Well, hello. I've only written eight or so oneshots for this fandom so I thought I'd do another one. I was listening to the song and I wanted to write something for it. But I've read one or two fics based on it before and I wanted something else and here is the result.
Adam is the boy you can see in the very last few seconds of the oc series. He is mentioned only briefly here. This universe doesn't have anything to do with the little girl where he was put before, I just thought the name suited.
I usually don't even like Taylor and Ryan together because Taylor is so annoying. But I decided to go with them for this one…
Allison and William look like Ambree Orgill and Russell Franke. Alyssa looks like the little girl in the music video to Alyssa lies. The song this oneshot is based on.
I'm sorry for all of these notes. Now finally, here's my newest oneshot.
"DADDY."
On Friday, the last day back to school in September as usual, Allison came rushing in and straight into my arms when I had barely even crossed the threshold to our house. Her twin brother William took it a bit more easily and made his way through the hallway to go play his video games.
"William Seth Atwood." Taylor shouted at him. "No games before dinner and you know it."
"Wow." I lifted up my daughter with a moan. "You're in year one now. You're getting way too heavy for me to lift you up like that."
Allison giggled while she wrapped her arms around my neck and leaned her face into my blonde thatch. The few minutes we could still be standing like this every week, or whenever Allison felt like it otherwise was better than any other feeling.
"Don't even try it daddy. I know that you're strong."
I couldn't argue with that…
"Daddy." Allison's voice had suddenly turned dark and more serious and I felt myself tense, no one had tried to hurt her, right? Or else this was one dad who wouldn't go through hell and earth to stop it. "There's a new girl in our class."
"Is she a bully? Has she hurt you?"
"No, she seems nice."
Well that was one worry down, and with Allison still sitting on my hips I let her down on one of the high chairs by the kitchen island and sat on the closest to her.
"What's her name then?"
"Almost the same as mine. My name is Allison and hers is Alyssa."
Allison put her elbow on the table and her hand in her chin, then sighed as if she was choosing her words well. She didn't say anything for a couple of minutes and on the second floor we could hear Taylor and William- as usual fighting about when William could play on the TV and computer and not.
"My teacher said that since she didn't start school until a few days into the term and not until now she might not have it easy making friends." Allison sighed deeply and her voice was shaking when she looked back up on me. "Daddy, you always told me not to lie!"
"Who's lying?"
"Alyssa lies… I know she does. She lied on Wednesday when she said she didn't want any friends. But I just wanted to tell her our names are almost the same. And then I kept talking to her and then, as the next class started she came to sit right by me in class. Some older boys were teasing her and she said it didn't matter. But she lied, when she turned back she held her breath just as the teacher passed by. She was trying to keep herself from saying something. But when Mrs. Jackson came by and told Alyssa that they only do that because they're boys… I don't like that dad. Why can boys hurt and tease and do whatever to girls only because they're boys and we're girls."
Well Allison, that was a very good question.
"And then yesterday she hadn't finished the homework we had. She said she'd forgotten it in school. But she didn't because I reminded her and I saw her put it in her bag… But I lied too. I don't want her to get in trouble. And I can help her with the extra spelling and math Mrs. Jackson made her do."
"That's nice of you Als." I ran a hand over her soft hair- red like her mother's. "Did something else happen today?"
These things might not have meant anything for some people. But the keeping one's breath to not start a fight, saying you don't want any friends, not doing any homework. It was way too familiar.
"Yes… Alyssa was wearing a really thick sweater and she looked warm. I asked her if she didn't want to take it off. But she just shook her head- and that means no. But when we're baking at the end of the day- we made those bananas we roll in chocolate and sprinklers, Mrs. Jackson told her to take it off or roll her sleeves up."
Tears had been rising in my daughter's eyes and I lifted one hand to tenderly wipe away one tear with my thumb.
"She went to sit down so she wouldn't have to. But Mrs. Jackson came nagging her so at last, when most of us had finished and were back at our desks she came and rolled her sleeves up. And… and there are scars. She's got bruises on her arms and she said she fell in the stairs. She also has bruises on her shoulders and her neck where the hair mostly covers it. Those would be weird to hit in the stairs. There are marks and she said her dog bit her. But it doesn't look like that…"
My stomach was turning, I could absolutely see where this was going. And if Allison had seen enough after only one down and one class of cooking…
"Daddy…" Tears were streaming down my daughter's cheeks as I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. "I think something bad is happening to her. Something really bad."
