Give 'Em Hell, Kid

We were eventually kicked out of the hospital when visiting hours were over. Frank would be stuck in the place for a few days at least, if not for a full week. He had rolled his eyes when the doctor told him before muttering that hospitals suck in resignation. It wouldn’t be Frank’s first stay in the place but his reaction was the same every time. He hated that his mother would have to take time off work to stay with him even though there was nothing she could do. His parents had divorced when he was young so his father was around even less than mine, putting most of the responsibility on Linda to provide stability in his life. When he was around he was a great dad, and he was a man I greatly admired. He wasn’t afraid to show Frank he loved him and he encouraged Frank’s love of music. In short, Frank senior was the opposite of my own father and the kind of father I aspired to be one day, bar the frequent absenteeism. Frank tried his best to hide it under an upbeat facade but we could all see he was in a lot of pain. I could only hope that Johnston and the fucker that came with him were in at least as much, if not more, pain. I hated seeing Frank so hurt, but as bad as I felt about Frank I found it impossible not to smile whenever I looked at Alexia. In less than a day I had gone from thinking I had her, to believing I’d lost her, only to realise that I was being jealous and paranoid and she was just scared. Her hand had remained in mine the entire time we sat with Frank, and even though she determinedly refused to look at me I knew that she was thinking about me. It was the way her hand twitched every time I moved as a shiver would run through her body, and the way her shoulders were leaning against mine that made me believe it. She was scared of what an ‘us’ would mean but I had time on my side to show her she didn’t have to be afraid. I would do everything I could to prove that to her. Even when we stood up to leave she continued to grip my hand with a possessive hold. We said goodbye to Frank with awkward words and sympathetic smiles.

​​​My father leads the way down the white halls and out of the hospital. We find the car and get in, none of us bothered to break the silence. I had talked so much today that I’d be happy to remain mute for the foreseeable future. My father doesn’t ask Ray for directions to his house; when we get there Ray mumbles his farewell and slips out of the car. Alexia starts to shake, and I quickly remember how she stormed out on her father in the station. I suddenly feel afraid for her. Her father wasn’t a man to cross; my own father wouldn’t dare to do so. Mr Collins was a man who had no problem taking his anger out on the people around him. Alexia wasn’t immune to this even if she was his daughter. I didn’t want her to go home anymore than she did. I wanted to protect her from whatever it was that she would face when she arrived back to her father. I could convince my parents to let her stay but avoidance wasn’t an option. It would only give him more time to stew in his anger. Alexia was in trouble no matter what way the situation was handled from here on out; I could only hope that by going home and apologising that she would be saved from a violent repercussion. The fearful anticipation was punishment enough in itself. She had full blown body tremors by the time we pulled into her drive way. I hoped that I was being paranoid but even my father had a look of mild concern on his face. In a moment of panic I opened my mouth.

​​​‘I’ll go with you’ I blurted out; the drive to protect Lexi was overriding my impulse control.

​​​‘I don’t think that’s a good idea Gerard’ my father warned, his tone authoritative but I ignored it.

​​​‘It’ll be fine. I’ll walk home.’

​​​My father sighed, frustrated at my stubbornness but he didn’t stop me from unbuckling my belt and exiting the car, dragging Lexi out with me. He drove off with alarming speed, taking his anger out on the road. I clutched Alexia’s hand a little tighter, throwing her a reassuring smile that didn’t seem to work.

​​​‘Hey, it’ll be okay. He’s pissed but I won’t let anything happen. He’ll probably just yell and ground you.’ I was trying to reassure myself with my words, praying that the bad feeling in my gut was just anxiety and not some kind of warning.

​​​I pulled her reluctant body behind me. With a shaking hand she pulled her keys out of her pocket, opened the door and led me inside. Her hand was still entangled in mine, but as long as Alexia didn’t mind I didn’t care if Mr Collins saw it. The door had barely clicked behind us when Mr Collin’s voice boomed out from his study, which was down the hallway and beside the kitchen.

​​​‘Alexia?’

