the anger and frustration and if she heard it, it would be even better. I wanted them both to feel the pain…
He just shook his head. “I’m not going there, Iphigenia. Go to bed, and don’t even think about leaving the house except for school. You should know better.”
“So should you.”
The last comment I said to his back, but he didn’t turn around to say anything about it. He was walking towards his bedroom, his shoulders somewhat slouched.
I went to my room. There was very little chance that I’d stay out after curfew again, but one thing I had realised was Flint’s idea was a good one.
Dad wouldn’t listen to my worries about that woman but if I found evidence, he’d have to listen. I’d show him. I’d find some way to prove that Mariah Briar was nothing but a gold digger.
Author's note: Look at that! An update! I'm not completely disappeared into the deep, dark, black hole that is Skyrim (though it's pretty duurrn close). Yay, teen angst!
I have to warn you guys, I have what should happen planned out in my head and I have a feeling this generation will be a bit long. I was going to try and keep each gen to around 10-12 episodes but then I have a thing for at least trying to develop believeable relationships and I want too many things to happen? Ooops. Well, now you're warned.