I couldn't find an answer good enough, so for a couple of minutes as my six year old sobbed into my shirt I stroke her back and didn't say anything.
"What am I supposed to do daddy?"
At last, still breathing fitfully and sobbing from time to time Allison sat up and wiped her eyes, then whimpered one single question.
"Oh sweetheart." I hugged her tight one more time. "You're not supposed to do anything at all. Just by telling me you've done so well. And now I have to take care of it, okay? I'll go and talk to Mrs. Jackson first thing Monday morning… hey, Will?" My son had just came into the kitchen. "Do you know the new girl? Alyssa?"
"Alyssa Greenwood. Yeah sure… she's a bit strange. Nobody really likes her."
"THAT'S NOT TRUE." Allison yelled. "I LIKE HER. I'M HER BEST FRIEND."
"Well you're even stranger."
"DA-AD."
If it wasn't for the serious matter in this I would have had to laugh about this. Siblings sure did have a way with coming up with things to fight about, didn't they?
"William Seth Atwood! That wasn't a nice thing to say. Now apologize to your sister and then go get changed and we're leaving." Will mumbled something. "For real, if you please!"
"I'm sorry then."
It wasn't any good, but it seemed like it was all Allison (and I) were getting right now because Allison's twin brother stomped out of the room before he could say anything else.
"Now come on." I patted Allison's shoulder one more time. "You go and get changed out of that uniform, and then we'll go off to nana and papa's."
For a six-year-old even a dinner at her (well… almost) grandparents was enough of her to form a smile on her lips. Behind her eyes I could see the distress for Alyssa. But of course- she wouldn't let that go unless she knew her best friend was safe and sound somewhere.
I, myself took my briefcase and started unbuttoning my shirt already in the stairs before I threw the tie and shirt off right on the bed just as Taylor came out from the bathroom.
"Does this look good?" She made a gesture towards her makeup. "And please don't say that I look good in everything like you usually do. I really want you to take a look and tell me what you think?"
"You look beautiful." I said, only stopping for a second to look at her. "But you know, it's only Sandy and Kirsten and Seth and the others. There's not a reason to be perfect. You could turn up in a pyjamas and no one would mind… Did William tell you about the new girl in school?"
"Yeah. He mentioned her." Taylor picked out earrings and clothes as if she hadn't heard what I'd just said. "But only barely. I heard Ally crying, what's wrong?"
"Well…" I tried to find the right words… "She's obviously made best friend with this Alyssa… and she thinks that something's going on that Alyssa lies about… that there might be someone hurting her- perhaps her parents."
Taylor stopped with a second earring in her hand.
"Oh that poor thing."
"Well…" It would always make me feel terrible for all future when I just brushed it all off like I did that evening. "I'll take care of it, and I'll start with their teacher on Monday, they should know more…"
"Some people just shouldn't have children!"
"No." I leaned forward and kissed Taylor and hoped it would catch her attention. "But there's nothing we can do about that now. So let's just have a good time and if there's anything at all we can do for her later I'll make sure to do that later. Now where did I put my other shoe?"
We lived in a quite smaller village outside Berkeley, and Seth and Summer almost at the meter in between us. And at least once a week we got together all of us, I, Taylor and the twins, Sandy and Kirsten and Sophe Rose, and at last of course Seth and Summer and their three boys.
It was about half an hour's drive there, at least thankfully the kids didn't get car sick and could bring a book or a magazine and keep themselves occupied. Even though for any longer drives that that they would soon be driving both myself and Taylor crazy with their "are we there yet?"
"Will nana and auntie Summer like my new shoes?"
Allison was dancing down the hallway in her sparkly, pink shoes that she had saved especially for today to have them new and clean.
"I'm sure they'll love them." I sent William a meaning look when he made a look after his sister and how girly she was sometimes. "But now stop dancing, we've got to go, or uncle Seth will have eaten everything before we get there."
"I'm playing the Wii when we come home, okay?"
William was for sure not happy about dinner with the whole family at his age. But I would think that had more to do with one of his friends telling him it was stupid and silly rather than Will himself thinking so.
"And off we go."
It wasn't so long before the kids would no longer be impressed by the "vroom vroom" when I sped backwards towards the road… But one could always do it, and hope there would be no car in the road when I hit the road- as long as they were still impressed. And for now it was a part of our Friday traditions and the children screamed with laughter.
