The Hush Society Presents..., Izzy Matias [cat reading book .TXT] 📗

"You two are getting a divorce, then, aren’t you?"

He shakes his head. "She’s not getting rid of me that easy."

I laugh. "Has she moved back in?"

"Only because you’re back, but I’m working on my charm….and trying to let my hard head crack open."

"It’s my fault," I say, feeling all colour drain from me.

"You damn right know it’s been a long time coming. What you did added insult to injury, but it would have happened just the same."

"How are Tamara and Timmy taking it?"

"Timmy’s being a real sport about it. Tamara’s shut herself in her room, revising and cramming for her exams."

"We deal with difficulty in different ways."

"Rightly so," Dad says. "What are you going to do now?"

So he knows about the fall-out. I sigh, relieved of being the one to break the news to him.

I could spend the rest of my life jumping from one nine-to-five to the next, but the sensible thing to do would be to be a proper adult and get a degree. I sabotage my own success. And I don’t want to unleash the kraken anymore. It’s better to shut him off where he can’t hurt anyone.

"I’m going to Uni," I announce.

Dad’s eyes light up. "You can get a Student Finance loan to pay for Uni. You’ve got to learn the hard work it takes to earn."

The tour, at least, has taught me that much. "I knew you’d say something of the sort, which is why I’m going to the factory to ask for a full-time job. Maybe I’ll look into that management training program you were telling me about. That should earn me the money to pay for my Student Finance loan. And pay back Mum for my train ticket home."

"You can apply for funding." He beams at me. "There are loads of grants available."

I snort. I’ve never been an ace at school, but with Dad this excited, it’s the lifeline I need to follow through with my decision.

"The worse they can say is no," he continues.

Ugh. So more rejection awaits. The thought of it sends me spiraling into more self-doubt. "I’ll skip the grant and stick with the student loan and job first. I don’t even know what I want to study yet. I’ll figure that out when the time comes."

"I’m proud of you, son. You’re owning up to your mistakes and handling this with responsibility."

I shrug. All I want to do is crawl to my room and sleep. "I’ll talk to you later, Dad. My batteries are empty, if you know what I mean," I say, getting up.

"Of course." He repeats twice. "I’m proud of you. Really proud of you."

I don’t know what there is to be proud of, really. It’s weird being back home after months of being away. How can a place look the same, but feel so different? I am home, yet a stranger at the same time.

I trudge up the stairs.

Right.

Onto the next order of business before I officially konk out on my bed.

Tamara’s room is the nearest to mine, so I start with her. As Dad said, her door is shut. Muffled rhythm and blues music blares from inside. I knock hard, but she doesn’t answer. I let myself in as I push past the books, clothes, shoes and all of her other stuff strewn on the floor.

She turns around from a vine of books—startled—and almost falls off her chair. I burst into a fit of laughter.

"We haven’t seen each other in months and the first thing you do is laugh at me," she says, trying to keep a straight face on, but dissolves into giggles before going back to her straight face.

I sit on her bed, staring at her. "All right?"

She shrugs, going back to revising. "Dad’s finally let you come home. About time. You’re as thick as he is."

"Love what you’ve done to the place," I comment, noting how she’s let her room turn into Tartarus’s pit. "You sure you haven’t gone off the trolley?"

"What’s it to ya?" Her eyes look puffy and bloodshot—like she hasn’t slept in days.

"Why didn’t you tell me about Mum and Dad?" I say, careful not to step on a landmine.

"Doesn’t matter. Mum’s back. You’re back. Everything’s sorted now."

"Naw."

"I don’t have time for this. I’ve got a massive exam coming up," she says, and pushes me away.

Months ago, I would have stood up and left her alone. "There is time," I say.

"What?" She gets up from her chair.

"You heard me." I step on the blinking red button, preparing for the blast.

She crosses her arms over her chest. "You storm out of here in the wake of Mum and Dad having the biggest row in months, expecting we’ll all be welcoming you with arms wide? You get kicked out because you refused to go to Uni, then you go off on your big journey! I said it was all right at the time, but it was horrible once you left. They’ve been at each other’s throats with this and that! And then Mum left. You lost touch. I had to pretend that it’s normal for the sake of Timmy, who by the way puts on the bravest front, but I know he’s not all right. And now you come back, like this… Don’t think I haven’t heard about your foul-up. Serves you right for leaving us!"

We sit in the aftermath, the aftershocks settling in.

She sits beside me. "You were supposed to prove him wrong." It comes out as a whisper.

"I knew you still loved me." I crack a grin.

Her eyes roll and she bursts out laughing. "I hate you."

"Only you’re allowed to hate me the way you do."

She pulls me into a bear hug and I know that even if things are askew, they’re on the path to being sorted. "You drive me mad, you know that?"

"It’s the only thing I’m good at."

"Come back when I’m not a bitch." She pats my head and shows me out her room. "And we’ll have a proper conversation."

"I am sorry," I say. Her lock clicks