Jamie and Sophie sat in an ominous silence, often exchanging glances. Sitting opposite both of them was their mother whom they hadn't seen that happy since a surprise birthday party for her which their father threw once upon another time. And of course, there was that soon-to-be-stepfather, who had an affable smile on his face as he and Mrs. Bennett conversed. Jamie couldn't help wishing that their food would arrive that instant so they could just eat and head home. He cast a sideways glance at Sophie, who looked as black as thunder, but the two adults at the table seemed oblivious to it, wrapped up in their own conversation. He couldn't blame her. Apparently, their mother's boyfriend had suggested sending her off to a preparatory school to improve her conduct and instil moral values. Sophie had never felt so insulted.
"You know, maybe you should just..." Jamie began, in a whisper, to his sister, but was immediately interrupted.
"Jamie Bennett, do not whisper. I suppose you have no problem in communicating normally?" snapped the burly guy, whose name had not been revealed to them yet. And by the looks of it, it might not be revealed anytime soon.
"I'm not even allowed to whisper at the table?" he asked, but that was a mistake.
Mrs. Bennett's eyebrows furrowed into a small frown, but Burly Guy's formed a huge scowl. "Perhaps I should ask you to leave the table," he snapped, glaring at Jamie.
The 19- year old was about to retort, when he caught his mother's eye. She seemed to glance at him pleadingly despite her small frown, and he kept his mouth shut, watching as they resumed their conversation like nothing had happened.
It seemed like an eternity before their food finally arrived. The waiter appeared to be moving in slow motion as he set the filled plates on the table. Jamie was about to tuck in instantly as his was set before him, but a direct glare from Burly Guy stopped him. Jamie scowled. What was his problem?
Once the waiter had cleared off only were they allowed to touch their food. Sophie ate one portion of her pasta before dropping her fork with a clatter. "I'm not hungry," she announced, pushing her plate away, before getting to her feet and leaving the table. Jamie noticed she headed in the direction of the bathroom.
"Look at that!" Burly Guy stated, turning partially to Mrs. Bennett, his other eye on the door leading to the restrooms Sophie had disappeared through. "What did I say about poor manners and conduct? Surely you do not think she does not need to be sent off to Ingram Prep?"
Mrs. Bennett looked concerned and worried. "But you do know that at that school, they're pretty... militaristic."
Burly Guy waved the statement away. "Yes, and that's how the students are reformed! Sophie would benefit greatly. She'll be a changed person at the end of the term, I'm sure of it!"
Jamie had a feeling that this soon-to-be father of theirs was not in the least bit concerned about Sophie's behaviour. Well, perhaps a tiny bit. But he just seemed to be interested in getting rid of her. And he couldn't help wondering. Would he be next?
"Maybe I should go after her," he said, about to get up.
"There's no need for that, young man," said the guy. "She's probably just gone to relieve herself. Sit down, sit down."
Jamie reluctantly sat back down, certain Sophie had not gone to the bathroom just to relieve herself. He slowly ate, watching the door and the two adults. He had almost finished eating and Sophie had not returned.
Jamie put down his fork firmly and got to his feet. "I'm going after her," he said, hoping his sister had not done anything rash. He walked off before either one of them could stop him and hurried through the door. Beyond we're the bathrooms. He peeked into the female lavatory and noted that it was empty. Most of the cubicles were, too, save for one.
"Sophie, are you in here?" he called in.
There was a short silence before a voice came from the closed cubicle. "Are they already leaving?" The door then slid open and Sophie came out, looking slightly miserable. Most of her anger was gone. "Maybe we should just let them go home, Jamie. We'll take the bus or something."
"We can't," he deadpanned. "We're in the city, we don't know our way around."
Sophie rolled her eyes. Her ire seemed to be returning. "We'll be fine," she said. "Anyway, don't tell me you really want to go with them."
Jamie sighed. "What were you doing in there all that time?" he asked, as they walked out of the female restroom.
"Masterminding," Sophie said, her eyes glinting. Jamie took a step back.