The car fell silent while we passed the streets and houses towards Sandy, Kirsten and Sophie Rose's house. Taylor who wasn't driving had to keep her eyes on the road not to get terribly nauseas by motion sickness and the twins had turned to each Harry Potter book.
"Are you feeling alright?" I mumbled to Taylor when we were only a few blocks away. "We're almost there now. I promise I'll let you drive us home later… Is it okay if I have a beer?"
"Thanks Ryan. And yes. Please do that. Ugh! Thankfully there's not far left. What kind of food have Sandy and Kirsten ordered today? I might or might not be able to literally stomach pizza."
"I think they said something about Chinese. But you never know with them."
Going to their house you could always trust that they had ordered food instead of making something themselves, and thank God for that.
"Kids." I looked in the mirror when we drove up the correct streets. "Time to put the bookmarks in now. No folding dog's ears like that William! You know how ugly the pages will look if you do. And here we are…."
"Late as usual… No…"
"No… Uncle Seth's car isn't here yet." William was the first to spot the difference. "For once we aren't the latest despite how long it took for mum to get finished."
"Let's just go inside."
After all, Taylor was still not able to admit that she was almost always late for everything for her looks' sake.
"HELLO GUYS."
There wasn't a reason to knock on the door even, family members walked in and out however we wanted… And Sandy, Kirsten and Sophie Rose were as usual waiting in the kitchen.
"Well there you are." Sandy beamed. "We thought we'd just have to start eating for the food not to get cold… Seth and Summer are usually on time." He sighed. "No reason to worry yet. Anything can happen with children in the house… How's the first week of year one going? Is the teacher being nice to you?"
"It's going swell." As usual, Allison was the first and only one who started speaking. "I have already got several golden stars in my math and English books, and I got all rights on a test only to check if we still know the math from last year. Our teacher is nice and the school yard we can go on now when we're not in kindergarten anymore is HUGE. And there's a new girl named Al…"
"Alyssa Greenwood is the strangest kid of the whole school." I sent him a glare. "It's true. She creeps me out with that look she keeps giving everyone as if she got the whole world's problems on her shoulders. I hate her, everybody else do too and I don't get how you can be friends with her."
"WILLIAM!" At last, way too late Taylor interrupted him. "Those aren't nice things to say and you know that perfectly well. Why are you so busy with talking badly about someone you don't even want to know?"
"I don't…"
When he tried to say something else Taylor sent him a glare enough for him to go bright red all the way up to his ears. And then finally he hit his jaws together so hard we could all hear his teeth shattering, pouted and with arms crossed over his chest finally silent.
At least Sandy, Kirsten and Sophie Rose were as close as they could even punish the twins themselves if needed and there was no reason to feel embarrassed for Will's behavior as we would for anybody else than our own.
"I think someone's a bit hungry and tired." Sandy said with a slight smile. "That's enough to make anyone go angry and whiny, for way worse things than talking about classmates than that. I'm not saying you shouldn't talk like that Will. But it's better that you do it here, with us and at home than that you do it at school or even right in front of her. So can you promise me that you'll never go and bully her right straight up to her face like that?"
Will looked at his feet with hands behind his back as if he had never seen anything more interesting in his whole life.
"Now, if you please."
No matter who said it, Will knew the words "if you please" were dead serious and he wasn't going to get away without saying anything.
"Yes papa. I promise."
The word papa was for sure anyway going to wrap Sandy around his finger more than anything. He loved all his children and grandchildren and no one was favored, biological or not. Still it wasn't just obvious that my kids were calling Sandy and Kirsten their papa and nana, why wouldn't they? All other children had grandparents. Sure there were my parents who had changed a lot through the last years, and Veronica who was… herself.
"Well." I was woken up from my thoughts when we heard the door and Sandy was the first one to stand. "Finally, where did you come from? The street around the corner or the moon?" Seth made a grimace. "Now when we're all here… What are we thankful and what do we hope for?... What? We're going to have to do this quick or the food will be cold…"
I shook my head, or he was just hungry. We had the… well, tradition of a thanksgiving with saying what we were thankful for and what we hoped for. But nobody wanted to wait a whole year in between every time so anyone who had something to say…
"I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY." Allison yelled and jumped on her chair standing. "I have something to say."
"Well I have something to say too. And I bet mine is bigger than yours."
Allison pouted and sat down. I had to suppress a laughter at her childish impatient. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted but at least she sat down on her chair again while Summer looked at her husband and Seth gave a slight nod.
