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The old, creaky window slid slowly up.

It caught a few times on the ancient wooden window frame, making Shawn grunt with the extra exertion as he fought to get it open enough to slip into his room unnoticed.

Finally, inch by loud, painful inch, he managed to work it up enough.

He slithered through the opening, landing silently on the floor. His heart was pounding as he fought to keep his breathing under control.

He couldn’t breathe too loudly.

He couldn’t pant.

His dad had ears like a hawk.

Somehow, he would know. Even from down the hall, he would hear it.

Shawn drew his second leg in through the window, then slowly turned around to close it again.

He’d made it.

He’d actually done it.

He’d snuck in after 3 am, and no one was the wiser.

The window didn’t make a sound this time as it lowered back into place.

Shawn turned around again, ready to collapse into bed and never get up.

The light snapped on unexpectedly before he could take a single step.

Shawn reeled back as if he’d been shot, shielding his eyes from the sudden, blinding light.

The voice that cut through everything froze his blood.

“It’s three in the morning, Shawn. Where the hell have  you been?”

Shawn slowly lowered his fingers from his eyes, for the first time seeing Henry sitting on his bed, his arms crossed angrily over his chest.

Shawn grinned.

He wasn’t sure why, really.

It was just an instinct.

“Hey, Dad,” he waved limply. “Would you believe I lost my watch?”

Henry’s jaw tightened as he stood up.

Shawn swallowed.

This was definitely not the time for jokes.

And yet, somehow, he couldn’t stop himself.

“Wipe that smart-ass grin off your face,” Henry snapped, his voice low and deadly. He took a step towards his son.

Shawn stepped back towards the window, briefly considering diving through the glass.

It would be less painful than what they were in for.

“Where were you?” Henry demanded again, stopping a few feet away from Shawn.

Shawn knew with just one look that Henry had been waiting there for hours.

Hell, he probably hadn’t moved from that spot since dinner.

“Was it worth it?” Henry pressed on when Shawn didn’t have an immediate retort. “I sure as hell hope so, because you’re never going to see the light of day again.”

Shawn rolled his eyes. “Really, Dad?” he muttered, perhaps not quite under his breath. “We’re starting off with the threats of permanent grounding? You’re playing your ace too soon. You don’t have anywhere left to go.”

“This isn’t a joke!” Henry bellowed.

Shawn winced, knowing if his mom wasn’t awake before she sure was now.

“I’m not joking!” Shawn shot back. “We’ve been here before, Dad. Hell, we’ve been here for sixteen years now. You ground me, I’m a good little boy and stay out of your way for a few weeks, you forget about it, then I do something else to piss you off and we’re right back where we started.”

“You’ve got that backwards, kid,” Henry informed him, their eyes locking. “I always give you a second chance and you always break my trust all over again.”

“I didn’t break your trust this time!” Shawn insisted. “Really!”

“Really?” Henry repeated, his skeptical glare piercing Shawn’s soul as he folded his arms over his chest. “You’re sneaking back into my house five hours after curfew. That’s not exactly building trust, kid.”

“I know, but—!”

“What story were you going to use when you got caught?” Henry cut him off before he could finish. “You had to know you were going to get caught. What half-assed excuse did you come up with this time? Aliens?”

“I was thinking gypsies,” Shawn admitted. “But that’s just because--!”

“I don’t want to hear any more excuses!” Henry growled, slicing the air with his hand. “Unless there’s blood or a dead body involved, you’re in for a world of trouble.”

Shawn sighed helplessly. “There’s no blood,” he mumbled, looking down at the floor. “No dead body.”

“Then, where were you?” Henry demanded. “The truth, Shawn. All of it. No gypsies. No aliens.”

Shawn looked back up. “I…can’t tell you,” he murmured.

Henry just stared, dumbfounded.

Just how stupid was his son?

“Were you breaking the law?” He demanded, his eyes narrowing.

“No!” Shawn shook his head fervently.

“Then, tell me what the hell was so important you missed curfew by five hours!”

“I can’t!” Shawn insisted desperately, his fists balling up. “Dad, please! Listen! You just have to trust me!”

“It doesn’t matter what it was,” Henry pointed out. “Your ass isn’t leaving this room for eternity either way. You might as well tell me now.”

“Well, that’s a great motivation,” Shawn shot back sarcastically. “Even if I tell you the truth, it won’t matter.”

“It might get you out of this before you graduate from college.”

Releasing his fists, Shawn sank onto the bed. His eyes stared blankly at the floor as he shook his head slowly. “I can’t tell you. Please. Just trust me.”

“Trust is something you earn, Shawn,” Henry lectured, turning for the door. “It’s not something you can just demand. For the last three years, you’ve done nothing but cause trouble. Ever since you started high school you’ve been cutting class, your grades are slipping, and your attitude stinks. Hell, you’re a step and a half away from having a criminal record!”

Shawn didn’t bother arguing.

None of that was true.

But this time was different.

“I didn’t do anything this time!” he almost pleaded. “I promise!”

“So, you just decided to stay out all night with no good excuse?”

“I have a good excuse!”

Henry whirled back around in the doorway. “Then, tell me what the hell it is!”

“I can’t!”

Henry sighed, shaking his head.

Shawn couldn’t tell if it was anger or disappoint or some combination of the two.

It didn’t matter.

The bottom line was the same either way.

Henry flicked off the light again, not even looking back over his shoulder before walking away.

“Then, I can’t trust you.”



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