All things considered, Jarin's parents took the news of the accident quite well.

"Are you ok?" asked his mom, who often said that there were no stupid questions.

"Yes, mom, I'm fine," he said. "I walked home."

"From where?" she asked. Jarin's dad was still seething in the chair, not looking keen on even more bad news.

"The convenience store up on twenty two," he said, pointing in it's general direction.

"And you didn't think to call for a ride?" asked his dad.

"I don't have a cell phone." Cell phones were a big difference of opinion between Jarin and his father, a conflict that his mom claimed indifference on.

"And you couldn't have used the phone in the store?"

Jarin squeezed the bridge of his nose.

"Or perhaps the officer had a phone? Or maybe you could have gotten a ride with him?"

"It's not really a big deal."

"It is a big deal Jarin!" his dad scolded. "You need to think about these things, even in a crisis."

"Thank you for making this about how I never think, dad."

"Do NOT take up that smart-ass tone with me," his dad snapped, rising to his feet and pointing directly at Jarin.

"Then don't make it about what you don't like!"

A cold, tense silence saturated the air in the room as Jarin and his dad stared each other down.

"Jarin," intruded his mom. "Would you please go upstairs for a little while? I'd like to speak with your father about this."

Doing his best not to look indignant, Jarin turned and made his way back through the door into the hall, up the stairs, and into his room where he sat in silence at his desk and stared at the taunting file.

"I'm not trying to fight with you, Al," said his mom from downstairs. "And I agree he's got to get his head into the real world sometimes, but I think that then wasn't a good time to bring that up."

"Oh, of course," replied his dad. Jarin could almost see him tossing his arms in the air to emphasize his point. "Yes, I'll just bring it up in casual dinner conversation next time!"

"And cut the sarcasm. He got in an accident, his car was totaled, and I'm sure he feels very badly about it--"

"He feels bad? Well then it's all fucking better, isn't it!"

"Al, I'm trying to have a civilized conversation with you about this!"

"And I'm trying to teach my--" he paused. "--our son a lesson."

"He's got plenty of time to learn." To this it seemed Al had no response, so she continued. "We don't even know how it happened, or who he hit. Hell, if it was a minivan full of kids I probably would have been a little distracted too, maybe not thinking quite so completely about everything."

Jarin had to hand it to his mom. Kim Gheglad had a talent for diffusing her husband's temper.

"Alright," his dad conceded. "We'll have to think about what we're gonna do about getting him another car."

Jarin grew hopeful for a moment. He hadn't considered the possibility of his parents buying him a new--

"He'll have to pay for it himself," his mom advised. So much for that.

"Yeah," agreed Al, predictably remembering why he fell in love with his wife in the first place. For one of those godless liberals, she certainly made a lot of sense to him about most things.

The footsteps on the bottom steps told Jarin that someone, probably his mom, was coming to fetch him.

"Jarin, could you come back downstairs for a little bit?" she asked.

"Sure." He was still feeling a little bitter toward his father, but was determined to keep an open mind. He wouldn't win the discussion, but if he could concede willingly, at least he wouldn't lose either. Down the stairs, back through the hall, and he stood facing his parents in the living room, the TV still re-playing clips from the space station's crash.

"So," said Jarin's dad. "Explain what happened."

Jarin glanced to his mom before leaning against the doorway. "I was on my way home from school," he said, recalling the incident. "And a truck pulled out in front of me, and I hit it." He stopped there, hoping he wouldn't have to go into details such as how fast he was going, or why he didn't see the truck and slow down.

"That's it?" asked his dad.

"Yes."

"There's nothing else to the story? That's all of it?" he pressed.

Jarin hesitated, weighing his options carefully. "Yeah," he said. It wasn't really a blatant lie, merely bending the truth, right?

Jarin's dad didn't look entirely convinced, but finally he nodded. "Alright," he said. "So what are you doing about transportation until then?"

"I'll take the bus I suppose."

"And what about after your after-school meetings?" he asked. "You'll have to either find some way home yourself or not go. Mom and I can't be picking you up."

Jarin nodded. That had been lingering in the back of his mind since he started walking home. "Yeah, I can probably get rides from Sarnrei," he said.

Of course, where to get rides would be the least of his worries. If all else failed, Trevor had his driver's license, and Jarin knew he'd drive halfway across the state to offer a ride if given the opportunity.

However, as talented as Trevor was in the ways of annoyance, it would be unlike Jarin to make him do that. The fact that this was because it would mean driving halfway across the state with Trevor is irrelevant.