"Well… Right today, I am thankful that I am here, and with Seth and Sullivan and Sawyer and Silas and…" Summer took a deep breath and laid a hand on her belly. "Little Stella or Skylar or Sylvia, or Scarlett or Selena. We haven't quite made up our mind about her name yet. And we still have four months."
Summer lightly rubbed over her belly and not even now I recognized the slouchy shirt she'd been wearing through all her three earlier pregnancies.
At this fourth one it wasn't any quieter than it had been with the boys' each though. For what felt like an hour until finally Summer, for the fourth time was the first to say anything at all.
"You guys should say something soon."
"Wait…" As usual, Allison said more before anyone else did. "…What does that mean? Does it mean you're having a baby?"
The biggest smile had turned up on Summer's lips when she looked back on Seth.
"I guess that's the simplest way of saying it, yeah."
"And it's a girl this time?" Sawyer- the middle brother asked. "Yuk! I hate girls."
"HEY." Allison shouted. "THAT'S NOT FAIR."
"Why…" Taylor stood up before Allison could start the worse scene. "Why don't you tell us what you were grateful and hoping for? Does it have something to do with your new best friend?"
I drew a quiet, relieved breath- well, dinner with five kids, almost six and seven if one counted a teenager would never ever get boring.
"Yes. Because I am thankful we get to be friends… And I hope someday she can join us here. She can, can she?"
"Of course she can. But… Summer? A baby? Like… are you sure?"
"A hundred percent. We even went to the doctor's… That's when we found out this one is a girl and her heart is beating strong… And I can't wait for her to see the light of day…."
Seth and Summer's baby was the main subject of the evening and would probably be so for a while. But somehow I just couldn't get out of my head what Allison had told me earlier today. And I really couldn't get out my head what I was supposed to do it when it was Monday and I had to do something.
"Well, time for gifts."
I had barely been able to get a piece of fried chicken down when Sandy's voice broke through them. And how many times would I have to tell them that getting the kids gifts an ever- day Friday like this might not be a good idea.
"Aren't you going to eat more than that?" Taylor asked so only I heard. "You're not getting ill or something, are you?"
"No… There's just been a lot at work lately and a lot in my head. You know how I get."
Taylor patted my shoulder, gifts were handed out for the kids, and Allison flew up with only lying on it table.
"I forgot. I have to show auntie Summer and Nana my new shoes."
"No shoes on inside Ally."
Sandy gave me a look that said "let it be". But as he handed out the gifts- that were all of the same kind and size Allison came running back with the shoes in her hand.
"Look Auntie Summer." She ran to the side of the table first. "Pink ones, and sparkly."
"Oh wow." Summer took the small sneaker in her hand and span them, as if to see them from every single angle. "Is it a children's shoe? Because if there are adults' sizes than you have to show me where you got them because I want them too."
"It's not exactly your style." Allison frowned and I couldn't help but realize how I was watching and listening to her every tone, then watched too as Sandy took the small sneaker from Summer's hand.
"But they look so cool!"
"You think they look cool? I want shoes like that too."
"Sure thing dad." Seth agreed. "Are you sure they weren't available in adult's sizes. BIG adult's sizes. It would be so cool if you and me and everybody here would match with beautiful, princess- shoes."
Allison giggled, at the same time as her brother and their cousins looked towards ger as if they had never been as impatient in their lives ever.
And Allison seemed to feel it too, because she finally put the shoes down to keep nagging about her shoes afterwards as she took her wrapped gift and then pulled the tape off slowly and tenderly, in difference from the boys who seemed in a rush and ripped the paper off all at once.
"Look Will, isn't it beautiful? It's rainbow patterned and it looks all sparkly too…"
"It looks girly!"
"It does?" Eight-year-old Sullivan looked on it from every angle. "I like it!"
I looked at Sandy apologetically, Will wasn't usually like this. But he needed his mind heard so some days he was just impossible…
Sandy only waved it off. He had raised two children, had five grandchildren with one on the way and then me on top of it all. There was nothing that could make him take ungratefulness of this kind seriously.
"I like it." Four- year- old Silas said with a big smile. "But… what is it?"
"It's a pencil case." Allison showed her cousin. "See? When you go to school you put pens and pencils in it and then you can carry it with you and you won't lose it or drop it all."
"Oh… can I use it for my glasses? I only need them when I'm reading and I've already broken and lost different pairs five times."
