Tales & Time (Lost Time Academy #1)(31)

"No, I had to win fight class to get one phone call to you guys," I say, and I hear my mum’s joyful shout and my dad’s loud, proud laugh.

"You won fight class? But how?" she sputters after calming down. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. My power is to create sleep dust, and I knocked out the entire room, including my teacher. I am going to learn to control it, but it's a good start," I explain to them. It’s weird to know I have this power now, and I can actually protect myself, even though I’ve not exactly mastered controlling it yet.

"I am so proud of you," my dad says in the background, as I'm clearly on speaker phone. "My girl, knocking out a whole class in her first week." I can't help but laugh at his proud and happy voice. It’s not something every dad is happy about, but we aren’t normal. Honestly, we never were, and I love that.

"Hey dad," I say.

"Hey darling. We miss you, and we are so proud you are settling in well," he replies to me, and I take a nervous deep breath before asking a question I need to know.

"D-did Quinton come asking for me? Is he okay?" I ask after a moment, knowing I need the answer no matter how nervous I am to ask. Quin still makes my heart pound, my mouth feel dry, and everything so much more. The Tale brothers do it to me as well, they always have done. When we were all together, it was perfect.

"The boy didn't come here, and being your dad, I went to his house to check he was alright. He moved out, both him and his mother," he tells me, making me more nervous than ever before. What the hell is going on with Quin? He wouldn’t move out, he couldn’t. They lived in a trailer on some rent free land, and it was the best they could afford. His mum wouldn’t move them out, because she lived rent free, and the rent money would go to buying fags and booze. Quin wouldn’t give up his job either, or his school, because that was his entire future.

"What?" I finally whisper when my thoughts finally let me breathe. This doesn't make me feel any better about any of this.

"Madi are the Tale boys there? Did they remember you?" mum asks. Ah, they knew the brothers where here and where they went when they left. Of course they did. My parents watched me cry for weeks when they disappeared, and they couldn’t tell me the truth. I want to be mad at them for that, but I get it. Telling me the truth then was illegal to the tales descendants, and they had to let me suffer. Quin was there though, and now he is going through what I did but much worse. We were each other’s first time, first date, and well, most things except for first kiss…and now he is alone. I feel so guilty, even though it isn’t my fault. I can’t go back to him.

"They aren't boys anymore, mum, and yeah, they did. We are friends again, just like no time passed at all," I tell her, and I can hear her smile through the phone, even without seeing it. Dad grumbles about something, but I just miss it. The phone starts loudly beeping, and I quickly realise I don't have long left.

"You have to go, don't you, darling?" dad asks me, sounding sad. I’m not used to hearing my dad sound anything but cheeky and happy.

"Yeah, seems so. I miss you guys. I really do. How long do I have to stay here again?" I ask, as I’ve forgotten.

"Oh Madi, we miss you more than anything in the world, and we are proud of you. It can't be that bad there," mum replies, and I sigh.

"It's not that bad here, I just miss home," I reply and leave out Quinton's name in that. I can't help but worry about him more now than I was before, and there is nothing I can do about it. Quinton asked me not to call him again, and I really should respect his decision because it is his to make. Maybe he just moved away for a new start and his mum buggered off. At least I want to try and convince myself that is true, even if I don’t believe it.

"We love you," mum replies, and then the dial tone rings, ending the call. I drop the phone back into the holder, staring at it like it's going to ring and give me the closure I need. It can’t. I look out the window in the room, seeing the dark sky, the millions of stars littering it, before I yawn. I could really do with a night of long, deep sleep. Hopefully, my dreams will not be creepy and give me more closure than being awake does. I climb out the seat, walk to the door and pull it open only to find Knox leaning against the wall on the other side of the corridor.

"Hey, you alright?" I ask, because hell, he doesn't look it. Knox seems, well, tired. I yawn after he does because yawns are super contagious. I’m sure of it.

"I need a favour. One only you can help me with," Knox tells me, pushing up off the wall. The dim light shines against his face more now, and his eyes lock with mine.

I don't even think twice before answering. I'd do anything to help the brothers. "Anything."





Chapter 19





Knox offers me a hand rather than telling me what the favour is, and even though it's been years since Knox and I held hands, my hand slides into his like no time has passed. That's the thing I'm noticing with the brothers, it feels natural and safe like it always has. We aren't kids anymore, and yes, things about us all have seriously changed, but in so many ways, it hasn't at all. Knox stares down at me for just a moment, letting me see the dark shadows under his eyes which make the dark silver colour of them that much darker. It doesn't suit his blond hair, which is darker than his brother’s now and longer, falling across his forehead. Knox looks stressed and tired, but even like this, there is something so attractive about him. That is one thing that changed between us all: the tension. It was there a little bit before, but now it’s always there. In a matter of seconds, he turns away and gently tugs on my hand to lead me back down the corridor.