Knowing Jude
Chapter 41

"Avery?"

In the morning, I'm woken by knocks on my door. Heavy fast ones, that indicate that whoever is out there has been trying to rouse me for a while now. My heartbeat accelerates even before my mother's voice breaks through the barrier. I shoot up from bed immediately.

My mother never calls me Avery. It's always Jo, and rarely Ava, but Avery?

Synonymous to trouble.

I reach for my phone, fumble, push it from the edge of the cabin and catch it just before it acquires its first series of cracks after one short week in my ownership. Fingers shaking, I unlock it. Ten o'clock.

"Do not tell me she's also not here!"

My mother's raised voice cracks like a whip and it has me hurrying to the door.

"Coming!" I call, turning the key in the lock.

I come face to face with Mum's unsmiling face, with eyes narrowed and pink lips stretched into a thin line.

I think I'm in trouble.

"Why are you still sleeping at ten o'clock on Sunday?"

Sunday. It's Sunday, we normally go to the nine o'clock service. But she doesn't look like she's ready to go anywhere. She has her apron on, and the sleeves of her flowery shirt are pulled to her elbows.

I rub my eyes that are feeling a little sore. "I overslept; guess I'll go for the eleven o'clock mass?"

"Come with me," she says, all business-like, then turns and stalks down the hall.

I close my door and go after her. Trey is standing at the end of the hallway, chewing on a nail.

"Does she know?" I whisper, thinking this is about us sneaking out last night.

He shakes his head. "Better hope it stays that way. Maria got busted, she might rat us out too."

I'm expecting a lecture in the living room but Mum is taking the stairs two at a time. I hurry after her, and Trey follows after me. She leads the way to Maria's room. It looks like it has been hit by a tornado. The beddings are overturned, the drawers in her cabin are open, and clothes are lying everywhere.

My mother turns to me. "Jo, do you have any idea where your sister could be?"

"Is she not here?"

Mum pats her open palm on her hair. "No, and I don't think she spent the night here either."

I wave a hand around the room. "She did this?"

"No," Trey whispers from behind me.

Mum's head snaps up. "You're not needed here, Trevino."

"It's Trey," he mutters drily, then walks back down the stairs.

"So. Looks like Maria has been sneaking out of the house. Did you know about this, Jordan?"

I shake my head. "No, I... No!"

Relieved as I am that this is not about me, I realise I'm treading on extremely thin ice.

"Close the door."

Her curt manner is not helping either.

I close the door and step further into the room.

"I wanted to send your sister on a little errand to the Sheltons', but she wasn't here. Found this on the floor, she must have dropped it in her hurry to get out of here, I suspect."

I look at the familiar packet Mum is holding and assume the blankest look on my face.

"You found that in here?"

"Yes, looks like your sister is sexually active."

I press my lips together and shrug.

"Did you know about this?" she asks, her brown eyes sharper than ever.

"No, it's not like she allows anyone into her room. And we don't really talk, so..."

"This is insane, she's underage!" she shakes her head, then moves over to the cabin beside the bed. She lifts a couple of tablet bottles for me to see. "There's worse. Drugs. And," she picks up a small plastic bag. "A bag of weed." "Are you sure?" I ask in disbelief, closing the distance between us. I take the bottle and look at the pills inside. "Maybe they're just..."

"Oh, your father took a look, and he's conversant with these things."

"I swear I had no idea," I tell her.

Not about the drugs anyway...

She takes a seat on the untidy bed, palming her forehead. "I knew she was difficult, but I never once thought it was to this extent. I can't believe I never noticed!"

"I don't think anybody could have noticed. She's good at hiding things and she doesn't involve anyone here in her stuff."

"Well, your father is really mad, and so am I. This has to stop now."

I nod, afraid to say anything. If Maria's things blow up, the rest of us might explode along with her.

My mother rises and starts collecting her pieces of evidence. "When she gets back, we'll all have a talk."

My throat goes completely dry.

I replace Maria's ability to stay calm in the face of disaster extremely infuriating. She has on this 'so what, I don't care façade'. She might think it's cool, badass or whatever, but it's not helping things with Dad or Mum. "I'm going to ask you one last time, Maria. Where. Were. You. Last. Night."

Dad is taking his time with every word, and I don't think that's a good sign at all.

"I already told you, I was at a friend's. Stacey's. We were watching movies and it got late and I decided to sleep over. I forgot to call, sorry."

"Let's suppose you're not lying. How about this?" Dad asks with a gesture towards the bottles of pills on the table. "Where did you get this?"

Maria's nose lifts slightly. "I don't know, what's that?"

"You tell us, we found them in your room."

"I swear I don't know what that is." She picks a bottle and takes off the lid.

Trey and I share a look. The three of us are seated on the same couch, Trey on one end and Maria on the other, with me slowly suffocating in the middle. Dad is perched on the coffee table, Mum standing right behind him, watching the three of us like a hawk.

Dad's eyes slid shut. His head shakes in slow motion. "Maria, I don't have all day. You either talk or I'll go ahead and book you into rehab and begin searching for a suitable girls' boarding school."