And then, on each side of the table Will and Sawyer seemed to have a quiet battle about who hated it more.
"Well… when she's old enough I can give this to my sister. Can I mum?"
"Well, it's your case so if you don't like it you can do what you want- even flush it down the toilet if you so want to… No. Please don't, forget I said that. If you want to, then we'll keep it in a safe spot until she needs it and you can give it to her yourself."
Sawyer sent a teasing smile towards Will, who was now the only one who didn't know what to do with it. He had a sister but she'd already gotten hers so that wasn't an option. I could see when he took it and literally went to flush it down the toilet.
"Alyssa doesn't have a case like that. She's always losing her things, I lend her mine but it would be better if she had her own. Maybe… if you don't want that one…"
"Just give it to her." Will pushed it to the side and his sister. But looking down on him I saw the look on his face. He was already changing his mind. But whether it was from that he liked the pencil case or that he hated Alyssa I didn't know.
Silence fell around the table, but not in my mind. The children all went to play, and Sophie Rose went to a friend's house for the night while us adults were left by the table, someone put the dishes into the machine and Seth and Summer gathered all their boys to go home mentioning that they would have liked to stay but not with Summer's terrible case of morning sickness.
The twins came back about nine and had some yoghurt each. But I figured I could probably count the words I said that evening on one hand, and in my mind kept spinning the wondering about what I'd have to say on Monday- because I for sure had to say something.
"Ryan… Ryan…" At the point I was at the most far away in my wondering Taylor's voice reached through with my name. "Look at the kids."
I looked around in confusion for a second…
"They're just too close for you to see them. Look."
Not until Taylor said something I could see the two of them had fallen asleep when none of us had raised the subject about if we should get going home.
"There's the one who was so eager of playing the Wii when we came home?"
Sandy gave a short laugh together with me while we watched the two twins that had both fallen asleep by the table.
"First grade isn't easy you know." Sandy smirked when turning towards me. "There's one plus one, and three times three plus four and I'm already losing count. And how are you supposed to keep awake after all of that?"
I had to laugh, then stood up and lifted up Allison.
"I guess we're staying here tonight then."
"No, no way you are." Said Kirsten jokingly. "I want you out of my house. Go away.. You can't stay here because the kids can't sleep in those clothes and we don't have more than one guest room."
"Yeah we do." Sandy said jokingly back. "But the twins can use Soph's bedroom since she's not home anyway. And then you two can have the guest room nearest it. We keep spare pyjamas of all sizes here and that's problems gone."
I stuck my tongue out at Kirsten- I just had to.
What having kids could do to people and make them change…
"Do you remember how this all started?"
When I came into the kitchen again there was only Sandy and everything had been cleaned. I still had Alyssa and what Allison had said on my mind. But at least there was something first and I'd guess I could start there.
"What?"
"You and me?"
Sandy froze for a second, looked back on me, I was pretty sure that on the inside of his eyelids the story about how he was my public defender. How on earth I would have wondered if it had been someone else? If he hadn't given me his number, if someone else would have answered me yes when I stood by that payphone trying to reach one after the other, only to call him up at last.
What would have happened if Seth and Kirsten came to juvie to see me or if the guys hadn't started fighting me just then?
"I remember…" Sandy gave a small smile. "I do remember. But I hardly ever think about it. We're here today. And you might not share our last name, but you're a part of this family and so are Taylor and the twins."
"Would you do it all again?"
"One million times if I had to"
"How about a million and one?"
Sandy laughed and threw his napkin at me. I couldn't help but laugh too but laughter dies out and soon that lump in my stomach was back again.
"There's something about that Alyssa…" I said. "And it's not that she's got almost the same both first and last name as Allison. She told me earlier today that she thinks Alyssa is lying and might be abused and I believe her. I'm going to the school with her on Monday and see if there's anything at all I can do but… I just have the strangest feeling. And I do know as much as it's going to kill me if I can't help this girl… and this is going to be the hell of a long weekend." I yawned and stood up. "I might as well go to bed and spend the next eight hours or so gone to the world."
I could try and act as if it was nothing with that comment about eight hours. But I actually meant it somewhere within. Even though I wouldn't have admitted that for anything. It was a problem way too little.
"There was something about Will today." Taylor said as we stood in the guest room and got changed. "I know he was being rude and ungrateful and everything but that's just not like him, he's more sensitive than that. Perhaps there's something bothering him. Did he say anything to you?"
"Nope… But I bet he will if there's something we need to know. He takes after you, you know."
