Chapter 10

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Casey took a breath and walked up to the door. There was a moment of hesitation, a second chance to back out, before her knuckles made contact with the hard wood door that was in front of her. The hollow sound rang and she could hear a scuffle on the other side of the door before a middle aged woman opened the door and stood before her. Her blonde hair fell in waves around her tear stained face.

“Harry. There is someone to see you.” The woman, who Casey acknowledged as his mother called out. “What is your name sweety?”

“Casey.” Casey smiled warmly, instantly liking the woman at the door. “You are?”

“Suzanne. But call me Sue.” Suzanne’s crystal blue eyes shone brightly and reminded Casey of her aunt Stacy.

“Hey,” Harry came into view and Casey bit her lip to hold back the smile creeping on her face.

“Well I will leave you two to it then.” Susanne smiled backing away.

Casey shifted looking down at her feet nervously, a brown leather satchel hung over her shoulder and she hooked her thumb in it swinging the purse from the front to the back, clearly nervous. It didn’t come easy, admitting a wrong doing, but Casey was determined to make at least one substantial friend while living here. Something drew her to Harry, albeit at first his looks, but there was something else. He had offered to give her a chance as a person, and it was a jester she wasn’t all that familiar with.

Harry stood opposite her his eyes wide with surprise and questions lurking in his brain. The very person who had shut him down and dismissed him, stood vulnerable at his very door step. He took a breath and ran his fingers through his hair pushing his curls back away from his face completely.

“What are you doing here?” He finally asked.

“I…I came to apologize for earlier. I shouldn’t have been so…”Casey scrunched her eyes shut forcing the apology from her lips, “rude.”

Harry grinned and ran a hand through already tousled hair before answering her, “I shouldn’t have been so pushy…How did you know where I lived?”

“Don’t sound so shocked. Travis told me.” Casey smirked. “He also told me to tell you there was a get together at his place tonight. I figured we could walk together.”

There was a commotion inside the house before an older man appeared over Harry’s shoulder. The man made Harry wince and Casey wondered what it was from. The smell of alcohol greeted her nostrils and she had guessed the man had a few more than he could handle.

“So you’re his new one?” The words slurred from his mouth. “Has he told you he did time?”

Casey was taken aback at the man’s forwardness. Susanne rushed to the door from the kitchen to assist the inevitable conversation.

“John, don’t.” Suzanne begged pulling at John’s shoulder.

“Well did he?” Casey knew she had to answer the drunken man.

“I already knew.” She said tentatively, so as not to encourage him.

“Did he tell ya what he did?” John pushed grabbing her arm so she couldn’t back away from the situation.

“Uh..” Casey knew that with Harry there, John wouldn’t try anything, she didn’t know how, but she trusted her instinct. “Let go.”

John leaned forward and slurred, “He beat the shit out of his Biology teacher.”

The words rang in her ears and she felt John’s fingers being pried off her hand. Harry’s fingers laced in hers and she followed the tall boy away from the house. She knew there was way more than met the eye with that family but didn’t want to cause turbulence with their already unstable friendship.

“He was drunk.” Harry tried explaining as they walked down the street.

“I know.” Casey slipped her hand out of his, the cool night air nipping at her now uncovered palm.

There was a silence and Harry took it as a sign of understanding and acceptance. She wasn’t going to be easily unwrapped and the removal of Casey’s hand disappointed him but he knew she wasn’t going anywhere. She had stood her ground on his porch and he knew she would make a good and loyal friend, something he needed in his life.

They made awkward conversation on the way to Travis’ house, staying clear of any deep routed problems. Casey’s heart felt warm at the thought of a friend and marveled at how easy it was for Harry to make her laugh. It was almost as if, no matter how hard she tried shutting him out, he found a way to sneak back in.

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