Devil's Pawn (Completed)

13.

"Joe!" My dad boomed from downstairs. I came down hesitant.

"Where's mom?"

"Her and Chloe went shopping." I nodded.

"What happened to your face?" He asked looking at me the same way he had that night. Concerned.

"I-I was sitting next to Charlie and L-Luke."

He put a hand on my cheek and frowned. "You have a visitor. I'll send him up."

"Him?" I asked.

"Uh yeah." he said with a smile. "Mr.Dallas...River I believe." My eyes widened but nonetheless I nodded.

"I'll get it." I said walked toward the front door. And true to my dad words, there he stood.

"Jolie." He said expressionless. "I came to apologize."

"You have to go." I said averting my gaze to stare at the tile.

"Just hear me out."

"I can't." I said rushing. "Please just go."

"Not until I tell you the truth."

"River I can't do this. My mom and Chloe will be back. You can't be here."

"Why not?"

"Please River." I begged finally looking at him.

He frowned. "It bruised."

"River." I warned looking at the door.

"Are you in trouble? You're acting weird. Like you're scared?"

"Please?" I begged feeling my eyes burn.

"Come walk with me."

"River don't you understand English-

"Go." A voice spoke from behind me. I turned to look at Charlie who was sitting on the last stair with an Apple lodged between his teeth. "I'll cover for you." I turned back to look at River.

I nodded. I followed River to his own personal car. I turned back to the door on my house and saw Charlie smiling at us. I decided this was okay.

***

"I'm guessing you got in trouble." He said parking the car at a diner. I nodded opening my door and stepping out. The air slightly biting my arms. I wrapped my arms around each other and rubbed them until I felt a jacket around me. The jacket he gave me the day of the "incident".

"You did nothing wrong." He stated as if it mattered. It wasn't my judgement that counted. I'd just live with my punishment.

"Chloe told on me." I said as River held the diner door open for me. "Thanks."

"About what? You didnt do anything wrong?"

"I called her a bad word." I said sighing. "She told my mother I was lying about Luke and Charlie didn't back me up. She told me I can't talk to you anymore."

He frowned for a minute until the waitress named Jesse came over smiling. "Dustin!" She said smiling.

"Hey Jess." He said returning the smile. She was beautiful. The kind of beautiful that made people like me feel inferior and small. I watched as they exchanged laughter and giggles as if they'd known each other their whole lives.

"Oh my. She's pretty. Hello I'm Jesse. My real name is Jestine but truthfully we all know that's a dog shit ugly name. So I go by Jess."

"This is my girl Joe." River said putting his hand over mine making me frown.