Riot Girl by Laura J Whiskens Read Free Book Online

hysteria, or hormones. Daniel joined in and before long tears were streaming down my face as I gasped for breath. We must have looked like lunatics when the guidance counsellor finally returned. 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER SIX
     
    “Oh my, Daniel!” Daniel’s mother, Rebecca, cried out, her hands flying to her mouth with dramatic flair. Her perfectly styled blonde hair was cemented with hairspray and her manicured hands screamed: “stay at home wife”.
    Daniel’s father, James, helped her into a seat before she fell down; he was a handsome older clone of his son with grey hair starting to creep across his brown mop of hair. James hadn’t had a lot to say so far, he was apparently the strong and silent type, taking it all in stride. But there was a lot going on in his head, I could see it in his eyes.
    “I’m sorry, Ma,” Daniel looked genuinely upset and I felt a pang of guilt to be the cause of their distress. “Indi and I, we didn’t plan this. But it’s happened and we would like to keep our baby, it feels like the right thing to do.”
    Our baby , I thought. The lie rolled so easily off his tongue; I wanted to confess- to tell them all that this was really Joel’s baby and that Daniel was just trying to help me. I couldn’t understand how this had escalated so quickly.
    “Oh my,” Rebecca repeated breathily. “What will people say?”
    Miss Smith nodded sympathetically, her duty to her two students temporarily forgotten as she revelled in the drama unfolding around her.
    “She’s not keeping it, not while she lives under my roof,” my father growled, speaking for the first time since he’d arrived. He reeked of stale alcohol and cigarettes.
    If we hadn’t been in a room full of people he might have tried to hit me; as it was, he was barely keeping his anger under wraps. I shifted uncomfortably, suddenly aware of both the physical and emotional differences between my father and Daniel’s.
    “People will think what they want to think,” James finally spoke up, drawing the surprised attention of everyone in the room. He had a quiet, determined tone. “And Indiana and our grandchild will not live under your roof, Mr Jones.”
    Daniel’s face transformed, confusion causing his brow to wrinkle. “Dad?”
    “The apartment over my office has been gathering dust, we can set the three of you up in there,” James continued. “But, there is one condition.”
    Rebecca and my father looked at James in something like horror-or perhaps utter shock.
    “What’s that Dad?” Daniel looked paler than his mother by now; clearly he hadn’t been expecting this reaction any more than his mother or I were.
    “You must both ,” he said pointedly, looking from Daniel to myself, “finish school, and- if God willing you get the grades- you will both go to college. You will need your education if you want to give this child the life it deserves; that you deserve.”
    I stared at James in disbelief, my mouth hanging open in surprise. I glanced briefly at my own father, who was glaring at me with pure hatred. I knew that James had his own law firm, a small local business with a two-storey building in the middle of town. I presumed that the apartment must be above his offices.
    Daniel looked at me and gave a small nod before turning to his parents. He stepped forward tentatively before embracing James; I thought that I heard him give a small sob but he was standing with his back to me so I couldn’t be sure.
    “I expect you to provide for your family Daniel,” his father stepped back and looked Daniel right in the eye. “Your mother and I will help you but you’ll need to learn to manage school with your job alongside the baby. It’s going to be hard work, son, especially once you’re both in college. But if you want this, truly want it, then we will help all that we can.”
    Rebecca sobbed into a tissue that Miss Smith had passed to her; she was no doubt worried about what her