The kitchen table was tense. Katherine, arms folded, watched the boys with a piercing gaze. Isaac, Lee, Dany, and Nathan silently avoided her gaze, while Cole and Alex acted as if the tablecloth pattern were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world.

“So,” Katherine began slowly, emphatically, “you’ve all been causing trouble at school together.”

“We weren’t causing trouble!” Lee snapped at once. “We were just trying to separate Cole and Alex.”

“Exactly,” Isaac nodded. “We didn’t mean any trouble, Katherine, believe me. If we didn’t intervene, they might get hurt worse.”

Dany and Nathan nodded as if they were in a well-rehearsed chorus. Cole just snorted.

“You shouldn’t have said anything. This was my business with Jackie.”

“Jackie is not ‘your business,’ Cole,” Lee growled. “You couldn’t help yourself, and now we’re all drinking the juice.”

Katherine slammed the table. “Enough! A month of confinement for everyone, and no arguing. Isaac, Lee… and you especially know why. The girls in the house? How did you think you could hide it from me?”

Isaac hung his head. “I didn’t want Cole to get into more trouble…”

“Then you’re all in more trouble now,” Katherine snapped, then stood up, signaling that the conversation was over.

The boys scattered up the stairs, grumbling and sighing. Doors slammed, footsteps pounded through the house, until finally everything fell silent.

Isaac collapsed onto his bed in his room, Katherine’s words still echoing in his ears. Then his phone vibrated in his pocket. When he glanced at the screen, he immediately smiled: you called.

“Hey,” he said in a tired but relieved voice, “I missed you so much today… although it would have been better if I hadn’t heard your voice after a day like this.”