I and Taylor crawled into the bed on each side, but I couldn't sleep. I laid my head down towards the pillow and stared into the ceiling and felt like I'd be doing this all night- why wouldn't I?
"This new friend of Allison's- Alyssa really got to your mind didn't she?" I flinched, I'd thought Taylor was asleep already. Then I nodded slightly. "I could see that look in your eyes. You didn't stop thinking about her all evening, did you?"
"Nope."
I could just as well admit it. Even though it must have been strange Taylor would have figured the answer long before I told her.
"What I can't understand is how on earth I'm going to express myself on Monday morning. It would be a bit strange if I walked up to Mrs. Jackson and Oh yeah, I'm Allison Atwood's dad. She told me her new friend is abused and wondered if I could take her from it. Yeah, I didn't live under the best circumstances myself at her age and I really think I could help her." I stopped talking and sighed. Babbling like this was mostly Taylor's thing. "How on earth am I going to help a kid, just like that? I mean, even Allison only knew her since a few days."
"I don't believe you can…" I sighed, well I didn't believe it neither. "I know you can."
"What?"
"You can help a kid. I know you can. I mean, you have before. Look at Adam. You just came from work and there he was."
I turned my head slightly without lifting it, right next to me lied Taylor who turned in the same way so we were looking at each other.
"But Adam's parents weren't like that. They just worked day and night. And he kept forgetting his keys so he was always locked out alone."
"You still meant a great deal to him… There aren't many adult people who will see someone like Adam- or anyone else for that matter. And decide to just go and help them, even ask if they need help. And he's almost twenty now and you still see him at least once a week, he's dreaming of becoming an architect and you're his idol… You helped a kid."
"Adam was thirteen, Alyssa is six and still depending all on her guardians."
"You're just finding a reason after the other why you won't be able to help anyone. And I know you will. For every reason you have, I'll have more. You're the best Ryan and doing the hardest job of them all. You're raising two of your own. You're the best uncle Ryan for three, soon four more. And through her whole life you've been the greatest support for Sophie Rose. Whenever she's going through whatever and doesn't want to turn to Sandy or Kirsten she comes to you. And Kirsten mentioned today who's Soph asked to help her practice driving…"
"Practice driving isn't exactly the same."
"Agreed. But you're not seeing what I'm seeing here. But you've made such a difference for everyone in this house. For their whole lives. Yet I'm the only one who married you and the twins you're children… You've made more difference than what you could ever imagine even yourself."
"I've had much help."
"Yes. But it wouldn't have been anything there to do the changes. And there are people to help you this time too… and you still know where we are if you need us… Although I don't think your best thinking- time is Friday afternoon or midnight… You don't have to worry about this all weekend Ryan? Because you can make the difference when we get there- I know you can. And we all know you can."
You don't have to worry…
Easy for her to say!
"I love you. Try not to worry so much… goodnight."
"Love you too." I mumbled. "Night."
For more than two hours I just sat there and watched clock hanging on the wall. Everything that had happened earlier, everything that had led up to this point to where Taylor had said what she'd just said.
I had made must changes as she said…
Maybe I could make a difference for Allison Atwood and Alyssa Greenwood too…
With that, after the clock had since long passed three a. m. I lied down, turned on my other side…
…and then only laid there until Taylor got up.
There wasn't much sleeping done that weekend. On the Saturday I finally fell asleep in front of the TV for a couple of hours. Then at night I fell asleep but was awake within minutes, and the night until Monday I only laid and counted down the minutes.
"Daddy?" With Allison's hand in mine we walked straight up to the teacher's lounge on Monday morning. "…All the teachers coming out… all students who are whispering… why are they all so sad?"
I couldn't help but look around me and saw that Allison was right. People were crying and the school didn't have the usual noise and excitement as an elementary school would have. Something was up and badly.
Next to me on one side Allison was holding one pencil case in each hand. Proud of her own and waiting to give the other one to her best friend.
"This can't be good." Will mumbled on my other side. "I… Something's wrong. Definitely wrong. And it's not just someone fighting or parents getting divorced."
"Mrs. Jackson." Allison called out for her class teacher, who had tears streaming down her cheeks and a napkin in her hand. "Where's Alyssa? Have you seen her? I really need to give her this? It was a gift from my nana and papa but Will didn't like it… And… why are everyone so sad?"
Mrs. Jackson sniveled and with a nod looked at me. I reached out my hand and shook hers.
