Magnolia in May [H.S]

Part seven

Magnolia

— -

The car was oddly quiet without his presence, with only the background noise of pitter-patter I grew nerve-wrecked. Zoning out like earlier in the parking lot, today was one of those days.

I couldn't ignore my thoughts all alone, the music as loud and fun as it was didn't drown it out either.

The hum of my car rocked me, continuing to growl as I finally adventured my way back into town, the buildings became more recognizable and the number of trees densed down.

I pulled up to the large plot of land, peering aloofly at the huge three-story cabin, how different It looked compared to Harry's. Ashamed I darted my eyes back down, my privilege right in the center for me to dwell on. A thing that always subconsciously haunted me.

I dragged this out, fearing what'll happen when I finally decide to go inside the house. Scrolling anxiously through the dozens of pages and messages my parents sent me. I'd been ignoring them, to concentrate only on my own issues to care that they were worried. But it's not like it mattered, I was legally an adult. I didn't have to drag on my relationship with them if I didn't want to.

       The thunder roars on, crashing down to the surface. I hadn't died down, not even a little bit. My heart flutters, skipping beats. A mile a minute, running a marathon and yet so sluggish I feel like I could drop dead at any given minute.  

Flushing through the large wooden double doors, I flinch at the sudden movement of my mom rushing towards me.

"Magnolia? Where were you?" My mom worries, I give her a disgruntled smile trying to soothe. Hiding the damage today did to my health, wanting genuinely to turn the clock and feel the way I smiled only an hour ago.

"The rink," I mumble, keeping my head to the wood floors. Gazing low at the dark oak pieced together aesthetically.

"Don't lie, I called the front desk and they said you checked out six hours ago... I swear if your doing-"

I interrupt her, forcefully to keep those words away from me. "I'm not, mom... I was just.." I pace, wondering if I should tell her the truth or lie. Though I couldn't tell myself the truth.

"Just what Louisa." She urges, her kind brown eyes concerned with passion.

"Driving around, enjoying the rain, and a friend needed a ride home, so I had to drive them," I pause "he lives far.." I give her the surface level details leaving out the worrisome things. Upping the vagueness of the situation.

"What friend?" She presses further, crossing her arms.

"A friend, mom it's not that deep... one from the rink.." I groan, starting to get annoyed at her persistence.

"A skater? Is it Florian.." I purse my lips in disgust at the name. Shaking my head. Fuck me, why did she even bring up his pretentious sorry ass.

"No, someone who's on one of the hockey teams there." I pay extra attention to keeping it as obscure as possible hoping she'll give up. Biting the inside of my check with hast.

"A hockey boy-" She gets interrupted mid-sentence when my dad comes down the stairs, blurting out the first thing on his mind. She steps back leaving him to do any further ridicule.

I prepare myself, gearing a stoic expression to combat the impending fear.

Breathe.

"Magnolia," He starts, I can feel the pit creep into my tummy. Crawling past that mask I worked to put on.

"Leighton, told me you haven't had any progress with your jumps... The hells going on?" He ignored the fact I was gone so long, making me more unsettled. Speeding past it like it didn't even matter. I feel the shivers start, my nervous ticks showing through.

"Yes, I haven't had much luck... It's been rough... I've been busting ass though..." I try to reason knowing my feet are blistered and bruised from the constant stress.

"Not nearly enough... you need to work harder if you want to place in the regionals let alone the Olympics." Really, he's using the Olympics card now? I feel like grimacing, rolling my eyes, or saying something rash. But I keep my mouth shut.

Breathe.

"You have it easy, at my age I had to deal with so much more.." I clench my jaw, biting harshly down on my tongue to keep the sass from shooting out.

Come on, don't let him get to you.

"Magnolia?" He urges raising his brows into the disapproving parent look. I nod, finding it a struggle to look him in his challenging eyes.

"Are you listenin to me? Cause I don't have the time for this shit, enough slacking. Get it done."

He leaves with my mom, walking halfway up the staircase and then turning around as she disappears down the hall without him. My eyes gingerly creep up to his, he's staring down at me, intimidating from up there. I inhale a large breath through my running nose, opposing the anxiety.

"You shouldn't be hanging out with guys like that.... I give you leeway with Indigo but Styles is nothing but trailer-trash bad news... You're better than that Louisa." He leaves the area swiftly, trailing behind my mom.

Breathe, breathe.

I feel the anger boil inside of me, wreaking havoc on my mind. The thought of lashing out right center-fold, telling him he can kindly go fuck himself. My nails squeeze into my palms, fists so tight the digging of them began to ache. I kick the base of the steps so hard my feet almost go from under me. Who the fuck does he think he is? Big man on campus and a coward within a split second. And how in the hell does he know it was Styles I gave a ride home too? But most importantly what snitch on campus do I have to be the shit out of.

And once the aggression has run its first appearance I feel my throat swell with pain. Aching to let out a scream of agony. The stream peeks its way in, slowly and then all at once.

— -

This is Magnolias parents house^^^^