Author's Note: (this comes from the original author's note)
That line (you [meaning Vic] know which
one) was changed and then re-inserted since you asked for it.
Without
further ado...
Chapter
2: Oh, I know the silence was the loudest thing I ever heard.
I
felt someone gently shaking me awake. I woke up slowly, drifting out of a very
pleasant dream that from what I could remember had involved certain best
friends of mine and more than a little bit of chocolate syrup.
I
rolled over, and, far from seeing my mother like I expected, it was Adam
standing beside me.
"Cake-eater!" I yelped, blushing.
He
sighed heavily, and turned around to walk away. It was then that I remembered
our fight from last night.
"No,
Adam, wait!" I reached towards him and, momentarily forgetting I was lying
down, tried to walk to him.
Walking,
I've found, doesn't work very well when one's feet are not on the ground. In
fact, it tends to cause painful consequences, such as thudding sharply on the
floor.
Still
caught in my bedcovers, I tried to stand up and talk to him. He was standing in
the doorway mixed between laughing at me and trying to look mad.
"Adam."
I struggled to my feet inside several layers of blankets and then walked over
to him.
"Adam,"
I said again. "I don't want you to be mad at me. I know you were just
tired last night, I didn't mean to—".
"Just tired?" He said, incredulously. "I thought
you were apologizing, Charlie." And
with that, he walked out.
I
was stunned. Though he wasn't giving me any idea what his problem was, he was
evidently content to treat me like dirt anyway.
"Your Mom wants you to hurry up
and get ready," he told me without turning around.
"Please, Adam."
I
didn't know where that came from; it was just so important to me that Banks
understood that I was sorry. I didn't care that I was
begging.
And I especially didn't care that I didn't know what I'd done wrong. That was
his business; I'd figure it out later.
He
turned around slowly and crossed his arms.
"Talk to me," I pleaded.
He
stared at me for over a minute. I hoped he was just trying to decide how to explain
to me whatever it was I'd done wrong.
But
without saying a word, he turned his back and walked away.
