Chapter Eight: Secrecy

"Okay, so I admit - it's wrong. But what do you guys want me to do? You know, you can't go to the police. They'd put you in care, and also, Charlie, you'd get into trouble. You stabbed one of 'em. You're just a stupid girl, innit?" Henry says. He starts off calmly but ends up teeming with anger.

"I don't know what you expect us to do," William says.

"Oh, gee, I don't know, deal with it, you little jackass? I have given the both of you everything, for crying out loud!" Henry screams.

Not completely aware of my actions, as more of a reflex, I step away slightly. "Okay, Henry. Wouldn't it make more sense, logically, just to kill them both? Obviously they deserve it." I try to calm my shaking voice.

"No. They know stuff about mum and dad. They could be lying, but I'm still curious."  Henry admits.

"What do they know? What have they said?" Will asks nervously. He hasn't been down to see them. He seems to have the highest level of sanity of all of us. Of course, Henry thinks it's us that are acting crazy. Although, to tell the truth, I don't know what normal is anymore.

"I'm not too sure. There are some weird things. Dad being a narcissist and/or psychopath. Controlling mum. Something about money," Henry says.

There's a knock at the door. Henry goes to answer it, but it's only Sophie. Somehow, he turns on his charm like flicking a switch in his brain. Will and I exchange a look. I'm trying to figure out what the best thing to do in this situation is. Honestly, though, no matter what happens, it is not going to be good. Sophie walks in, and I wonder if she can feel the tension. I wonder if I can just as easily fool people as Henry can.

Sophie is the definition of pure beauty. She has perfect skin, the colour of cocoa, and she has a very natural beauty - she barely wears any makeup, and she lets her hair do whatever it pleases. She has a perfectly proportionate body - not too large or small, just right. Her smile makes me melt and the way she cares about me, and tells genuinely funny jokes, and always knows the right things to say makes me truly happy.

It's a shame that one day, I'm going to have to break her heart. No-one can keep a secret like this and not expect it to eat away at them - the guilt feels unbearable, except when I'm around her.

I can't open up completely, but I do a little.

We talk for hours. She's an only child, so we compare upbringings. Of course, they're vastly different.

"My parents were never religious. It's more just a thing that the three of us got into," I explain.

"Oh, that's fair enough. I mean, my parents are devout Catholics, but I'm not really into the whole religious scene," she says.

"Have you ever broken the law?" I ask. She looks at me, then reaches down and holds my hand. I smile. "Go on, tell me the worst thing you've ever done; I promise I won't tell your parents," I tease. She smiles, a massive grin spreading on her face. I anticipate her story.

"The worst thing I ever did, was, this girl was teasing me at play school, that I was meant to be friends with. I was over her house one day, and I stole all of her Barbies. Of course, I got caught by her dad so had to give them all back," she laughs.

"I'm truly shocked by your rebellious natures, Soph," I laugh. Then I sigh, although I'm not quite sure why.

"Uh, now you've gotta tell me the worst thing you've ever done," she says, looking into my eyes.

"Okay. Worst thing... let me think. One time, when Will and I were small, Henry went berserk and smashed all our toys to pieces. The next day, I put a piece of Lego at the top of the stairs. He fell, broke his leg, and I never got the blame for it," I said. She just laughs.

Soon enough, she leaves, though. Turns out, Henry was eavesdropping on our conversation the whole time. Probably making sure I didn't let anything slip. Well I didn't, not in regards to our current situation. Clearly, though, what happened nearly ten years ago is still very important.