The Locker Room Incident

Chapter 17: She's one of a kind

We sat in front of dad on the opposite side of the dining table.

"Honey", mom said to dad, "They're just kids, we shouldn't be too harsh on them",

Mom was making the desperate attempt to calm him down but by the look on dad's face, he wasn't very interested in listening to what anyone had to say.

"Dad", Bubba laughed nervously, "They're teenagers, even I was like this before but look at me now".

Dad looked at Bubba and the grin faded from his face as he sunk into his seat.

"All of you leave the room, I want to talk to Will alone", Dad said sternly.

I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze from under the table and he returns the gesture with a small smile which seemed genuine but terrified. Me, Bubba, Kat and Mom left the kitchen and sat in the living room anxiously.

"I hope dad doesn't make him leave me alone forever or something", I prayed.

"Leave you alone?" Bubba scoffed, "You should be thankful if he comes out alive from that room".

"Hell of a brother you are Bubba", I said sarcastically.

"Are you and Will dating? I thought Mason was your boyfriend", Kat cut in.

"No, Mason and I broke up AND Will and I are NOT dating", I explained the entire situation to them while they just quietly listened.

At the end of the story, Mom was very sickly pale.

"Are you okay, Mom?" I looked at her curiously.

"There I was, wishing that for once in your life, you would have a boyfriend just like all the other girls your age but now I realize it wasn't such a good idea", she fell back into the armchair, deep in thought.

Well Hallelujah mother.

Too Late.

Will

Mr. Jones sat in front of me, silently scrutinizing me for a few minutes, until he said.

"What are your intentions with my daughter?"

My throat was too dry to even speak but I managed to say,

"I like your daughter Mr. Jones, but she's my friend",

"Friendship is not the problem, the problem is the boundaries", he explained.

"I understand the boundaries sir, I assure you I would never do anything to harm her".

He pondered what I said for a minute.

"Why were you in her room last night?"

"I wanted to be there for her, she needs people around her when she's upset but she never admits that she does, Liam and Kat called me a million times and I figured something was wrong with her so I got here as fast as I could",

His features softened a bit as he let out a long sigh.

"My children, are the most precious things to me, they are my world", he stated, "Harper puts up a strong front but I can see she's hurting inside and I do not want that hurt to continue breaking her, I've seen her change from a happy child to this, she doesn't tell me because she doesn't want me to worry but I'm not oblivious to all the scars on her arms",

"Mr. Jones I may not seem like a very reliable person which is true since I'm just a teenager", I continued, "But Harper means a lot to me, we've known each other since we were kids and though she refers to me as her nemesis all the time, we have an unlikely friendship",