For the first time since this little convention began, Maria's attitude drops and she actually looks shaken. If it were not for the circumstances, I would have burst into gleeful laughter. Maria in a girl's boarding school? That would be her worst nightmare realised.

As you reach the final pages, remember that 000005s.com is your destination for the complete story. Share the joy of reading with others and spread the word. The next chapter is just a visit away! "Why don't you ask her? She's the one running around with bad boys like Jude!" Maria declares vehemently, her hateful glare on me.

I spin towards her so fast I almost get whiplash. "Excuse me? They were found in your room, remember?"

"Because you're trying to frame me for God knows what. Is it because I know your little secret? Are you trying to make me look bad too so that we can go down together? You put " "What are you even "

"She's trying to frame me, Dad, I swear! She's the only one here who would know where to get drugs because she spends all her time with Jude, and everybody knows what sort of guy Jude is."

I shoot up from my seat and loom over her, the urge to grab her fake hair and toss her around the living room very strong. "Stop lying!"

A hand takes hold of my arm, I can tell its Dad's from the strong grip.

"Sit down and stay quiet, Avery. What are you talking about, Maria?"

I flop back into the seat, not once taking my eyes off the lying bitch beside me.

And she's shedding crocodile tears too!

She sniffs and wipes under her eyes. "Just because I'm popular in school and have friends who want to spend time with me doesn't mean I do bad things! She's the one who sneaks Jude into her room at night and the other day I found condoms in her room but she denied it and claimed it was mine. I—"

"WHAT THE HELL?"

"YOU THINK YOU'LL GET AWAY WITH IT? YOUR GOOD GIRL ACT STOPS RIGHT HERE YOU BITCH!"

"Girls, shut up, both of you!"

Our yells are nothing compared to Dad's stern voice, and the room falls into silence.

"What is this, Jo?" my mother asks.

"Mum, I swear, she's lying."

"You don't let Jude into your room?" Maria taunts.

"I do, but only that. I have never seen those pills, and I do not have condoms because I do not need them, unlike you who sneaks out to meet men who are double your age!" "What the fuck?" Trey mutters.

None of the folks pays attention to his dirty mouth, they're busy regarding their daughters like two aliens who dropped out of nowhere into their living room.

"You do what?"

That's Mum, and her attention is thankfully on Maria.

"You heard that, but not about her and Jude? Of course, I'm the predetermined culprit here!"

"You know what? Maybe we should call Jude and hear what he has to say," I snap.

"We're not calling anyone," Dad says. "Avery, do you agree you've been letting Jude into your room at night?"

"Yes, but he's my friend, just like Simon. All we do is talk-"

Maria interrupts. "Yeah, right, we're so believing that."

"I don't care what you believe, so you can keep your opinion to yourself," I notify her. I try to stay calm as I turn back to Dad. "You know him well enough, Dad. He's just comfortable talking to me." "Jude doesn't just talk to girls," Maria extends her ever insightful opinion. "Not to girls like you, no."

As you reach the final pages, remember that 000005s.com is your destination for the complete story. Share the joy of reading with others and spread the word. The next chapter is just a visit away! "And is this yours?" Dad waves the red packet in my face.

"No!"

He turns to Maria. "This Stacey. Last name?"

"Liamson."

He takes out his phone. "I believe I have Mr. Liamson's number. He'll know about you spending the night there, I presume?"

It's a sweet moment to see the blood drain right out of Maria's face. I give Trey a look. He looks thoroughly entertained. Luckily for him, it doesn't look like Maria has any dirt on him. Or maybe she just doesn't have enough motive to pile stuff on him too.

"Mr. Liamson was not at home," Maria tells Dad.

"I'm sure he'll let me know," Dad replies. He rises from the table and heads towards the kitchen.

"I think you can leave now, Trey. Unless there's something you know that can help clarify this situation?" Mum asks him.

Trey sits up straight. "I, uh..." his eyes switch between me and Maria. "Nothing. Better get out of here."

Not waiting for further clearance, he jumps up and disappears into the hall leading to my bedroom. Eavesdropper.

Mum now turns back to us. She shakes her head. "Girls, I'm so disappointed."

Maria tosses her blonde hair over one shoulder. "I'm not going to boarding school, Mum. I've done nothing wrong."

"Got Mrs. Liamson instead, she confirmed you were there."

We all turn to face Dad.

After a few seconds of silence, Maria bursts up. "See? See? Who do you think is lying now?"

"Avery, did you put these things in your sister's room?" Dad asks, turning to face me with a steely glance.

Maria adopts a 'arms crossed' posture.

I do not waver. "No. The only thing I'm guilty of here is letting Jude into my room in secret."

"Jude, a fairly questionable character," Mum says.

Maria huffs. "Understatement."

"We need to look through your room," Dad tells me.

I jump. "Fine, let's go right now, I have nothing to hide."

"Because you dumped it all in my room," Maria accuses.

"You wish."

"You two stay here, I'll go look," Mum says.

I sit back down as farthest as I can from Maria-and cross my arms over my chest. I fell asleep crying because Nicki thinks I'm a lying bitch who went after her crush and woke up to this. I've never been this pissed off.

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