"Whoa, has Pitch possessed you or something? That is just like the look he always uses when he's about to unleash his army of nightmares!" said Jamie, resulting in Sophie rolling her eyes again.
"Do you want to hear all about my plan?" she asked.
Jamie held up a hand. "Wait a second," he said, before heading back out, striding casually towards the table, where dessert had already been served. The two adults looked up as he approached them.
"Where's Sophie?" asked Mrs. Bennett instantly.
"She's just... uh, having serious stomach trouble," he lied. He eyed the plate of pasta. "She... probably won't be eating."
Mrs. Bennett seemed worried for a second, then her expression changed. She looked amused, which startled Jamie.
"Jamie, did you enter the female restroom?" she asked.
Jamie stood there, dumbfounded, not really wanting to admit he did. Burly Guy let out a huge guffaw. Mrs. Bennett couldn't help smiling. "It's okay," she said. "You were just concerned." She got up. "Maybe I should check on her."
Jamie was about to stop her, when the guy stood up all of a sudden, looking as black as thunder. He glared at Jamie. "Stomach trouble, indeed!" he thundered, attracting several stares from the other patrons of the restaurant. "Ho, you think I cannot see through a lie, young man? You're probably the worst liar I've ever encountered in my 40 years of existence! You're in big trouble!"
Mrs. Bennett hurriedly summoned a waiter for the bill, which her fiancé settled, before marching them out of the restaurant. Jamie was glad she did that, for the guy seemed to be on the verge of creating a scene.
"Lloyd, that wasn't really necessary!" Mrs. Bennett said to her fiancé. Ah, so that's his name, Jamie thought. "You didn't really have to shout at Jamie! You could've just given him a small chiding!"
"I do not tolerate liars, as you very well know!" he retorted, before taking a deep breath and calming down. "Come along," he said, shortly, before turning and heading in the direction of where his car was parked.
"And Sophie?" Jamie asked, not moving.
Mrs. Bennett turned to him. "What is she really doing, Jamie?" she asked, slightly exasperated.
Jamie hesitated, before replying, "Composing herself."
Mrs. Bennett sighed. "Go and get her."
Jamie nodded before hurrying back inside the restaurant, several stares following him as he dashed towards the door. Sophie was leaning against the wall, staring at the ceiling, obviously deep in thought.
"Sophie, let's go!"
"I'm not going with him."
"Don't be stupid, Soph," Jamie snapped, taking her arm and forcefully leading her to the door, before it was yanked out of his grip.
"Mom doesn't love him," she said.
Jamie frowned slightly. "What?"
Sophie folded her arms. "Mom's not marrying him because she loves him. I mean, isn't it obvious?"
Jamie ruminated, his eyes on the tiled floor, as if it could suddenly explain what Sophie was saying. "I... Well, if that's so, then I would say mom's a great actress and you're better at seeing through people than I give you credit for." He looked up at Sophie. "Anyway, we'd better go. You can tell me more about it when we get home."
Sophie shook her head stubbornly. "You go," she said. "I'll find my way back. I'm not sharing a car with that creep."
Jamie sighed, exasperated. "What am I supposed to do? Go out there and tell them that? And I can't let you roam about the city on your own!"
Sophie rolled her eyes again, looking equally exasperated. "Well, think of something!"
Jamie paced for a few moments, before exiting. He crossed through the restaurant and out the front door where the two of them were waiting in the car, which was stationary right outside the restaurant. The driver's window was down and Lloyd was looking out.
"I just got a call from a friend," he said, walking up to the car. "He's invited me to a party he's throwing tonight, and Sophie is invited, too. The house which this pretty mild shindig is at is just a walking distance away from here." Jamie knew he was a bad liar, but he hoped that was believable enough.