"Laura Jackson. I'm the twins' teacher in English… and cooking on Fridays."
"Ryan Atwood. The dad if these two trouble makers." I laid one hand on Will's shoulder- when walking through the hallway he had at first not have wanted to be seen with me. Now he didn't take a step away from me and looked anxiously up at Mrs. Jackson while he slipped his little hand into my big one while Mrs. Jackson kneeled.
"I can't bear to say it more than once… so it would be good if your dad can stay with you through what happens next." She looked hesitantly at me and I nodded. "Now come on. ALL FIRST GRADERS AFTER ME PLEASE."
The hallway wasn't anywhere near as loud as I had thought it would be, there was a tension over the air. I could only guess someone had known what was going on. And I had a way too bad feeling of it, and it wasn't made any better when Mrs. Jackson put a framed photo of a dark- haired girl I'd never seen before and a candle that she lit on the desk.
"That's Alyssa on the photo, daddy."
Allison, who didn't know what a candle meant in these sorts of times still smiled widely. Even though not so much when I sat down on the chair next to her.
"No daddy, that's Alyssa's spot. Here, you can sit on my desk."
Without a noise I stood up and then did as I was told. Right in front of me Mrs. Jackson was wiping her tears away and then drew a deep, shaky breath before she could speak.
"Is Alyssa ill? Is that why there's a photo of her there, so she'll learn from today's classes still."
"No dear… Alyssa isn't ill… I know she wasn't a friend of many's. But you do know still that last week Alyssa Greenwood came into our class…" Mrs. Jackson had to clear her throat. "She tried to hide some things. Bruises and cuts and told me about dog bites and falling on the stairs… I thought she might be lying but I decided to wait for a bit before I did anything… and as it turns out… Alyssa lived with her parents… and her parents and her uncle very ver… very mean people. Almost every day they would do something to hurt her. And.. I do- don't kno- ow why. But th- this Saturday they took it very much too far. I don't know more than you do right now but ma- maybe we will know more. Ri- right now I just know that…"
Mrs. Jackson's strong but shaky voice had turned into almost a whisper.
"…Alyssa went into the hospital." She suddenly said, steadier than before. "But they couldn't do anything. And Alyssa died on Saturday night."
Silence fell through the classroom. Ear crushing noise through the whole school, this whole world.
"I need to give her this." Allison held up the pencil case. "When will she be back so I can give it to her?"
"She won't be back." Some boy near the back almost shouted. "Don't you get what it means to be dead?"
"Sure I know. My hamster died, we put him in a shoebox and buried him in the garden. And I was really sad. But Alyssa isn't dead…" her voice silent while she pleadingly looked up on me. "Daddy? You know that she's not dead? You know everything!"
I had to swallow the lump in my throat, still my breath was too shaky for me to speak. And while I felt tears rise in my own eyes I could do nothing but see back on my daughter.
"I'm sorry darling… Alyssa isn't coming to school anymore."
"If there's anyone who needs anything at all." Mrs. Jackson said while I took Allison's shaky hand and rubbed it with my thumb. "To talk to an adult, to go home or anything at all… We're all ready for you… We don't know where the funeral will be. But when it is then everyone who wants to go to it can. Yes, William?"
"Will Alyssa's parents and uncle come to hurt us next?"
"No dear… They're in prison and it will be a long, long time before they get out. You lot will be adults before they are… And Alyssa…"
"I need to give her, her pencil case."
Allison's voice was weak and shaking- she understood what was happening but it just wouldn't reach through. And right now that pencil case was mattered.
"Don't you get it?" The same boy as before asked. "Alyssa. Isn't. coming. Back. She'll never get that stupid case."
"But… but…"
That was the last straw for Allison's. For her having known Alyssa more than most I was happy I was at least there with her when she started crying loudly, and wrapped her in my arms for her tears to stream down into my shirt.
And for my tears to drip into her hair for that matter…
"No daddy, daddy." Allison whimpered. "It can't be right. Parents don't do that to their children…" She hic- upped and coughed so she lost her breath. "…Why do they do that? Why did it happen to Alyssa? Why did she lie and didn't tell anyone about it?"
I wrapped my arms even tighter around her than I would have ever known would be possible without hurting her. Allison's small fists hit towards my back when she needed her feelings out and I realized I hadn't said anything.
"Sch, sch, sch." I tried while I rubbed her back and stroke her hair. "Just breathe honey. It's okay. It's okay."
