Deadly Silence (complete) Chapter 76

Theo looked directly at Vivian as he spoke. “Since you’ve never been before and it’s the last weekend it’ll be open this year, not going now means waiting until next summer to experience it’s greatness.”

“Ohhh, I’m so jealous,” Miriam laughed, draping an arm over Vivian’s shoulder and giving it a small squeeze. “You should go! Even if the company is… eh… you can at least enjoy the rides and food!”

“What do you mean my company is ‘eh’?”

Vivian did like the idea of spending more time with Theo, but wasn’t going to an amusement park together more like a date than two friends hanging out?

“You can come too, Miriam,” Theo added after a few seconds. “If your mom can survive without your supervision, that is. Or your house.”

“Nah, I enjoy spending the time with her,” Miriam replied as she removed her arm from around Vivian’s shoulders. “It’s part of the holiday tradition and once I graduate it probably won’t be a thing again so I want to keep it up until at least then.”

Remembering Thanksgiving with her own mother, Vivian felt a pang in her heart. They hadn’t had any specific tradition that she could recall, only that everything had to be done in a specific way. It hadn’t been tradition that dictated as much but the rules, and breaking those rules… She didn’t want to remember what happened when the rules were broken.

“I’ll have to ask my family about the amusement park,” Vivian finally told Theo. Chances were good she’d be allowed to go, but she was hesitant to outright accept when she still hadn’t told either of her friends she couldn’t go anywhere without a bodyguard.

It was only yesterday she’d told Theo, and then that evening during the phone call with Miriam whose family she belonged to. Miriam, for her part, hadn’t been surprised in the least, only saying, “Ugh, I was wondering when you’d admit it!” The subject was then dropped and their conversation continued as if nothing had changed. Was it too much to dump another truth bomb on them about the bodyguard, even if she didn’t explain why it was a non negotiable?

“I doubt they’d say no,” Miriam assured her friend, bumping her shoulder against Vivian’s. “Laurent aside, I hear your older brothers were easy to get along with and Mr Devreaux was pretty lenient with them.”

“But Vivian’s a girl,” Theo pointed out, earning him a look from both girls sharing the bench. “I don’t mean that in a sexist way. I just mean fathers can be super protective of their daughters, and Vivian only just got to join the family…”

Vivian let out a sigh. “I pretty sure Laurent and I have the same set of rules.”

“Laurent follows rules?” Theo’s attention had been caught by the wrong part of her statement, earning him another look from Vivian.

“I’m not dignifying that with an answer,” she sniffed before turning to Miriam. “Think your mom would wanna try making a mud pie?”

“Uh…”

“It’s basically chocolate pudding in a pie crust. I think you bake the crust before putting in the pudding? That way even if the crust is destroyed you still have pudding.”

Miriam blinked then burst out laughing. “I’m gonna get her to give it a try. What’s the worst that could happen, right?”

“Hey, don’t ignore me,” Theo interjected with a frown. “What kind of rules does Laurent have?”

“Are you going to use what I tell you against him somehow?”

Theo hesitated, a sheepish look on his face which earned him a glare from Vivian. “Fine, I won’t tease him about any rule he has, okay?”

Vivian thought back to the discussion she’d had with Samuel way back when school had started. “We’re to keep our grades up as best we can… Uhm… Tell him the names of anyone we’re hanging out with and where we’ll be if it’s not part of our usual routine. It’s honestly basic rules as far as I’m concerned.”

“Those aren’t any fun,” he complained half heartedly. “They’re so generic.”

Vivian shrugged. “Not sure what you were expecting.”

“Well. A spending limit on his credit card? If you wreck your car you’ll get stuck driving a smart car or something?”

“I was never told about a spending limit,” Vivian offered, thinking about the credit card Samuel had given her saying she could spend as she pleased. “And I don’t know about cars because I don’t drive.”

“You don’t have your license?” It was Miriam who said this, surprise clear on her face. “How do you not have your license?”

Again Vivian shrugged her shoulders. “Never had an interest in learning, but I’ve been told I need to take the written test next week for my beginners.” She grimaced at the thought of getting behind the wheel again. A part of her wanted to purposefully flunk the test, but something told her Samuel would have none of it, and he’d know if she put in the effort or not.

“Mr Devreaux is cracking down,” Miriam laughed a little. “Good for him.”

“I’m surprised he’s not more strict,” Theo added with a shake of his head. “It’s been how long since you moved in and he’s only now getting you to take the test?”

Vivian couldn’t tell them what had happened to prompt this sudden need for her to be able to legally operate a motor vehicle, so she lifted her shoulders a little before letting them fall back down. “I’m sure he has his reasons.”

“You didn’t ask?”

Looking over at Theo, Vivian shook her head. “Why would I? Does it even matter? It makes sense to want your kids to learn how to drive so I’m not about to be annoying about it.”

“Does he say it’s annoying when you question him?”

Vivian chuckled lightly. “Now you’re being paranoid, Theo. He’s never said anything like that, but I don’t usually ask questions anyway. Whatever. It is what it is. I got the driver’s handbook to study for the test and so far I’ve learned you can’t make a right turn on a red light.”

“That’s… a random thing to remember,” Miriam pointed out with a crooked smile. “Of all the things the book teaches you is that all you got out of it?”

“So far,” Vivian replied, feeling sheepish. “But I’m not that far into it yet.”

“So, just so we’re clear,” Theo began as he balled up the wrapper from his burrito. “You’re getting your beginner’s next week, and you’ll ask your father about going to the amusement park tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Can you send me the time you want to go and stuff so I can just throw it all at him and not get stuck without answers?”

“Uh, yeah, I can do that. Will it matter if I’m the one driving? I have my full license, but he won’t be weird about it, will he?”