Dodging Disasters ✔

Chapter Thirty-Eight

As the nurse starts to roll the bandage around my head, Kevin enters - quickly taking out his phone and holding it upwards, facing me.

"What are you doing?" I ask as I sit still and Kevin walks around the bed, shooting me from every angle.

"Is that Snapchat?" Tyler questions as he joins his twin.

Kevin nods. "Jason needs proof that his sister is still safe and alive."

I roll my eyes at him and the nurse smiles at his antics as she finishes wrapping the bandage neatly over my head. I thank her and get up hurriedly, not wanting to waste a single second here at the hospital.

I couldn't talk to Tyler when Kevin was around so we needed to go back to college as soon as possible because I just couldn't take this. I had so many questions popping up in my mind, I was worried that my head would start aching again.

I jump into the front seat as Tyler runs towards the driver's. Kevin groans and bangs his hand on the door, before occupying the back seat, sulking.

"Aww, crybaby," Tyler teases him and Kevin sticks his tongue out.

We drive in awkward silence for the first five minutes, not knowing what to say. "So what are your new year plans?" I ask finally, breaking the ice.

After a moment Kevin clears his throat and says. "We have had enough of parties."

I turn to look at Kevin, my mouth wide open. "You don't have new year plans?"

He shrugs. "Well, one nice and quiet new year's Eve won't do any harm I suppose."

I rest my head on the headrest and close my eyes. I had never celebrated new year's. Mom would usually be out for some party, leaving me and Jason to have a small party of our own. I always envied those huge new year celebrations because I never got to be a part of them. And for the first time that I had gotten a chance now, I didn't even feel like celebrating after all that had happened.

As Tyler parks the car, I unbuckle by seat belt and watch as Kevin gets out, fumbling with the keypad on his phone as he texts someone. He makes his way towards the exit without waiting for us and I turn towards Tyler who's hand is on the door handle.

"Tyler, we need to talk." I tell him and turning towards me, he nods.

"Yeah, okay."

"You know about my mother." I say slowly, expecting a reaction but he doesn't give one.

"Georgia Fray. Yes, I do know about her." He looks down at the seat belt buckle and fiddles with it, as if trying to avoid my gaze.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

He looks up at me and sighs. "Look, Mads. When I heard Georgia Fray on the phone, yelling like that I knew that something was up. And I wanted to hear it from you. So I asked you about it but you came up with a -" he scrunches up his nose and continues. "- with a pretty decent story. You had to be lying for a reason, so I didn't push it further and accepted whatever you told me. So the fact that Georgia Fray had no kids, and you were an orphan, she had scolded you over the phone asking you not to participate in the competition like she governed your life. It was extremely confusing and didn't make sense.

So I called up my father and indirectly asked him about you. I told him what had happened - a lady had called and asked you not to sing. Then I told him the excuse you gave me and he supported your story. But I know when my father is lying so I casually mentioned Georgia Fray and then he fumbled.

I told him that I knew about it, I knew Georgia was your mother. He was so surprised but when I told him that I heard her voice he got it. He told me Steve is your father and not your uncle. You're supposed to keep quiet about Georgia or she'll do something bad. Well, that was pretty sufficient information for me to keep my mouth shut."