"Hey! Br-...Emily?" I hear.
His eyes are strangely widened when he answers, "I must've just missed him. I only recently got here."
I put my hands over my face. "Oh! I did something so stupid!"
I throw my hands off my face. "No, I did! Drake was... He was flirting with this girl, and I was so rude. I don't know why I did it. And she ran out, and he ran out after her. I need to find both of them and apologize." I sniff. "But I'm probably the last person either of them want to see."
Uncle Alex lets out a nervous laugh. "Okay. Wow."
"See? I screwed up, and he called me socially awkward. And he's right!"
After a pause, he speaks. "He's not right. He was upset, and he thought of the first mean thing to say to you that came to his mind. He owes you an apology."
"I don't care," I snap. I don't want Drake's apology. If I wanted an apology every time he said something mean to me, he may as well have an apology stamped on his forehead.
"It looks to me like you do," he replies gently, not wanting to cause an argument.
"You're talking like you think I have a crush on him."
Again with the nervous laugh. He rubs his fingertips on his forehead. "Well, um... He, uh... It's really none of my business."
"So you're saying if I'm socially awkward, I should just accept it."
"You're not socially awkward," he replies patiently. "You're brilliant. There's a difference."
"Well, I wasn't 'brilliant' tonight," I say dejectedly. "Unless you count wondering if I could get between them, going up and trying, and then succeeding. Then I'm a plumbing genius." I gasp and cover my mouth.
He laughs like me swearing was the best joke he's heard all week, bending in half and clapping his hands once.
"Sorry," I eke out.
"What am I going to do about it? I'm not your father." His face falls some before bouncing back.
He answers me seriously though, even if he's still smiling. "I was going to see if I could catch one of my clients, but I can do it later. It's late, and you should be getting home."
"Yeah, I'll go call for a ride."
He playfully throws his hands out and does a slight mock bow before saying, "At your service."
I let out a little laugh. I love Uncle Alex. He's so cool. If I'd told Dad all the stuff I just told him, Dad would be running after Drake ready to lay into him for upsetting me. Uncle Alex just took it all in stride that drama happens.
"One sec, though," he says and holds up his finger. He pulls out his phone and makes a call. "Drake? ... Yeah. Where are you? ... Is everything okay? ... All right. See you at home." Drake drove himself here.
"Thanks for not fussing at him, and please don't let on that you know what happened tonight." I truly hope he just lets it go.
"If that's what you want," he replies, and we walk to his black Audi. We don't say much on the drive to my house, both of us content to think quietly.
Uncle Alex smiles. "Emily, you can trust me. I never got involved."
I breathe a sigh of relief.
"Sure," I reply, curious.
"Trust your instincts. There's a reason you went over there and intervened." He smiles like he's got me.
"You're not giving up on the idea that I have a crush on Drake, are you?"
"I'm just saying." He shrugs in fake nonchalance, and he grins. Then, his eyes widen in sudden fear.
"Maker, Graham! Calm down. I gave Emily a ride home from the club." Uncle Alex backs up.
Dad's nostrils flare, and his hands ball into fists. "Stay away from my daughter!"
"Dad!" I know he hates him, but he looks like he's losing it.
"Emily, go inside," he snaps back at me.
"I was going to!" Yeah, right before you came out and started acting crazy.
"I was giving her a ride home, Graham. That's it. Don't even go there. I'd only just arrived and saw she was ready to leave. I'd rather she ride with someone she knows than some stranger cabbie." Alex's hands raise up like he's ready to defend himself if he has to.
"I'd rather she ride with a stranger." He turns to me again. "Emily! Go inside!"
"Only if you come with me!" I bravely shout back to my father. I hate yelling at him, but I have to stop his unreasonable fury.
"Fine," he growls, grabs my elbow, and roughly escorts me into the house.
Once inside, he orders me to stay away from the Goths. I'm not to go to visit Drake, and he doesn't want to see Drake here either. I start crying. Dad sees, and instantly, he looks stricken, inwardly berating himself for his outburst. He apologizes, even if he doesn't take back his order. He tries to hug me, but I push him away as hard as I can, run up to my room, and slam the door.
Click here to go to 2.19
Graham is still made to look like the bad guy. Neither Alex nor Bri have made his worries easier by continuing as they have. Alex did ruin Graham's life before but again, it's Graham's fault for not liking Alex. The nickname thing still as I already commented is too much. And again that is all on Bri for allowing it in the first place.
ReplyDeletePoor Graham. It doesn't really get better, I'm afraid. I knew you'd say this when you'd read these chapters. Yep, the nickname thing. Bri is one of the most self-centered, self-serving people I've ever written, and I'm glad you're catching it. Not saying others don't, but so far, you're the only one to comment on it. Some people are more forgiving because of all the sh*t she had to deal with when she was a child.
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