Absolute

13

Each of the guys who were to go inside with me were handed backpacks. I waited for my own bag, but North only offered me a black sweatshirt that looked like it would fit if I rolled the sleeves up. I accepted it, surprised at the smell inside, and mentally wondering if this was how North would smell if I got close enough.

I refrained from sniffing him, even as I channeled my inner alpha warrior just in case my parents woke up during our mission.

I hadn't failed to notice their lingo, how they'd called this a mission and spoke in a language that seemed to suggest this was a regular occurrence. Maybe not my situation specifically, but the organizing and planning was definitely not out of the ordinary for them.

Together we all walked towards my house. I wasn't sure what time it was, but Kota had ordered me to take lead. His voice had taken on a different quality since we'd geared up and stepped outside, as he fell into the role of leadership.

It was all I could do to act like any of this made sense to me. Here I was with six boys on my tail, about to break into my own home and install security measures. Kota and Victor had explained to me that they had access at any given point to the live video feed, but that it would only record if one of them set it up to.

And only if they'd seen something worth recording. To which Victor quickly amended that they meant anything my parents were up to that seemed not okay. I knew what they meant, and I slightly appreciated them talking around the subject.

None of them had thrown it in my face the way Gabriel had when we were children. Perhaps he's what I needed then, to recognize what I was going through as not okay, and I needed the others now. To take care of the problem.

It wasn't until I'd opened the unlocked back door and let the others inside did I remember why I didn't like Gabriel coming inside when we were kids. It had been slightly better then, even. Now we had no tv, and basically nothing else unless you entered one of the three bedrooms that were in use.

I believed there was a spare, like Nathan's house, near my parents room. But I hadn't had the time to explore this new house, and even so, I knew the spare would look nothing like Nathan's. I started to glance around in panic, looking at the bare walls and remembering how Kota's were full. Even Nathan had some.

I couldn't help but wonder what they were thinking as I forced myself to shut the backdoor.

None of them let me know by their expressions, but I could tell by the way North scanned the walls and looked back at me that he had some thoughts on the subject.

I quickly led Luke and Kota upstairs, surprised when they made even less noise than I did during the ascent. I hadn't had time to learn the stairs, but Luke seemed to know just where to step, and Kota followed his every move.

When we got to the top step Luke and Kota fanned out. Kota went straight to the bathroom, per my description of the house, and was placing a camera in the vent. The camera would look out over the whole bathroom, and if the door was open it would see into the hallway.

If I'd thought it was strange that they thought cameras in the bathroom were important, I tried not to show it. They asked me to trust them, and while I knew I could deny anything they suggested, I knew they had to put a fair amount of trust in me.

With so many thoughts and emotions running through me, I didn't notice when Marie stopped snoring. I was standing near her room, supposed to be keeping an eye on things so that the boys could remain undetected and safe.

I heard her bed creak first. She'd gotten a fancy metal frame, which unfortunately for her, squeaked every time she moved too much. I held my breath, my eyes locked on Luke who had stopped what he was doing to the hall light and stared at me, waiting for my move first.