Sweetly & Home Economically ✔

Confess & Flambé

~ Confess & Flambé ~

~¤°*°*°*°¤~

Craig confirming that he started the fire caused the crack in my once strong composure to spread like veins on a thin sheet of glass. Eli grounded me with a hand on my shoulder as a wave of emotion slammed into me. The initial realization that it was all because I lost it and punched him the other day sickened me.

To feel so good about myself for finally standing up to Craig, only to have my biggest fear come true in the form of a fire. The way I was for the past few years; always smiling, aiming to please everyone and, worst of all, compliant to Craig--it was all justified in the end. History was repeating itself and it was once again all my fault.

No.

It wasn't all my fault, I decided as I felt my fingernails digging into my palms.

It was Craig's too.

Whether he viewed it as revenge or punishment, he acted on his own. There was no justification in setting the bakery on fire.

"Now," Theo spoke, pulling me from my thoughts, "we're all going to give Abby's family a visit and you're going to give them an explanation."

"Like hell," Craig muttered, still pinned by Theo's arm.

Theo yanked him back and slammed him to the metal again.

"Wrong answer."

"Make me," he growled as he struggled to break free.

"I can do that, you know." Theo raised his bandaged hand up and flexed his fingers. "It'll hurt," he warned lightly. "The both of us, I imagine, but my hand will recover. You don't need a straight nose, right?"

He drew his fist back slowly, giving Craig more than enough time to agree to go willingly. Then in what had to be the worst timing, the school's principal came walking around the corner and saw the scene of a student poised to punch his peer.

Principal Sampson ordered Theo to stop, using his drill sergeant tone. He was an older, balding man with a short stature, but he could take down a wrestler with his voice alone when he was angry. More often than that he was kind and pretty mellow for a high school principal because he allowed a lot of misdemeanors to slide without punishment.

The one thing that he truly loathed was violence. He never overlooked violence in his school.

Principal Sampson marched forward as he bellowed, "What is the meaning of this, young man?!"

Theo's arm dropped to his side and he smiled charmingly at the authority figure. "A little family disagreement, that's it. We were just leaving." He stepped away and fixed Craig's wrinkled collar. There was a short pause before he asked him pointedly, "Right, cuz?"

Craig nodded, looking to the principal with a forced smile. "Right. Everything is cool, sir. We're on our way out."

Principal Sampson's gaze narrowed at the two of them, while Eli and I managed to stay off of his radar as we passed him on the way out. He followed us and only stopped after we walked out, but he continued to watch the four of us in the parking lot, undoubtedly making sure no more fights would break out on the property.

Theo steered Craig with his arm around his shoulder in the direction of Eli's car. Opening the passenger door, he gave him no other option than getting inside. After he closed the door, Theo asked Eli for the keys.

Eli gave a short laugh, "Are you crazy?"

"I'll be careful," Theo assured him. He sent me a worried glance, "I want you to drive Abby over in her car. She's too upset to get behind the wheel."