Chapter 9

Dear sister, Clarissa, just had to pry into my business. At this point I was absolutely enraged.

Hearing her absolutely bemoaning my "pitiful expression," and "all the bad blood," I had caused.

Yes. Of course she took his side. She and all the others.

"So I trust," Mrs. Forcett began, "that your first day was quite an adventure Harley?" Dear Lexy sparing hardly a glance for me.

I simply glowered, shoveling a honking portion of greens into my mouth.

Spearing my cut of dressed salmon whole, Fred now nudged me. Hard.

"Knife," he mouthed, suitably demonstrating. As if I hadn't had the very same silverware sets as this household.

I rolled my eyes.

"No 'o yur bunith," I uttered with salmon hanging off my mouth.

Mrs. Forcett shook her head.

"Sweetie," Dad said quietly, "she's never like this, I've never seen this type of thing. Harley's stressed, I think."

"Daddy, you hear her bullying me. I don't like how she's talking to me," I uttered venomously.

"Honestly, are you still throwing tantrums, trying to demand from your Father?" she prodded frustration at her every word. Like she'd not sent me off to where they'd said to use 'I feel' and 'May I' extensively until it glided along in my dreams.

"They'd said it was effective. Actually saying what you need in clear words," I said, furious and yet still speaking right rather than whining!

There was this certain look that at the moment Dad was giving to Mrs. Forcett.

"I suppose, there weren't calls from school. If what Clarissa says is true you didn't bully any children."

"Sure," I answered dryly.

"Liar," Clarissa cut in.

"Now Clarissa," her Mother and my Dad chided at once.

"Mom, Harley made an enemy of the mayor's son, degraded him right in their Lit class paired with each other. The whole thing is all over school," she plowed on.

Mrs. Forcett sighed deeply. "Well then you'll need to apologize by tomorrow and hopefully this could end working in your favor," she decided. Just like that.

"Hang on now Alexis. Shouldn't we at least hear Harley out. Of course, her behavior had been disruptive. Back then but we'd been told and have been shown, what leaps she's made, to grow as a person," my Dad insisted. Ever even and fair toward me.

I shot him a truly grateful smile.

"I'm sorry, you're completely right," she conceded, taking his hand but I didn't say anything. I preferred to look away from that.

I went into the complete, ridiculous hubbub Jared had made that morning.

Of which Dad nodded was absolute lunacy!

And it was hardly a shining impression when we had formally met, to suddenly be hit on and staring at me, absolutely proving me in my rights to tell he was creepy.

To my surprise Mrs. Forcett, an adult who had agreed to have me in her family-- to my Father and the law-- still insisted I had done something wrong.

She was certainly a pain and certainly didn't like me. But cruel wasn't quite a word I would use for my no-nonsense, no empathy step-mother.

"Well you caught his interest somehow. I admit I'm unsure how, which we agree, but most important is that it isn't an opportunity to squander. Anyone with class wouldn't purposefully have caused you discomfort, that I am sure of. You simply attacked too thoughtlessly, not unlike you," and though she wasn't displeased I'd still bungled things up, "all a learning process."

"Dear you-- you can't be serious?" Dad asked looking incredulous. "She's just told you the boy out and out harassed her! My little girl, your girl too. And you still believe the children should be friends?"

When she next spoke, it was in a much more subdued, tired voice. Right fitting for an elderly woman of her age.

"She is my daughter. I love how deeply you love her and fight for her, and I hold your opinion quite highly but powerful families, you've been lucky to be well removed from interacting with them. Too often those types strongarm any of lower standing than they are to get even a modicum of what they have assumed as theirs," the dark, withering look sweeping past the table so even my ditzy step-siblings turned away with some decorum of shame. "As for marriage, blended family, there will always be a few extra obstacles on that front whenever one is of-- well--"

"Lower net worth. Social capital," Dad guessed gruffly.

"It pains me, truly and add in Harley and what we've had to do for her well-being despite the reasons, it is by all accounts scandal. She is in a more unstable place than anyone."

"So what?" Dad declared, riled and defensive. "I don't care, I've told you many times, as long as it would take and much more, all I see is the beautiful, capable, and stunningly competent woman who somehow chose me, a single father. Neither of my girls not her or you, or anyone put up with being treated poorly."

He placed a firm, supportive hand on hers which bore a couple expensive rings.

I could think of someone who had already mistreated my wonderful Dad.

I am glad they don't bring it up too much.

For once us three step-siblings found ourselves our common ground. To watch who was swaying who. I obviously rooted for my Dad. Leading quite handily and generally on the side of all common sense.

"Believe me I don't like it but it is the best advice I can give," she admitted sounding painfully torn.

"i know for a fact her classmates probably tore her apart today, I-- I hoped the opposite, and hoped to hear that from her," she gazed at me. "I'd know it would be a lie and it would be terrible but I'd try not to care too much. It breaks my heart to know the truth of the matter and to see you suffer. To me, I have three children, three wonderful, sometimes strong-willed, unruly children." And it sounded like she loved those supposed flaws the most.

Her voice was worn raw. None of her business face was present. Just a woman.

Oh this woman was good. Too good, completely too good. A Grade-A scheme skillfully stripping my Dad's resolve gently as his work vest every evening.

"Well, if you are absolutely sure we can reach a peaceable resolution best for both," he ventured, but a smidgeon confident.

"NO!" I declared rising from my seat. "He did wrong by me and no one even cares! No one cares about me! AT! ALL anymore! I hate you all! WHY? I don't know, I don't know what I did wrong! Why don't you love me anymore? He isn't even that hot and who cares? Who cares how rich he is? Money is stupid, money is stupid," I whispered, rising again-- "I refuse to even look at his gross face!"

My Dad tried to get me to sit down, apologizing over and over, that he hadn't listened to me.

When I knew he would have.

If not for her.

And I wouldn't have worried, have felt guilty for the stress on his face because of me. Not as long as he would do what needed to be done to make me happy.

Lexy, as usual, derided my outburst. "We should be past these. She can't just be-- given into. This isn't a conversation for her--"

"So now it's about me?" I laughed in a sardonic manner.

"Harley, my sweet princess just deep, deep calming breaths. Like you'd learned. Clarissa, Fred to your rooms," Dad ordered off-handedly.

"No way," both complained.

"All the juicy--"

"Out!" he emphasized, now pointing at the door.

With stomping feet and plenty groans my stepsiblings obeyed.

A single door slammed. Letting my Dad continue to soothe me. "Now no one wants any trouble. I know you don't, I know you want and have been trying to be better and move past unlearning bad habits. Habits which weren't all your fault, I spoiled you, completely and excessively."

I shook my head. Fighting, really fighting for my voice to be steady and concise and not furious and hurt and anguished and completely exaggerating to make someone feel guilty.

"I just wanna be left in peace."

And no one seems to want to let me have that anymore.

"Then friendship is-- an unreasonable ask. It just is?"

"If that's the case, you don't have to give every detail, but okay," Lexy agreed, "but I do still think it would at least be worth your while to make sure few could say anything else in ill will."

"I suppose that is a fair goal," Dad said. "Harley?"

Both adults looked at me. Supposedly having compromised with me.

So I couldn't say no and not look like a brat.

"Fine, I don't care anymore," I relented voice hollow.

Thoroughly losing my appetite I turned away my half-eaten dinner.

All the same mumbling to apologize for me to Nellie. "Super good, as usual."

Lying despondent and splayed on my bed with my legs in the air I checked my phone.

Seven messages from Celia.