Flashpoint Braddock's Daughter

Clark and His Dad

One of the days of Clark and I being suspended, I was able to have Clark come over while mom and dad were at work. When he made his way to my house, I opened the door for him and he walked in. I could see the anger on his face already, "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked following him into the house and closing the door behind him. He just sighed and walked upstairs to my room. I followed him into my room, "Clark, what's going on?" He sat down on my bed and looked up at me, "It's nothing. Just got in an argument with my dad before I left." I sighed and sat down next to him, "What was it about?" 

"It's not important," Clark said looking back at his phone to see a message from Ed. "Well it's clearly bothering you, and apparently Eddy isn't done discussing whatever it was." I looked down at his phone as he set it down on my nightstand. "It's nothing. Really. I didn't come over here to talk about my issues with my dad," He smiled over at me and tried to pretend that nothing was wrong. I returned the favor smiling back at him playing along with his game, "Oh yeah? What did you come over here for then?" He tilted his head and looked around the room, "Well, I hear there is a lady who lives here, and she makes the best hot chocolate in the world. She's not very cute or anything, but the cocoa, that's another story." He chuckled as I playfully punched his shoulder, "Hey!" I said through the laughs as he held his hands up defensively. 

"I'm kidding," He laughed and kissed me quickly, "Well, kind of. I wasn't kidding about the whole cocoa thing." I chuckled and sighed, "Alright alright I get it. You want some hot chocolate. Come on, I'll make you a cup." We walked out of the room and downstairs into the kitchen. I grabbed him a cup and the supplies to make the drink before I paused and turned back to face him. "Okay how about this. I will make you some hot cocoa if you tell me what happened with you and Ed," his smile dropped for a second before he sighed and nodded his head in agreeance, "Fine. But only because I get a drink out of it." 

I smiled at his statement and made his drink for him. He thanked me once I handed it to him and he sighed knowing that he now had to tell me what was going on. "Alright, spill it. What's going on?" We walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. "I told him that I stopped going to my cello lessons a few months ago, but mom was still giving me forty dollars every week because she thought I was going." I sighed and looked down at my lap, "What were you doing with the money every week?"

"You remember those parties I've been going to every weekend?" He asked looking over at me. I nodded in response as the realization hit me. "Clark," I started but he cut me off. "I know. I know, bad idea. But they forced me to go to those stupid lessons and I don't even like playing," He sighed and took another sip of the drink I made. "So what's Ed doing about it? What is he saying?" 

"Well of course he wants me to pay them back, which I planned to do. But he is arguing with mom about whether or not they want to ground me or not. He's ripping me a new one because he doesn't feel like he can trust me anymore." He said looking over at me. "Well, can you really blame him?"

"What?" 

"I mean, you were lying to him for months and taking their money for things that they don't want you doing." He sighed and stood up from the couch putting his cup down, "This is why I didn't want to tell you about it." 

"What do you mean?"

"I knew you would take his side," he grabbed his keys as if he was going to leave. I stood up and grabbed his arm. "I'm not taking sides. Clark, I'm just saying if you want them to trust you then you should give them a reason to." He turned back to face me, "I've given them plenty of reasons to trust me. For example, me not beating the crap out of those guys at school for making fun of you." 

"And I'm glad that you didn't. But that's not exactly a reason for them to trust you. It's a reason for them to believe that they have raised you to have some self-control. I know that you have done somethings that have led them to have faith in you, but how would you feel if someone you trusted was lying to you for months and taking your money for something you didn't want them doing?" 

"Whatever, I'm leaving." He broke free from my grip and grabbed onto the door handle. "Clark, come on. I'm sorry okay. Please don't go. I'm sorry." I grabbed onto his arm again and put myself in between him and the door. He looked down at me for a minute and sighed letting go of the door handle. "Fine, but only because I'd hate to waste that," he pointed over to the drink. He walked away from me and back to the couch to take a drink. I sighed and thought of something to change the subject. Once he finished with the drink we went back upstairs to my room and sat down on my bed. He looked over to my nightstand seeing my picture of May and me standing outside of the school after the talent show. He picked it up and held it in his hands, "It's almost been a year, but it still feels like yesterday," He said putting it back down after looking at me and seeing my reaction to the picture. "Yeah," I said looking down at my floor. 

"Are you going to the cemetery the day of?" He asked laying down on my bed and gesturing me to lay down on top of him. I sighed and laid down on top of him, "I don't know. I'm not sure I can handle going at all, to be honest." He put his hand on my back and started rubbing it up and down. "I feel like I need to go, I mean her death was my fault," I felt my eyes fill up with tears as I sighed and rested my head on his chest. "Hey, you were trying to help her. You had no idea that her dad would take it that far. Don't blame yourself for what happened," he said looking down at me. 

After a few hours of us talking, I ended up falling asleep as he played games on his phone. When I woke up he was still there and told me that he had talked to Ed, and they had worked things out. I told him I was proud of him and cuddled into him as in my sleep I managed to get away from him. Eventually, it was time for him to leave, and after me begging him not to go for a few minutes, I finally gave up. We walked downstairs to the front door where he grabbed his keys again and kissed me before he walked out the door. I was glad that I had a guy like him in my life, and I prayed he would never leave.