actually having to see it. The butterflies in my stomach suddenly turned into a swarm of bees. I struggled to keep from looking up at him.
“Where’s he going?” said Zia, standing from the bed.
Isaac shrugged. “No idea. He just asked me to tell you.” He turned to me then, looking straight at me, which shocked me a little inside. “Did she tell you to stay away from the Vargas Family?”
I nodded.
“And do you believe her enough to listen?”
I nodded again.
“And did she explain to you that if your sister shows back at home that you should call us before you do anything else? And that you and the rest of your family shouldn’t do anything to anger her?”
“Ummm...no, Uhhh....” I looked to Zia for answers.
“I didn’t get that far,” said Zia, “but thanks for covering that part for me.” Her smile was cheery and sarcastically thankful.
I stood with Zia and crossed my arms tight against my body.
“Why don’t you two tell me what’s really going on with my sister,” I said. “I don’t like these weird hesitations and the covert little glances between you.” I meant for it to sound as harsh as it did, I just hoped they wouldn’t be too insulted by it.
“Look, I’m sorry,” I went on, walking to the window, “but you can’t expect me to just ignore that my sister has run off to live with some... cult who, according to Zia, could kill me if I tried to get her to come home. And then to listen to you guys who—no offense—I hardly know and who seem to be hiding things from me.” I paused. “Look at it from my perspective, okay?” I put my back to them and gazed out the window. The trees looked cold. Naked, frightening branches stood stiffly all around the house.
“You told her they would kill her?” Isaac said disappointedly.
I swung around. “Hey, don’t slam her for that,” I snapped. “I think that’s pretty important information, thank-you-very-much.”
Isaac smiled faintly, which caught me off guard for about two seconds.
“You’re right,” he said, “I just think you should be careful, stay away from all of them and keep your family away from them, too.”
“But why ?” I shouted. I threw my hands up in front of me. “None of this makes any sense! If you could just give me something to go on, maybe I could be a little more cooperative.”
“Their dad’s...a criminal,” said Zia, “a convicted felon who was also suspected of being involved in the murders of three people. They threw it out of court because there wasn’t enough evidence. And...his kids, they’re just as bad as he is.”
Something about her story, I didn’t believe deep in the back of my mind, but I ignored that doubt for now. It was obvious it was a far as I was going to get.
“Alright, more reason to go against everything you asked me to do and get Alex away from them right now.”
I went toward the door, pushing my way past Isaac who was standing in front of it still.
Isaac took hold of my arm and stopped me just as I stepped out into the hall.
“Adria,” he said.
I stared directly into his harsh, pleading eyes, but he knew I wasn’t going to listen to him. Not this time.
Isaac sighed heavily and let go of my arm. “Alright,” he said, “then at least let us be with you when you confront her, and wait until tomorrow night where you can see her at The Cove, that way there will be others around.”
I looked at each of them, back and forth. “The Cove?”
“It’s a hang-out near the Kennebec River,” said Zia. “Alex has been going up there with Ashe a lot, but others go there too, so we won’t be alone with them.”
“If we take you,” Isaac began, “just know that your sister won’t be the sister you knew. Don’t expect her to...treat you very nicely.”
I shrugged. “Well, she wasn’t the sister I knew before she left, so that’s no surprise.”
I added then, “William and Ashe will be there?” I only wanted to have heard them wrong the first time. I
“Where’s he going?” said Zia, standing from the bed.
Isaac shrugged. “No idea. He just asked me to tell you.” He turned to me then, looking straight at me, which shocked me a little inside. “Did she tell you to stay away from the Vargas Family?”
I nodded.
“And do you believe her enough to listen?”
I nodded again.
“And did she explain to you that if your sister shows back at home that you should call us before you do anything else? And that you and the rest of your family shouldn’t do anything to anger her?”
“Ummm...no, Uhhh....” I looked to Zia for answers.
“I didn’t get that far,” said Zia, “but thanks for covering that part for me.” Her smile was cheery and sarcastically thankful.
I stood with Zia and crossed my arms tight against my body.
“Why don’t you two tell me what’s really going on with my sister,” I said. “I don’t like these weird hesitations and the covert little glances between you.” I meant for it to sound as harsh as it did, I just hoped they wouldn’t be too insulted by it.
“Look, I’m sorry,” I went on, walking to the window, “but you can’t expect me to just ignore that my sister has run off to live with some... cult who, according to Zia, could kill me if I tried to get her to come home. And then to listen to you guys who—no offense—I hardly know and who seem to be hiding things from me.” I paused. “Look at it from my perspective, okay?” I put my back to them and gazed out the window. The trees looked cold. Naked, frightening branches stood stiffly all around the house.
“You told her they would kill her?” Isaac said disappointedly.
I swung around. “Hey, don’t slam her for that,” I snapped. “I think that’s pretty important information, thank-you-very-much.”
Isaac smiled faintly, which caught me off guard for about two seconds.
“You’re right,” he said, “I just think you should be careful, stay away from all of them and keep your family away from them, too.”
“But why ?” I shouted. I threw my hands up in front of me. “None of this makes any sense! If you could just give me something to go on, maybe I could be a little more cooperative.”
“Their dad’s...a criminal,” said Zia, “a convicted felon who was also suspected of being involved in the murders of three people. They threw it out of court because there wasn’t enough evidence. And...his kids, they’re just as bad as he is.”
Something about her story, I didn’t believe deep in the back of my mind, but I ignored that doubt for now. It was obvious it was a far as I was going to get.
“Alright, more reason to go against everything you asked me to do and get Alex away from them right now.”
I went toward the door, pushing my way past Isaac who was standing in front of it still.
Isaac took hold of my arm and stopped me just as I stepped out into the hall.
“Adria,” he said.
I stared directly into his harsh, pleading eyes, but he knew I wasn’t going to listen to him. Not this time.
Isaac sighed heavily and let go of my arm. “Alright,” he said, “then at least let us be with you when you confront her, and wait until tomorrow night where you can see her at The Cove, that way there will be others around.”
I looked at each of them, back and forth. “The Cove?”
“It’s a hang-out near the Kennebec River,” said Zia. “Alex has been going up there with Ashe a lot, but others go there too, so we won’t be alone with them.”
“If we take you,” Isaac began, “just know that your sister won’t be the sister you knew. Don’t expect her to...treat you very nicely.”
I shrugged. “Well, she wasn’t the sister I knew before she left, so that’s no surprise.”
I added then, “William and Ashe will be there?” I only wanted to have heard them wrong the first time. I
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