Lloyd scanned Jamie's face with his intimidating green eyes, obviously searching for hints of facial expressions that indicated a liar, but thankfully, it was hard to see in the dark of the evening, the only source of light being the lit signboards along the row of shops, cafes and restaurants. "I think you have enough of partying, don't you think?" he finally spoke. "I did ask you to clear your schedule for tonight." His green eyes narrowed at Jamie. "Get your sister and get in."
Jamie bent slightly to implore his mother, but her face turned away from Jamie and her fiancé and she was looking out her window, ignoring the conversation between her fiancé and her son. "Mom?" Jamie called.
Mrs. Bennett sighed, before turning. "Who is it, Jamie?" she asked.
"Caleb," Jamie lied.
Mrs. Bennett touched her fiancé's arm. "Just let him go. He'll be back before midnight, won't you, Jamie?" The last one was directed at her son.
"Definitely!" Jamie responded, grinning. "Thanks, mom!" With that, he turned and hurried back into the restaurant before Lloyd could say anything against it. He found Sophie inside and they went out through the front door once the car had driven off. They entered a cafe two doors away where Sophie placed an order of toast, feeling hungry as he appetite had returned and she had not had much earlier.
"Listen, Jamie!" she said, as they sat opposite each other at a table, oblivious to the cacophony of voices and music around them. "You do know that they don't love each other, right?"
Jamie shook his head. "I just found out two minutes ago, from you. But how do you know that? And why would mom want to marry someone she doesn't love?"
"Here I made a list of everything," Sophie said, slipping a piece of paper on which she had scribbled her lists, towards Jamie. He tried to read it by the dim light of the hanging lamp above them.
Reasons why mom is marrying that creep despite not even liking him
1) He is some practitioner of witchcraft and has bewitched her, mind, body and soul.
2) He made empty promises.
3) He showered her with all sorts of things.
4) She's trying to get over dad.
5) She's just mentally ill.
Jamie looked up, incredulous. "Sophie, have you got nothing better to do?"
"Just tell me what you think of it!" she snapped.
Jamie looked down at the first list. "Well, number five's definitely out. We know mom's not sick. And in number one, you make him sound like Pitch. Number two and three seem similar." He looked up at Sophie again. "You know, there could be more than one reason." He glanced down at the second list, which had been written just below Number Five of the first one. "And what's this?"
"Reasons why the creep is marrying mom," Sophie read out the title.
1) He loves mom.
2) He's trying to cheat mom.
3) He plotting something, like mom's murder.
4) He's trying to get revenge at Jamie and I through her. (I don't know why, though)
5) He has a grudge against mom and wants to see her suffer (similar to numbers 2, 3)
Jamie shook his head, as Sophie's toast arrived and she began munching on it. "You've got a vivid imagination, Soph," he said. "That's just stupid."
Sophie snatched the list back, scowling slightly. "Oh, so you think you can come up with better reasons?" she snapped, through a mouthful of toast.
Jamie leaned across the table towards her. "Look, why don't we just talk to mom when we get the chance? Lloyd leaves at night, right?"
"Mom often complains she's too tired and just goes to bed," Sophie said, swallowing.
"Maybe you could put on a show to get her attention, start a conversation and then begin asking."
"I'm not some detective in a mystery novel," Sophie said, bluntly. She picked up the second piece of buttered toast and hailed the waiter. "What sort of show? She probably took lessons from that creep and now has the ultra-bionic eye to see through lies."
"She was concerned about you earlier," Jamie said, settling the small bill and getting up. Sophie was still munching as she followed him outside. They hurried over to a bus stop nearby and joined a small crowd waiting. Jamie checked the timetable.
"She still cares? Well, that's surprising. I thought she forgot all about me," Sophie remarked, bitterly. "So, what am I supposed to do? Put on a sad face and confront her? Pour out my troubles, cry on her shoulder and then slowly talk to her about this creep? I can't! Anyway, I think we should do it together. Perhaps she would be more convinced then."
Jamie mulled it over. "Fine, we'll both talk to her," he said, with a small shrug.
Well, I suppose this fiancé is an OC of mine... (obviously)
To Guest: Maybe, in some of the future chapters. :-)