Explanations
by: Missah J
"It's a long story," was the first thing that Thornton said to his three children. All three of them looked between each other, and back at their father. "It's a long story, and I'm not sure the three of you would understand."
All three of them were now sixteen years old, and Thornton should have known better than to have allowed them to come into Wolff Manor. Melanie, Ari and Theodore—he hadn't seen Melanie or Ari properly for years, but he knew why they had suddenly decided to all come knocking on his front door.
They wanted an explanation.
They wanted to know why their mother's had been receiving sizable checks in the mail each month, and they wanted to know why their father had decided to never be in their lives. They wanted answers.
"We have time to listen," Ari said suddenly, as Melanie and Theodore nodded in agreement.
Thornton rubbed his temples, and sat down in a chair opposite his three children. "It may take a while."
"We're just asking for an explanation," Melanie chimed in. "We're your children. You owe us that."
"We might even tell you a bit about ourselves," Ari interjected. Thornton sighed.
"Fine."
Thornton was sixteen when he met Morganna Davies. She was new, her parents both worked at Sacred Spleen Hospital and they owned a small bungalow near the center of town.
"Her parents don't have any money," Nick said to him. "They may work at the hospital, but they just clean bed pans or something like that, my father told me."
Thornton glared at Nick from his spot on the steps. The Altos were a relatively new family in town, and were seizing property faster than the Landgrabbs had during the past few years. "What makes you think I have any interest in her?"
"You were staring at her just now when she passed you on the stairs."
"So?" Before Nick had a chance to answer the question, the bell rang, signaling the start of first period.
It seemed as though as soon as he had stepped through the door, he saw her everywhere. She was in his first period French class, his second period Algebra class, his third period Economics class, and by the time that he saw her in his fourth period English class, he was beginning to question whether or not she had bribed the office into giving her the exact same schedule as him.
"I'm Morganna." Oh great, she was sitting in the seat next to him that had been empty for six months. Wonderful."
"Thornton."
"Your father is the Chairman of the Board at Doo Peas Towers."
"And?"
She paused for a moment, taken aback. "Sorry, you must get that a lot."
"I do."
"I just moved here, I was wondering if maybe you could show me around town? If it isn't too much trouble."
Hours later Thornton was trying to figure out what had made him say yes.