I heard a pin drop & a nervous heartbeat

I closed the door behind me and laid down on the un-made bed. I spent at least half an hour staring at the ceiling until I drifted off to sleep.

I don't remember what I dreamed about, but I do remember waking up to find Pete and Joe standing in front of the bed, looking at me hopefully.

"You're awake." Joe said with a smile.

I sat up and rubbed my head and Pete handed me a glass of water, which I downed quickly.

"What happened earlier Jade?" Joe asked as he sat next to me.

"It's my father." I said as I wrapped hugged my knees up to my chest. "He's escaped from prison and he's looking for Marie and I."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier Jade?" Joe asked as I laid my head down on my knees and he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I wasn't going to say anything at all." I replied.

"I don't understand. Why is he looking for you and your sister?" Pete asked as he crossed his arms and also sat down on the bed.

"He has reasons which no one else understands, Pete. He probably wants to kidnapp us and raise us to continue on with his ways of buisness." I said as I lifted my head. "And he hates my mom."

They nodded as if they understood, but I knew no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make them understand the exact situation. They just couldn't seem to believe that he could get all the way here and still find exactly where we were. It sounded near impossible to them.

But I couldn't make them understand that my father had nearly limitless resources. He had plenty of "buisness associates" in the Chicago area that would help him out of any mess he was in.

Mrs. Trohman came in along with Marie and a plate of sandwhiches for our lunches. When Pete and Joe had taken their's, she asked them to leave the room for a moment and close the door behind them.

She sat the plate down on the table and sighed as she looked at me.

"Your mother told me what's going on." She said quietly.

"Oh." Was all I could utter.

"She thinks you and your sister should be home-schooled until she gets back." She said as she sat down on the bed.

Joe's mom used to be a teacher's assitant and now was a part-time tutor.

"She didn't tell me when she would be back." I replied as Marie hummed quietly from her spot on the floor.

"Well, she said that she wasn't sure. Possibly in three weeks."

I knew that she could see the worrysome look on my face, even with my head bent low. She patted me silently on the shoulder and smiled at me when I looked up.

Mrs. Trohman was like a second mother to me. It was her idea to allow Marie and I to stay as long as we needed.

"Thanks." I replied as I tried unsuccesfully to force a smile.

She smiled once more and took the plate on the table and walked out of the room.

"What does home-schooled mean?" Marie asked as she stood up.

"It means that she is going to teach us here and we won't go to school." I replied as I also stood up and then put my shoes on.

Marie went out of the room, to watch television I assumed and Pete and Joe came back in.

"Where are you going?" Joe asked as I walked past them.

"To get some air." I replied.

They followed me out the front door and sat down on the steps next to me.

"My mom wants us to be home schooled." I said quietly as I pushed the hair out of my face and looked towards the sky. "Until she gets back."

"Then what?" Joe asked.

"I honestly haven't got a clue."