Chapter Nine: Cowardly

Safe Phrase: Often used by kids to test the safety of unknown people, often used to prevent or identify kidnapping cases.

*

The police and some paramedics came fifteen minutes later. Everything seemed to go quickly, but the wait for them felt slow. Amada was in the middle of an anxiety attack when he started wheezing; I thought perhaps he had asthma. Estelle calmed him down with some lavender yoghurt.

I had to explain the officers about what I saw. Being a witness is a lot harder then TV gives them credit. In hindsight, I should've checked for a number plate, but Amia told me it was a blank plate.

"Thank you, if we have any more questions we'll be sure to call," they assured.

I thanked them and looked at the girls. Amada still had a deer in the headlights look, while Amia had an arm around him protectively, speaking to the officers and answering questions.

Estelle sat on a patch of grass on the side of the road, having already been checked by paramedics and spoken to the police. I walked over to her; she seemed in an absent daze. "You all good?" I was worried she was in shock, but she quickly proved me wrong.

"Oh God, Landon. Am I dying? Is this the end of Estelle Saint-Claire? Did he draw blood? Will my beautiful face be forever tainted by my heroic act?" She threw her head back and placed a hand on her forehead.

I stifled a laugh, and she gave me an annoyed expression. "What's so funny? I got assaulted!"

"Yeah, so was I," I reminded. Unlike Estelle's red mark, the man had caused a cut on my cheek. "You've got a red mark, maybe a bruise, Estelle. You'll be fine."

She continued her little rant. "I want to sue everyone for their recklessness! I declare misconduct!" I rolled my eyes. She had caught the attention of the paramedics, who gave each other odd looks.

"Do you take anything seriously?" I asked.

"I wouldn't be Princess of Pastries if I did," she replied, "How're the twins?"

I sat down next to her, "A little rattled. But they seem to be alright. Amia's taking it well."

"Keep an eye on her though," Estelle suggested, "She won't show how distressed she is in front of Amada, it would only freak him out more." She stretched her arms above her head, "She likes to pretend to be tough, but she's a sook like the rest of us."

"That was cold. You seem very aware of everyone else," I said.

"Don't think it's because I care," she said as she laid down, taking in the late afternoon sun, "I'm a sticky beak. The Queen of Dormitory Gossip. Most secrets are not safe!"

A realisation just dawned on me. "Is that why you've been spending so much time with me?"

She gave me a wink, "You catch on fast Landy."

I made an exaggerated scoff, "I don't feel special anymore."

She weakly punched my leg as some police officers approached us again. After some small chit-chat, they offered to drive us home and take some measures at the dormitory house. Taking another look at the twins, I thanked them for the offer while Estelle promptly accepted it.

The twins rode in one police car while Estelle and I rose in another. The ride was mostly in silence, and, despite falling asleep on my back before, Estelle stayed awake the whole time.

When we got home, Ava was doing homework on a blanket in the front yard, Mia on the swing set next to her reading. They both seemed shocked as we exited the cars. The moment Estelle got out of the vehicle, Riley came barrelling out of the dorm and fussed over her, demanding to know what happened to her face and if the police had done anything about it. With her hysterics, Ava got caught up in trying to calm her down while the twins silently slipped by everyone and went inside side by side.

As I pulled my bike from the back of the car, I looked at Mia, who seemed disinterested and returned to her book. The police gave a brief overview of what had happened and informed Ava that they may return to ask questions to the whole group. "They were rather silent on the ride over here," one of the officers informed, "May want to check up on them. Does anyone have a next of kin I can contact?"

Ava nodded, rubbing one of her temples as the situation sunk in, "Their Father is Andrea Romano. I think I have his card somewhere." Ava pulled out her wallet and leafed through some of the business cards and receipts she had in there. When she found it, she handed it to the Officer, "Do you think you they'll strike the house? We have a child and a couple of disability girls here." Ava seemed very concerned as she hugged her sides.

"We don't know for certain, but we will have a unit on standby should this happen. Be sure to call this number if anything happens," the Officer assured handing Ava a different piece of paper.

