Lay Low

Chapter Thirty Six

The next morning, I heard the car horn toot.  Mum had rang Max afterwards and let him know I was 'safe' and what had happened with Lyla's Dad.  He had agreed that I was best to sleep off the alcohol there and rang her first thing in the morning to say that he would pick me up at 10am- I was suspended of course.  I ran out to the car and got in.

"Hey Dad" I said, uncomfortably as I settled into the seat next to him.

"Jacob" he replied coolly, not looking at me.  Aw man, he was seriously still pissed at me. 

I didn't speak - I thought it best to let him cool off some more.  I hadn't exactly behaved well yesterday, by any stretch of the imagination, so he might need more time to forgive me.  I cringed as I thought about what I had said to him.

I hadn't seen Tony since last night.  I had heard him come back in the early hours; the customary panic had begun as I had heard his footsteps on the stairs.  But he didn't come in and I must have fallen back into a heavy, alcohol induced sleep - well until Mum's sharp tones had awoken my hangover this morning.  She was berating him and I could hear that he wasn't arguing back.  He had left pretty early.

Mum had been OTT all morning before she took Hannah to school.  She brought me a cup of tea in bed and offered breakfast, not that I could stomach it.  She was desperate for me not to say anything. 

I looked over at Max.  I didn't want any more trouble and I didn't want him to worry anymore.  I would keep it to myself.  I had pushed Tony to it after all.  

Part of me felt quite calm now.  I was no longer waiting for it to happen.  The normal order of things had been restored.

I hadn't been paying attention to where we were driving until we pulled up in front of the familiar building.

"What are we doing here?  It's not Monday?" I asked, confused.

"No it isn't.  I asked Jonas to meet with us today."

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Do you really need me to answer that question?" he looked at me incredulous, getting out of the car.   I sulkily followed behind him.  Jonas was talking to the receptionist as we walked in.

"Hey guys, come on through" he motioned down the hallway.  

Jonas didn't sit in the bean bag this time, but back on the sofa.  Max sat opposite him and I picked the beanbag furthest away and sat down with a sigh.  Max frowned at me.

"So Max has asked that we meet together following some incidents yesterday..." began Jonas.

My stomach flipped.  Had they found out about Tony?  Had Mum told Max last night?  No, Max would have come and got me, would have rang the police at least.

"He was suspended from school for starting a fight" explained Max.

Oh right, that is what they were on about.  I shifted in my seat, pain shooting through my bruised stomach and back.  I caught Jonas watching me.  I covered my pained expression with a smirk.

"See this, this attitude.  He thinks it is funny.  He was never like this before" said Max, exasperated.  "And now fighting with his best friend".

"Jake?" asked Jonas, turning his light blue eyes on to mine.

"It was nothing.  Mr Rhodes got it all wrong; we were just messing around".

"Don't sit here and point blank lie Jake," blustered Max, "I rang Lyla this morning.  She told me what happened.  She confirmed what Andy said – that you have made some new friends whom you spend all your time with drinking and smoking weed."