The Mute and the Liar by Victoria Best Page B

Jeffrey to come explore Bath with us. I thought I would feel safer around Jayce if he was with us too. Jayce wasn't too impressed, but Jeffrey said yes. So that's what we did. First we visited the Roman Baths, which were beautiful, but also a little daunting. They were quite small and the water was green and from where we were standing reflected nothing, like instead of reflecting the world, it was consuming the world into its murky depths instead. Then we just wandered around the town centre. Jayce chased loads of pigeons in this big square area where there were hundreds of them. It looked fun so Jeffrey and I joined in and soon we ended up chasing each other.
    We all got ice creams after that. I picked strawberry one. Although I don't usually eat foods other than cereal pasta and some fruits and vegetables, I can't resist an ice cream! Jayce ended up getting his ice cream on his nose, which I found really funny. Then we went to a shop selling sunglasses and tried on the most ridiculous pairs of sunglasses we could find. I chose a bright pink pair with huge butterfly-like lenses.
    I didn't feel like I was a hostage. I felt like I was with a friend. I even stopped feeling scared at one point, just forgot about everything. Is that really bad?
    I know I should still feel scared of Jayce. I do. But it's so easy to forget that when he acts like this. When he acts like a friend. I had to remind myself at least twice that he's not, that he is a dangerous person and I need to be on my guard at all times and thinking of a way to escape.
    I did consider escaping and I kept trying to think of ways I could do that. But there wasn't an opportunity for me to do that - Jayce kept close beside me at all times. I think I will have to wait until we go back to Nick and Kit.
    Jeffrey had to go back to the Abbey after that to do another tour. I felt a little sad when he left - I would rather he stayed with me. Now that it's back to just Jayce and I, I'm starting to feel like a hostage all over again.
    Now Jayce and I are back in the crowded centre. He is a little ahead of me.
    “ Hey there! Watch where you’re going! ” Someone has just slammed into Jayce.
    I look up to see a gangly boy with his raven h ai r in some sort of Mohawk hairstyle. There is a scar running underneath his dark brown eyes and he’s got more metal chains wrapped around him than Houdini.
    “ Jayce? Is that you? ”
    “ Ryo? ”
    They share a moment of recognition, and suddenly both grin and do that weird ‘ m an - hug’ all boys do.
    “ Woah, what are you doing here, man? ” Ryo laughs, and some of his friends have also started bundling around Jayce and throwing themselves on him.
    “ Oh you know, just visiting family and friends and stuff. But really just here for the parties and free beer. Just the usual, you know, sleeping in, sleeping with, same old, same old. ”
    “ This is freaking awesome! I haven’t seen you in years! And what’s with the hair? Weren’t we ‘crazy hair brothers? ” Ryo flicks Jayce’s flat hair.
    “ I know, I know. I was at a party all night so I didn’t have enough time to put gel in this morning. ” Well, that’s clearly not true. It almost stings me to hear him so casually making up stories for no reason at all. How am I supposed to believe anything he says?
    “ I hope you’re not going soft, yeah? Like the way you used to be? You’ve got to stick to what I taught you. ” There is a glimmer of a warning in Ryo’s suddenly low and raspy voice. In fact, it could even be mistaken for a threat.
    Ryo seems to have only just noticed me, and turns to look at me questioningly. For a moment, he looks me up and down, inspecting me, no, judging me. I attempt to look as expressionless as possible, barely even blinking, almost daring him to find a fault in me.
    “ This your bird? ” he sneers.
    What a crude word. I have decided I don’t like Ryo. I've just got a bad feeling about him. The way his voice sounds - slow and drawling