​​​I could hear the ill concealed anger. Alexia’s fearful eyes widened when she heard his tone. She let out a shape breath before straightening her back and tensing her shoulders. She wouldn’t face her father with apologetic tears and frightened words. She had never played the daddy’s princess card when it came to punishments. She had grown up with boys and as such she wasn’t one for tears when she was in trouble. It was a downfall in a way; if she cried and told her father a few sweet words he would probably calm down. That wasn’t how this was going to turn out though; she would respond with equal anger and defiance, thus adding more fuel to an already heated situation. She finally let go of my hand and motioned for me to follow behind her. She wouldn’t cower behind me, it wouldn’t work even if we tried it. I was here to make sure it didn’t get out of hand. Mr Collins was a big man, but that didn’t perturb me too much. I would do whatever I had to do. The wooden floor and large hallway echoed our heavy steps down the hall. The door was closed, forcing Alexia to grab the rounded knob to reveal ourselves.

​​​Mr Collins was seated behind his desk when we entered. Upon seeing us he stood up and walked out from behind the large mahogany desk. The floor was wooden with a polished sheen, and the room was overly clean. Everything was clean and had a barely used feel to it. It betrayed his lack of time spent in the house. I didn’t take the previously unexplored room in; I was far more concerned with what was going on in front of me. Mr Collins continued his steps towards us until he was right in front of Alexia. He loomed over Alexia, intimidation and anger coming off him in waves. Alexia somehow managed to meet his eyes without flinching.

​​​‘So, I think you and I need to have a little talk-‘ Mr Collins began before Alexia cut him off.

​​​‘I’m not going to apologise’ Alexia interrupted, not holding or tongue. Her fear was making her rash and I wanted to shut her up before she said any more.

​​​‘Hold your tongue when I’m talking to you! Your behaviour today was nothing short of disrespectful and insolent. Not only do you get involved in some brawl in the middle of the day in a part of town I strictly forbid you from entering, you then proceed to openly disrespect me in public. Your actions today have only proved your immaturity and my lack of discipline.’

​​​‘How can you discipline when you’re never around? Maybe I’m disrespectful because I don’t respect you!’

​​​It happened in a flash, so quick that I didn’t have a chance to stop what happened. His hand cut through the air and landed on Alexia’s cheek with a loud crack. The force made her stumble, and she would have fallen if I hadn’t grabbed her. She cradled her cheek but I could see the large red hand print that was going to leave a bruise. I stepped in front of her, putting her out of his reach. I took a step forward in anger. Mr Collins ignored me and continued to talk to Alexia.

​​​‘We’ll finish this later when you learn to behave yourself. Go to your room and don’t even think of taking a step out of it until I call for you.’

​​​I was shaking with indignant anger. I wanted to do more. I wanted to punch his face in, or do something to vent my anger, but I wasn’t stupid enough to start something I knew I couldn’t win, not when Alexia was free from further harm. Alexia turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, I went to follow her when Mr Collins barked at me to wait. I stopped mid step, confused and a little afraid. I knew nothing good was coming from whatever he had to say but I refused to show my fear when I looked at him.

​​​‘You listen to me, and you listen good boy ‘cos I’m only going to have this conversation once. I know there’s something going on between you and Alexia, or at the very least you wish there was. I could threaten you to leave her alone but you’d only find a way to sneak around when you think I’m not watching. So instead I’m going to warn you. If you decide that you want to continue this…fantasy with my daughter, I will do everything in my power to make you wish you were never born. You’re safe for now, but one day very soon you won’t be, and when that day comes I will relish in tearing you apart. Alexia deserves better than some punk kid who thinks he knows better. In the end you’re going to break her heart. If you cared about her, you’d stop now before she gets hurt.’

​​​He walked back to his desk and sat down, clearly dismissing me from his presence. I stormed out, slamming the door behind me. The rage that pulsed through me clouded my mind, his words penetrating my mind, hitting a nerve. I left the house without checking on Alexia. Right now I just needed space and time to mull through Mr Collins words.