She thanked him and the police cars left. She grumbled something as she pocketed her wallet and sighed.

As I went to put my bike in the shed, she shot her hand out at me and clutched the chest of my shirt. "I want to hear your side of what happened," she informed.

I nodded, "sure."

She finally turned to me, her hand still on my chest, as she noticed the cut on my face. "Holy crap, did they do this to you?" She clutched my face so that she could get a better look.

I was forced to hunch over by the face, I chuckled at her worry and assured her I was okay. "Paramedics checked me, and they said it was just an unfortunate cut.," I detached her hands from my cheeks, " When I questioned the men, they responded by punching me- completely decked me- but we managed to fend for ourselves."

Ava's eyes became glassy as she hugged me. While abrupt, I returned the embrace, "I promise you, I'm fine, Ava. It's the twins we should be worried about, those men got their hands on Amada and lifted him off the ground." Ava pulled out of the hug, "I think he needs your hugs more than me."

Ava nodded, promptly blinking away her fragile eyes, "Yep… Right…" She seemed very disoriented by the news.

"I'm going to put my bike away, and then I'll go make some tea," I informed as I picked up my bike and made my way around the house. When I was passing Mia, I noticed the book she was reading; Advanced Chemistry version 2002. "Good read?"

She lifted her head and looked startled, almost dropping her book. I was almost offended, and then I realised she hadn't seen my face up close until just now. I needed to see this injury in a mirror if it's frightening Mia.

I locked up my bike and went to go back inside, but when I grabbed the handle to the back door, I heard a distinct sniffle sound. I scanned the backyard but didn't find any of the girls out here. I started following the rim of the house, running my hands along the cold bricks as I made my way around the strange architectural decisions of the house. Sitting on the ground tucked in a corner was Amia, hyperventilating and stifling her sobs. I watched her body wrench as she tightly clutched her legs.

I was shocked to see her in such a state as she tried to stop her sobbing. "You're okay… You're okay. Nothing's wrong now…" I heard her mumbling. She started rocking herself so violently her back slammed against the wall.

"Amia! Stop it!" I urged as I kneeled in front of her.

She listened to me, opening her eyes wide at the sight of me. She uncurled her fists and legs, physically relaxing, but her hands trembled in her lap while her breathing continued to hitch. She clenched her teeth to stifle her breath, but it only made it worse.

"Amia, are you hurt? Are you okay?" I asked evenly.

I shuffled closer to her, her expression morphing into a look of anger. She turned her head away from me and managed to say, "I'm fine," through gritted teeth.

Estelle's warning came to mind: "She won't show how distressed she is in front of Amada, it would only freak him out more… She likes to pretend to be tough, but she's a sook like the rest of us."

I hummed a moment before saying, "It's okay. Amada's not here."

She still didn't look at me, but her breathing became uneven again, and her eyes welled with tears. I made a bold assumption and stretched my hands towards her, silently offering her a hug. She reacted surprised at seeing my movement, but seeing my arms she hesitated and started sobbing again, pushing herself into a kneel and shuffling closer to me. She pressed her hands against my shoulders and nestled her head against my chest. "I was so scared Landon!" she spluttered. She was tiny in my arms as I wrapped my hands around her body. "I don't want them to take Amada…"

I hushed her worries as I tightened my hold on her. "Don't talk like that. Amada is still here, and we're going to make sure you're both okay."

Despite my words, it took Amia close to twenty minutes to calm down.

"Please don't tell Amada about this…" she hiccupped. When she pulled away her eyes were red, "I don't need him to worry."

"It is okay that you're scared, Amia," I informed.

She sniffed, rubbing her nose against her sleeve. "How did you do it?" she asked, "What you did was incredible."

I chuckled, "Uhh, I moved around a lot. I got into martial arts and stuff like when I was younger to be cool." I rolled my eyes at my simplistic reasoning. "Self-defence stuff is second nature to me now." I wanted to distract her, "But what about you? You handled yourself rather impressively."

