No One Will Ever Find Out

by EA Young

Chapter 2

  “Get out of the bathroom, Justine!” Tyrone’s voice could penetrate doors.

  I wrung my washcloth and flung it on the rack. I turned the hot water off and ran my hands under the faucet. Shutting my eyes, I flung the cool droplets against my face, giving my cheeks and forehead an ocean spray. When the weather got really hot, the water would feel even more refreshing. I turned the cold water off, dried my hands, and opened the door. As I stepped out, Tyrone pinched me and went in.

  Then Pop sauntered up the stairs in his smoke-gray terry cloth bathrobe. “Get out of there!” he thundered at Tyrone, who was splashing soapy water everywhere.

  Startled, Tyrone leaped out of the bathroom. Pop budged in and closed the door while Tyrone looked at me as if it was my fault that he had lost his turn.

  His soft brown eyes and dark curly hair could fool other people into thinking he was cute, but his good looks didn’t dupe me. I went to my room to change into my uniform.

  Pop cooked breakfast every morning, and if we were not out of the bathroom when he was done then it was our tough luck. That was his way of getting us dressed fast. He worked in business finance and had arranged to spend some mornings at home until the baby came.

  “How do you do this?” Terell asked, fumbling with his belt buckle as we stumbled into the kitchen. Another Tyrone look-alike, Terell only differed from my other brothers in height. Pop’s to blame for all their looks.

  Kriston was helping Terell when the phone rang. The rest of us sat at the table. Hot-cakes, dripping with thick maple syrup, were stacked at least six inches high in the center of the table. Sausage patties, fresh from the oven, sizzled on a separate platter next to them.

  I started loading my plate.

  “What’s this?” Terell asked, pulling a folded envelope out from Kriston’s backpack. He opened it.

  “You will write ‘I will not disturb others while they are working.’ 15 times and have it signed,” Tyrone read, leaning over Terell’s shoulder. “Where’s Pop’s signature?”

  “I didn’t show it to him yet,” Kriston explained.

  “What’re you waiting for?” Terell asked.

  Kriston lowered his head. “He might get mad.”

  “Tch!” Tyrone said, “No he won’t.” He snatched the note from Terell’s hand. “Justine, sign this.”

  “For what?”

  “So he can turn it in.”

  “I can’t do that,” I exclaimed. “You want me to get in trouble too?”

  “Just trace Pop’s name.” Tyrone searched the cabinet drawers. He pulled out a plumber’s receipt. “See here’s one.” He pointed at Pop’s signature on the bottom.

  “I’m not going to sign Pop’s name there. He’ll find out.”

  “How?” Tyrone asked.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “But he will.”

  “This isn’t something serious like getting into a fight or cheating on a test,” Tyrone said. “All he did was talk.” He looked at Kriston. “You learned your lesson, right?”

  Kriston nodded innocently.

  “Okay, fine.” Tyrone shoved the paper in front of me. The others crowded around to see if I would sign it.

  I stared at Kriston’s grim face. He did look sorry. Should I sign it? What if Pop found out and my punishment turned out worse than what Kriston would get from him?

  “Nobody will know,” Tyrone pressed.

  “Nobody will know what?”

  We all turned around. Terence had walked in and dropped his backpack in the dinette-chair.

  “That Kriston had to write ‘I will not disturb others while they are working.’ 15 times,” Terell explained.

  “How can you be so sure they won’t find out?” Terence asked, pouring juice into his glass.

  “‘Cause he didn’t show it to anybody yet,” Terell said.

  Terence looked at him. “Then how come Pop’s upstairs talking to Miss Wilkin now?”

  Kriston’s eyes widened at the thought of his second-grade teacher talking to Pop. “Miss Wilkin is here?” he cried.

  “He’s talking to her on the phone,” Terence explained. “When he gets off he’ll be looking for you.” He sat down in his chair.

  Kriston started panting hard.

  Heavy feet began to clump down the stairs.

  Tyrone shoved the receipt back in the drawer, and I hopped over to wrap my arms around Kriston.

  “Kriston,” Pop called, rushing into the kitchen. “Where’s that paper I need to sign?” He leaned over the table, flipped his ball point out from his shirt pocket, and read the letter.

  Pop wrote his name on the bottom of the note and clicked his pen. “Hurry up and get ready for school,” he said pointedly, heading back up the stairs.

  Stunned, we all looked at each other.

  “That’s it?” Tyrone said. “No lecture, no nothing?”

  Kriston lifted the paper from the table and looked at the signature. He raised his head at Tyrone and gave him his biggest grin, showing all nine of his front teeth.