Bone Dry_ A Soul Shamans Novel - Cady Vance Page 0,76
me?
Freaking out. Where are you guys?
As I exited the station, I listened to the voicemails. In each one, Nathan sounded more and more worried up until the point when he’d driven past Mr. Baker’s house, saw the cops, asked questions and found out what had happened. He’d tried bailing us out, but the cops told him he couldn’t. The last voicemail he’d left said he was going home to crash and to call him as soon as I got out.
Outside, Mr. Fisher stood by his car, hugging Laura who was crying into his shirt. He met my gaze over the top of her head and motioned me over. The sky was light gray, yellow easing up the horizon. It was early. Way too early for this to be happening. It felt like elephants were sitting on my eyelids. All I wanted was to go to bed and sleep away all the shame of the night. Wake up hours from now, sleep so long this felt like only a dream, or something that had happened a long, long time ago.
I felt like a puppy walking over to him with my tail between my legs. Disappointment hung heavily in his eyes like the time he’d caught me and Laura sneaking into her bedroom window after a bonfire party on the beach freshman year. I looked down and stared at my feet. That time he’d yelled and I’d hated making him worry, but I didn’t regret what we’d done. Dancing to the hyper beat of a local punk band and hanging out on the beach with our toes in the sand had been worth it. Mr. Fisher’s typical parental speech flitted in one ear and right out the other, but now, his silence said more than that speech ever had. And the regret suffocated me.
“You bailed me out, didn’t you?” I wondered how much it had cost him, what he’d had to do.
“That’s right,” he said. “They were hesitant about letting me have you because I’m not your guardian, but I know the booking officer. I told him I’d spoken with your mother and that she was out of town and had no way of getting back to sign you out.”
He’d made that up. He hadn’t talked to her. He’d lied to a cop for me.
“Thank you,” I said in a small voice, still looking at my feet. I didn’t have anyone else who could bail me out, anyone else who would.
“Get in the car,” he said. “I’ll drive you back to our house, and you can pick up your truck.”
The three of us said nothing as he drove us home. White lines streaked by on the dappled pavement. Sunlight flickered on my face. Through the window, I saw early-risers jogging or speeding to the grocery store. It was all so normal. The world was awakening with the noise of kids laughing, squirrels chirping and ice cream trucks jingling, but the only sound in the car was the engine roar and Laura’s sniffs. I’d never seen her so upset. I wondered if they’d been mean to her, if some guy had whistled at her when she’d been trying to pee.
Mr. Fisher pulled into the driveway, and we all got out of the car. I stood there awkwardly before heading over to my truck. I didn’t know what to say to either of them. Sorry for getting your daughter arrested?
I felt like I needed to apologize even though she’d volunteered, even been eager to go. This was my fault. Mine alone. The responsibility for my actions weighed heavy on my shoulders like two tons of kryptonite.
“Holly,” Mr. Fisher said. I turned around and saw him watching me, bags under his eyes. “We need to have a chat.”
My shoulders sagged. I'd known this was coming. I knew he’d want to talk to me about the arrest, about me and Laura breaking into someone’s house. I just wasn’t ready for it yet. I didn’t have anything to say. The emptiness inside me was cavernous.
I followed him inside and mumbled a few words to Laura before he led her to her room. I stood in the entryway, shifting on my feet, staring at the stain on the carpet where Laura had spilled apple juice when we were eight.
Fifteen minutes later, he was back without Laura. He gestured for me to follow him, and I stared at his stiff back as he led me into the living room.