Amia smirked, suddenly bashful as she rubbed her eyes. "Andrea Romano is our Italian gun-dealer Father," Amia informed, "Legally of course. But he's had his fair shares of Mafias and such, and not all of them are friendly. Father asserted Amada learn self-defence but insisted I don't. Proved him wrong today, huh?" She smiled at me, but it quickly disappeared when the back door opened.

Robyn walked out, having not seen us yet, she stretched her arms and leaned over, resting her hands on her knees as she took deep breaths. I looked to Amia for some explanation, but she offered a shrug as she pushed herself up.

I approached Robyn slowly, knowing she couldn't hear me and tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped at my presence and twirled around, her hands holding the lobes of her ears. She recognised me and relaxed her arms, offering a small smile.

"You okay?" I asked, giving a thumb up gesture.

It took her a moment, but her smile broadened, and she countered with two thumbs up.

Amia stood next to me, her eyes in a much better state. Despite this, Robyn signed to her. I had no clue what she was saying, but Amia seemed to and responded with slow gestures as if trying to figure out what she was saying. "I'm fine, Robyn. I promise. We've had quite the afternoon."

Robyn nodded as she started making more gestures.

Amia shook her head. "No thanks. I think I'm just going to lay down for a bit."

She farewelled both of us and walked back inside. Robyn and I stood in silence for a moment, not that we could be in anything else. In the few moments we stood there, she scratched at one of her ears. Not too sure how to ask her, I gestured to her ear, "Something wrong with your ear?"

She made a small face as she unhooked one of her hearing aids, it was designed to fit in her ear, but one of the more minor details hung loosely on edge. She had broken it.

"What happened?" I asked reaching a hand out to it. She handed it to me and allowed me to look at it. She hadn't dropped it or crushed it, it was in pristine condition, not a single scratch on it, but a small cube sitting on the edge of it hung by a wire. It was easy enough to reconnect with a quiet click, but it hung loosely before unclipping and just fell off.

Robyn attempted to explain it to me, but beyond an awkward game of charades, I had no clue what she was trying to tell me. I assumed something about forgetting to take it out while she was asleep. I handed it back to her, and we walked back inside together.

Amada was sitting on the lounge in the living room, staring blankly at the coffee table, a blanket still draped over his shoulders. Amia sat next to him, gently rubbing his back. Her demeanour was drastically different to outside. Mia sat across from him, sitting on the ground and resting her elbows on the coffee table. I wanted to think it was for moral support, but Ava had placed a plate of muffins on the table she was eyeing between glances.

Ava was in the kitchen, fixing some tea. I approached her, and she pushed a mug towards me. "Drink."

I obeyed, the tea was sweet.

"I've never seen him so rattled," Ava confessed.

"Can't blame him," I replied. Surrounded by all the girls, Amada wasn't responding to them. "Hey guys, give him some air, will you?" Mia grabbed a muffin and sat on the lounge opposite, reading the textbook in her lap. Robyn walked back to the kitchen and sat down on a stool, taking one of the mugs Ava was preparing. They signed back and forth for a moment before falling silent. Amia hadn't left her brother's side, eventually saying she was going for a bath and not to be disturbed.

Amada didn't respond again.

"Did the police say anything about contacting the school? Or am I going to have to do that?" Ava asked. I knew it was meant to be a nicer statement, but she came off as bitter. My stare must've looked accusing, because she quickly added, "I'm sorry. I'm tired, and frustrated. I'll go to the Student Councillor tomorrow, and make sure the twins talk to their Dad tonight. I'd imagine he'd rather hear it from them then some police call." She picked up three mugs between her hands and approached the coffee table, placing one in front of Mia and Amada. "I'm going to my room," she told Amada, "Only a few doors down from your room. If you need anything, I'm nearby, okay?"

She ruffled his hair, prompting the first reaction from him, a smile.

As she went to leave, she stopped, backing away from the door as Bonnie rolled through the doorway. She nearly ran into Ava and offered a grunt of annoyance rather than an apology, as she moved into the kitchen. Bonnie looked around at everyone, noting the silence. She rolled to the pantry and struggled to get down a jar of biscuits. I almost offered a hand but remembered the last time I offered to help her and stopped myself. She got the jar and took out two sugar-coated biscuits.

