youngblood // p. hockstetter // 0.1

//thirty-eight

•••

Despite how much Henry enjoyed trash-mouthing the Fennler's, he had only actually met half the family. Needless to say, when he finally met the aforementioned 'faggot' and 'lazy-ass' brothers, he hadn't expected such a strong reaction from Rosemary's eldest brother of all people.

"He'd be the reasonable one wouldn't he?" Patrick had murmured beside him as they sat in the principal's office in two of the three chairs prepared for them, Patrick's body practically falling out of the tiny chair he was slumped in. Sat closer to the door, Henry stared motionlessly at the door before rolling his shoulders in annoyance.

"I don't fucking know!" Henry snapped at him, folding his arms angrily. "But I don't think Jude would-" He stopped as the pair both heard shouting from the outside corridor. "-fuck"

The door was slammed open and Henry jumped slightly, unaware of how close he was leaning to Patrick as he stared at the raging bull that filled the doorframe. "Mr.Fennler!"

"Nate calm down!"

Nathaniel's sleep deprived eyes landed on the two boys and without a second thought he walked forward and grabbed Henry. "You little fucker!" His hands wrapped around his shirt, Henry was pulled onto his toes as the principal and David came running in behind him. Henry's face twisted in a mix of fear and anger at being manhandled by someone whom looked like Patrick and Belch's lovechild, though he pushed aside his fear to try and shove at his hands. They didn't budge.

"Nate put him down!"

"Let go of me you fucking cunt!" Not prepared for the brute strength he only ever received from his father, Henry was pushed backwards towards his chair which he missed completely, tumbling back to hit his ribs on the seat.

"Mr.Fennler!" The principal pressed him back, away from Henry. "That will do"

"What kind of a man picks on a girl half his size?" Nathaniel spat at Henry in anger before he looked at Patrick's amused face. "You-" His eyes widened in shock, "-what the hell are you doing here?!"

Patrick was as confused as the principal whom was glancing at Nathaniel in concern and confusion. "Mr.Fennler?"

"I've seen this prick before, along our street" He turned to Patrick angrily, "Watching our house and looking for her" Patrick placid face hid the internal vibrations of his heartbeat which felt as though they where shaking his entire body. He was always so careful when he stalked around Rosemary's house, how had he been seen?

Henry looked at him in slight surprise though quickly darkened his expression once again as he sat back onto his chair. "Mr.Fennler it seems quite a stretch to assume Mr.Hockstetter was watching your house and not simply walking past it"

From the doorway, Mrs.Hockstetter stood quietly until she awkwardly cleared her throat, drawing the attention from her son. "Mr.Simmons...." She greeted the principal, uncertainly glancing at the two other men she didn't recognise. "What seems to be the issue?"

Patrick didn't bother to acknowledge his mother, instead opting to slither his fingers over the casing of his lighter which rest at the peak of his jean pocket.

"Thank you for coming Mrs.Hockstetter" He led her inside and was moments from shutting the door when a hand clamped on the frame from the outside. Like Nathaniel and David, Oscar Bowers was still in uniform and wore an expression of complete content at having been called to the school for such an immature matter.

"Butch" Mr.Simmons greeted Henry's father with sympathy, firmly shaking his hand as he brought him inside. Neither Mrs.Hockstetter nor David missed Henry's instantaneous reaction to his father's presence in the room. The former arrogance and confidence he'd held himself with diminished in a second, his tense shoulders folding inwards fearfully and his eyes lowering to the floor as he smouldered under his father's inhuman gaze.