"No it's not."
No it's not.
It was most definitely not okay.
"why are you here today Mr. Atwood? You're not supposed to be here."
The boy near the back sure did have a way with raising his voice. Anyone else would see I sort of had my hands full at the moment.
How was I supposed to tell all of these people that I'd waited for just a couple of days too long? How was I supposed to say them that everyone were too late?
Allison still cried, she probably would for quite some time and I wasn't going to stop her. It was quietly now, but her face was still buried in the shoulder of my blazer, and she still hic- upped and coughed several times a minute so badly I thought it would make her throw up.
"Maybe." I stood up from where I sat on her desk. "Maybe we should go home." Mrs. Jackson gave a nod and I gazed over the desk and the photo and the candle there. "Maybe… Do you maybe have another photo for us to have?"
"Yes, yes of course." Mrs. Jackson got up. "We shot one last week."
She hurried out the door to the classroom and I continued after her.
"Will?" I turned back for just a second. "Do you want to go home or do you want to stay?" He hesitated for a second and turned to his desk. "You can choose."
"Stay."
He almost whispered, but he had a weird tone in his voice and I doubted he was actually wanting to stay here rather than coming home.
"Well." I took the envelope Mrs. Jackson reached me when she came back. "You have my number. My wife is at home and trying to write a book, but you can call my job number. I'll make sure we're not disturbed. And you've got my cellphone number… is that all you need?"
"Yes." Mrs. Jackson stroke her hand over Allison's hair. "Don't come back until you feel better, okay?"
"I'm never gonna feel better."
Mrs. Jackson gave me a sad smile and a pat on my shoulder when I, with my daughter clinging on tight went out to the car and my heart was breaking when I had to let go of her even when she reached out and tried to put her arms back around my neck.
"You can't keep it like that while I'm driving Ally. And you know you can't sit in the front seat."
Without protests she crawled into the back seat when I got into the front seat and threw my blazer into the shotgun seat unbuttoning the top button on my shirt- how were they choking me all of a sudden.
"WAIT."
I was just starting to hit the gas pedal when I heard a shout, through the doors Will came running and almost flew down the stairs with one backpack on his shoulder and another one in his hand before he threw himself into the back seat on the other side as Allison.
"You forgot this."
When it was clear Will wasn't going back into the school I steered out of the parking lot and the streets.
My office was only a few blocks away, the kids would normally have protested. But in the building I wrote a note and put on the door.
Might under NO circumstances be disturbed.
"Allison." Will said, and I heard there was a shiver in his voice while I sat down in my chair and pulled Allison up on my lap. I reached for Will too but he shook his head and he wiped a tear from his eye. "Can I still have that pencil case now?"
"NO." Allison yelled. "No. It's Alyssa's."
"I know." Will said and started explaining. "But I can say I borrowed it from her. And then when they ask who Alyssa is I could tell them. And I could tell them how important it is to do something and tell an adult about it."
In the mirror I could see Allison clutching both of the pencil cases tight, it wasn't only a case to her. But before anything else she took the case and reached it to her brother.
"Promise you'll take good care of it…" She almost whispered and then looked up at me again. "Daddy? Why couldn't Alyssa's parents take care of her like you take care of us? You can even be at work and do it and Will can take the pencil case… so why couldn't they?"
Allison leaned back against my chest, inside of dear my heart was beating proud only for the way Will and Allison were about that case. But for several moments I didn't know what to answer. How could I ever.
If it was so easy to spend their time at a note on the door or a pencil case then why couldn't some parents take care of the most precious they had.
"I don't know Ally." I said and couldn't help but feeling tears rise in my own eyes. "I really don't know."
"But you have to tell me why."
Saying it again if someone forgot, Adam is what I call the guy that was in the very last minute of the series. And this story is based on the song Alyssa lies by Jason Michael Carroll.
I didn't mean to make Allison so girly and Will such a brat as they ended up. I might write them more.
Random fact (I always leave these at the end of a chapter=
The dinner might seem random and everything. But in the song there's a prayer and I didn't want to bring religion into this fic.
The mention of Silas' glasses might have come from that only earlier during the day when I wrote it I picked up some new glasses of mine.
I'm probably going to write at least one or two oneshots where the twins take part. I'd like to come up with some way to make them songfics. But it will all be oneshots, I can send messages if there's someone who wants. Otherwise you'll just have to keep a lookout.
"Hands out tissues to anyone who needs it"