She frowned again at the silence. "What's everyone so sombre about?" she asked, fitting one of the biscuits into her mouth. She rolled out of the kitchen and saw Amada in his depressed state. "What's his problem now?" she asked looking at me, her tone was almost jokingly. I widened my eyes at this.

There was a clatter; Ava had dropped her mug. I saw her hands curled into fists. Robyn saw this too and quickly stood up, running over to Ava and pressing her hands against her shoulders. "You heartless little-" Robyn made a strange noise, an unintelligible one that distracted Ava enough to notice her signs.

Bonnie seemed genuinely shocked by Ava's outburst. "What did I say?" she asked, looking from Amada to Mia to me.

I put my mug down, Robyn still signing while Ava looked close to breaking something.

"Bonnie, Amada and Amia were almost kidnapped this afternoon," I informed.

The news was a shock to Bonnie, her wide eyes looking to Amada, who still hadn't lifted his head. "Oh crap, I had no idea…"

"Bull you had no idea. We have police out the front of the dorm and Riley making frantic about Estelle getting assaulted, how the hell didn't you hear any of that?" Ava snapped, her cheeks were flushed red, angry.

Bonnie seemed ready to counter, but I put a hand out for her to stop. "Ava, if she didn't know, she didn't know. She wasn't deliberately malicious."

Robyn shoved Ava towards the door, making a final gesture. Ava threw her hands up and stomped down the hallway, even when she was out of sight her bell jangled loudly. Robyn heaved a long, slow sigh before following her friend.

I sighed. Bonnie's head laid low, her fringe obscuring her eyes, but she looked overwhelmed from being yelled at so suddenly. "Bonnie, it's okay. You didn't know." I went to kneel to her level, but she violently brought her hand up, halting my efforts and nearly hitting me.

"I don't need you to defend me, Landon," she snapped, "I can do it myself." She sniffed and scratched at her cheek, although I suspect she was rubbing her eye.

"Bonnie-" I went to touch her chair, but she flailed at me.

"Don't touch me!" she demanded as she started rolling away from me and left the room without another word. Mia frowned at the situation, placing the textbook on the coffee table and going to the aid of Bonnie, not before providing a gentle pat on Amada's leg before running after her.

"I don't blame her," Amada mumbled. I almost didn't hear him, but he continued. "I'm nothing but a scaredy cat…"

I walked over and sat down across from him. "Not that you're going to believe me right now, but none of that was your fault. Not those kidnappers, not your shock, and most certainly not that exchange," I informed.

Amada looked at me and made a struggled gulp. "How are you okay?" he asked, "You got punched in the face and still got up and saved me." He started hyperventilating, "Meanwhile I get away without a scratch on me, and I did nothing to help my sister." His eyes started swelling, but he was quick to blink them away. "God I'm such a coward."

"Perhaps," I confessed.

He seemed shocked by my reaction. "What?"

"Amada, you were picked clean off the ground by a stranger who had the intention of kidnapping you. My stomach would be doing flips if that happened to me," I informed. "And what I did wasn't brave. On the contrary, it was incredibly stupid and ridiculously lucky." I stood up and hopped over the coffee table to stand next to him. "I honestly don't care if you think of yourself as a coward, Amada, but please don't think that because you thought what I did was in any way brave. Okay?"

He made the slightest smirk again, but it quickly disappeared.

I felt incredibly awkward, not too sure how to go about this situation with Amada. Not that many of my friends get kidnapped, but in all my time travelling around, I had met a lot of people with various backgrounds. When I was thirteen, one of my friends from London had a Father who was in the military and had gone missing for months. His Mother told me in that time, I was an ideal distraction for him, through games and arcade afternoons and outings.

I wondered if this would work on Amada. "Do you want to do anything?" I asked, "Want to hang out or want to go on a bike ride or play a board game or something?"

"No thanks. I think I need to be alone," Amada said.

"Alright kiddo. We're all here if you need anything."

"I know…" he mumbled as I left the room.