Hunt Me Down - Chapter 52: Chapter 52

Nathaniel's POV
I hurriedly slid through the window and closed it before I headed to the door of my bedroom. Opening it, I almost collided with my mother who stood in the hallway, her hand raised as if she was about to knock.
"Sweetie, are you alright?" She inquired, looking me up and down.
"I... I took one of the pills leftover from last time I had a stomach ache," I replied, my need to justify why I was in my room and not the bathroom overriding my response to her actual question. "I feel better already," I added once I realized what she'd actually asked.
"So soon?" One of her eyebrows rose and for attention shifted from me to the room behind me, her eyes narrowing while she examined it.
I stood frozen with my hand over the handle. I was afraid that if I moved, I'd give it all away so I did my best to avoid glancing towards the Harris' house. Her search proving fruitless, her gaze returned to me, no traces of suspicion in it.
"Are you ready to return downstairs? There will be no champagne, I'm afraid; your sister dropped the bottle."
So that was what had produced the smashing sound earlier.
"I cleaned the glass up. It should be safe," she went on, "but be careful where you step."
I nodded, wondering if the cleaning process was a part of Val's plan to delay my mother and give me more time or did she drop the bottle simply to distract her and what happened afterwards was a of luck.
"Let's go then," I gestured with my arm towards the staircase. She stepped in that direction and I exited my room, letting out a puff at the narrow escape and throwing one last glance at Hunter's window.
*****
"You two should've seen mom's face when she realized I'd dropped that oh-so-expensive fancy champagne."
"It's been three days, Vallery; maybe you should stop bringing it up," I suggested but her enthusiasm didn't lessen.
"Her eyes bulged and her mouth became like double its size as she started screaming; I swear, she looked like a cartoon character!" My twin took a sip of her coda before she grinned at the built-in camera again. A moment later, however, her smile diminished. "I think dad suspects something thought."
"Why would you say that?" The boy from the laptop screen asked.
"I don't know," Vallery shrugged. "He just gave me the look, the one that he usually gives me when he thinks I'm up to something or when something happens and he's trying to make out whether I had anything to do with it."
I was not afraid to admit that the first time my sister had told me about dad's reaction, I panicked. But the days went without his acting out of character or making any inquiries; even if he had suspected something, he probably didn't think I was a part of it.
"He's very biased," my twin added.
"Well, it's not like you haven't done enough things to make him be on his guard around you," he replied, his hand running over his red hair. "God knows you keep me on my toes... No rhyme intended."
Vallery gasped, her palm flying to her chest and resting upon it.
"When did I do anything to you?"
Her question was obsolete; there were a dozen instances I could come up with before she even finished it and I was sure that was the case with Raiden too.
"You put a snake... In my bed," he pronounced slowly. "A real, living snake... in... my... bed."
"Oh, come on," she rolled her eyes. "It was years ago. How long are you going to keep bitching about it?"
"Something cold sliding over me under my cozy covers was one of the most horrifying moment of my life so... Often," he concluded. "For the rest of my life or your life; whichever comes first. Knowing what a loose cannon you are, you are probably going to kick the bucket before me."
"At least I'll get rid of your whining then," Vallery smiled sweetly at him.
"Nope." The boy pushed his chest forward, his back forming an arc. We heard his bones crack as he stretched. "I'll come to your grave every day with my walking cane or even in a wheelchair - I don't care which it will be - and stand by your grave. And then I'm going remind you of what you did that summer."
"Yeah, and when you feel that you are about to bite the big one as well, you'll grab a cab, lie upon my grave and whisper with your dying breath: 'Vallery Reed, you put a snake in my bed'." The last part my sister breathed out, before she sprawled back in her chair, sticking out her tongue and tilting her head to the side, faking her death in a fashion that a Looney Toon character would envy.
I sighed at her dramatics, but kept quiet. I knew neither of them was finished just yet.
"Maybe," the image of Raiden on my laptop shrugged.
"How romantic!" Val noted, 'resurrecting'. She slid to the front of the chair she'd brought along with her when it was time for the video chat with our childhood friend and leaned closer to the camera so he could see her eyelashes flutter.
"Not funny, Vallery."
Her grin only became larger at his words.
