The Peters

Scuffed

[Evan's POV]

I came home around 12 after my shoot from the movie, I didn't expect to be out so late but I couldn't leave. I kick off my shoes as I enter the house, dropping a brown backpack and leaning it against the wall. The house was dark and quiet except for a glowing down the hallway and the slight mumbling from the TV. I tiptoe my way down the hall until it opens up to the living room on the right. Taissa was laying limply on the couch, fast asleep but illuminated by the television. My lips rise into a smile at her even though she couldn't see it. I crouch down next to her, my face level to hers. Little wisps of her shiny hair had fell on her face so I brush it back but it only results in her eyes fluttering open. "Hey babe." I whisper and she smiles tiredly, sitting up.

"Where were you?" She whines, leaning against my shoulder when I sit down.

"I had to stay late." I sigh, setting my chin on the top of her head. One of her soft hands fitted itself into one of mine that had laid on my lap.

"I think Quinton knows what happened to Tessa." She whispers and I lift my head to look at her. Her face was pulled tight nervously. "When he got home he pulled her into her room and they were fighting and she was crying again. I asked him and he said she started a rumour about him. But why would she be upset about that?"

"Someone will tell us if it's that big of a deal." I say, rubbing my forehead.

"And Evan," Taissa pauses, looking up at me hesitantly but then shakes her head. "Never mind." She kisses my cheek, the worry still covering her but she tries to forget about it. I stand up, leaning over and scooping arms under her so I can lift her. She giggles quietly for second while I carry her upstairs so we can go to sleep.

********************

I was in a crappy mood today. I got called in early this morning when there wasn't suppose to be work anyway. It was a long day, even though they only made me work till 9am but now I was home. Taissa had Vera over for the afternoon while the kids were at school; Tessa had finally went - under the agreement that she drove to school. My hopes were that she'd soon tell one of us what had happened. 

"Ev," Taissa calls out from the living room. "Come in here and sit down." I push back the wooden chair I sat on at the table in the kitchen, picking my MacBook Pro up and carrying it in through the section between the two rooms. Vera sat in an armchair, legs crossed and resting on the coffee table. I plop myself down on the leather couch next to Taissa, laying my arm around her. 

"What would you like?" I ask foolishly, poking her side until she laughed. 

"Nothing, I just wanted you in here." She uncurled her legs from beneath her and laid them out on my lap as I put the laptop on the opposite side of the couch. 

"How are the kids?" Vera asked, a small smile floating on her lips as she spoke. She looked so similar to Taissa it was crazy, even since I first met her. 

"Olivia is still Olivia. Quiet but not quiet. She isn't growing very much for her age though." Taissa hums, thinking deeply as she spoke. "The other two are more than a handful." Vera nods, mouth shaped as an O. She knew how teenagers were, Fynn and Gytta already went through that. 

"Are you two going to have anymore kids?" She smirks, and I smile looking to Taissa who's eyes widened and she shook her head in disgust. "You have years left to have more." 

"We're as busy as ever with these three." She exclaims, throwing out her arms. I shake her gently, laughing. It would be fun to have another kid, the joy of them when they were little is the best feeling. 

"I'll talk her into it." I whisper to Vera, receiving a nudge in the ribs. 

"Well, I better get going." She sighed, getting up and loosely grabbing the small purse by the chair. She gave out hugs before rushing off.

*****************************************

"Shit." I whisper, pulling away from Taissa as the phone rings, echoing through the empty house. She looked disappointed so I began to ignore it, pushing my lips against hers again but this time she backed away. 

"Just get dressed and go get it, the kids will be home any minute anyway." She sighed, pulling the covers around herself. Quickly I jump out of bed and pull my grey boxers, and a pair of black shorts then run own the stairs, skipping every second step. I picked the phone up just before the last ring.

"Hello?" I eye the door as it bursts open, Quinton pushing through first and dropping his back to the floor. Olivia came through, breathing heavily, her face red. Tessa never followed, possibly going to a friends after school. 

"Hi, is this Mr. Peters." A man asked, his voice strict and deep. I pull the phone away from my ear as Olivia went to run toward me but Quinton grabbed her arm shaking his head as she squatted beside her. She was nearly in tears.

"Quinton." I warn him and he rolls his eyes before letting go of her. She runs toward me, nearly bouncing in her spot. I hold out a finger to her so that she'd leave me be until I finished the call and she does running upstairs angrily. "Yes this is he." I speak back into the phone. Quinton was still by the door watching me and glancing upstairs with a suspicion.

"This is the principle from school." The man says continuing. "It has been brought to my attention that your daughter has-" It ended with a long beep, signalling that the call was ended. Quinton was now beside me, holding another wireless phone. 

"Why'd you do that?" I nearly shout, grabbing the phone from his hand and putting both down. He runs a hand through his light brown hair, looking stressed out. "Quinton Thomas?!" I yell when he doesn't respond. 

"You don't want to hear it from him." He avoided eye contact with me, biting the inside of his mouth nervously. 

"EVAN." Taissa screams downstairs, sounding frightening and angry. 

"Give me a minute," I call up, turning back to Quinn. "Call back your principle and tell him why he was just hung up on." He doesn't budge, until his face grows red and then he kicks the wall, scuffing it with the end of his black Converse. 

"Just go upstairs and see what Olivia wanted." He sounded pained and I wanted to grab him and shove him out of the door for acting out but Taissa yelled for me again and I clenched my fists walking away and up the stairs.

Olivia had found out what happened to Tessa, and when she told me I nearly passed out.