"You put a snake in my bed after you challenged me to watch a horror movie about snakes. A Japanese horror movie; those guys know their stuff."
"You started it," she insisted, putting some distance between her and the laptop. "You pushed me in the creek."
"And getting you wet on a sunny day makes you reciprocate by giving me nightmares?" He crossed his arms over his chest and I noted once again that he'd built up some muscle since the last time we'd met in person.
My sister pretended to pounder over his question, her index finger touching her chin as she looked up.
"Yep!" She concluded merrily.
Our friend sighed, the gush of air producing a screech as it collided with his microphone.
"Nathaniel, will you talk some sense into her?" Raiden begged, looking at me.
"He couldn't even if he wanted to," Val replied instead of me.
"I want to," I stressed the verb, "I just can't. This is not something to be proud of, Vallery" I added when she smirked.
"Let's just talk about something else, okay?" Raiden suggested and Val and I both nodded. "How are things with Hunter going?"
I felt a blush creep over my face at how straightforward he was.
"Okay," I gave a one-sided shrug.
"And telling your parents?" He asked slowly.
My sister turned in her chair to look at me.
"Yes, Nathaniel, when are you going to tell our parents?"
"Your tone, Val," Raiden warned against the sternness in her voice. She was getting even more impatient than Hunter.
"Zip it, Gingie." Her eyes were on me as she replied to him.
"You know I don't get offended by that," he calmly commented.
"Oops! I'll try harder next time, Rai-Rai."
"And I only get peeved by that when we are in public," he pointed out.
Vallery frowned.
She thought that the nickname she made up for our friend would get a more agitated reaction from him now that we were teens. Raiden had actually enjoyed her calling him that back in the day, but was less pleased to be addressed this way now.
"I'm working on it," I muttered but by the way Raiden leaned forward, I realized he'd seen my lips move yet had not heard my response.
"I'm working on it," I repeated, louder this time. "Hunt's not happy it's taking this long, but so far he's supportive. Not sure how tomorrow will go though," I admitted. "It will be the first time we'll have to hide with so many people around."
"So you are staying away from each other?" He asked.
"Sort of. We agreed to act the same way as before..."
... For now, I added in my mind, wondering how long it would be before Hunter got tired of the whole charade.
A knock sounded from behind me and we all looked towards the door.
"Come in," I shouted and mom popped her head inside.
"Hello, Raiden," she greeted with a large smile. I could never comprehend how she could like him so much when he often got in trouble along with Vallery. Perhaps it was because mother always expected my sister to be at fault and considered the rest who were involved to be coerced by her.
"Hi, Mrs. Reed," the redhead greeted back.
"I hate to interrupt you children, but it is getting late and tomorrow is a school day." By now the whole of her was in my room. "You should say goodnight and go to bed."
"But, mom, there will be no school tomorrow," Val smiled at her and our parent raised an eyebrow; I could tell she was already preparing for a fight. "We are going to set it on fire tonight, right, Nat?"
"Stop antagonizing her," I hissed.
"Vallery Reed, this is not funny," our mother raised her voice. "Now get off that chair and leave your brother's room. And you better be ready on time tomorrow."
Val sighed, pushing her chair back as she stood up.
"Nighty-night, Rai-Rai," she wished, sending him an air kiss. She was out of my room - chair in one hand and with our mother in tow - just a moment later.
"She forgot to tell you goodnight," Raiden noted, "and to give me time to say that to her."
"She's not done with mom yet, I can tell you that."
As if on cue, a loud, exasperated cry - 'Vallery!' - came from the hallway. We both smiled at the perfect timing of my mother's scream.
"I guess I should go as well; it is getting late," I said, looking at the time at the lower right corner of the laptop.
"You have to get enough energy to put up a show tomorrow."
"Oh, come on, Rai," I groaned. "Not you two. I already have to deal with Vallery and Hunter..."
He put his hands up to calm me.
"I wasn't criticizing," he insisted. "It was more like a warning. It will be an emotionally tough day tomorrow; you should be prepared for it."
"I don't think that anything can prepare me for that," I admitted. "Having to hide in front of so many people..."
... In front of Irene.
That was still the biggest problem for me. How was I to face her tomorrow, knowing that I've replaced her?
"Well, good night then, Nathaniel."
"Goodnight," I whispered, turning the camera off.