It's not fair.
"Just who were you trying to impress? Your friends? Classmates?"
It's not fair.
"Christ, I expected this behavior when you were three or four but now you're in the double digits."
It's not fair!
"You can't go around punching people just because they upset you, that's not how the world works."
"He started it!" The little girl's face was blistering red with rage by the time she finally piped up and talked back. "You don't know! You weren't there!" She felt helpless as her father grilled her with questions and scolded her. There's nothing she can do or say to convince him, and this just upsets her more. She balls up her hands and tightens her arms, hugging herself with her arms crossed over her chest.
The little girl wanted to cry, but after being called a crybaby all her life, she forced herself to suck it up.
"I don't care who started it," her father began, "You're old enough now to know that hitting someone is wrong. That's not how problems are solved." James went on, as if he understood the nature of man. The hardest part about being a father is the lessons taught. There is no right way to parent a child, just a lot of wrong ways. It's times like these that he truly misses Catherine. Somehow, he believes that she'd know the right thing to say to make everything better.
Staring at the cross little child, the last bit of Catherine he had, he finds himself squinting. The staring makes Zoey squeamish. It's at this particular moment he can see a glimpse of her... Catherine did the same thing with her eyebrows that Zoey's doing now. Even the little crease between the two hairlines is the same.
Good God, now he feels bad.
"I'm sure he didn't mean it, sweetheart." James extends his hand and gently smooths the quirky-kinky mess of fiery hair, as if it could be tamed. The waves are awkward and seem to be a source of self-consciousness for her. The unkempt hair will be the bane of her existence for years to come. "He was probably just pining for your attention." Then he set off the little firecracker.
"He was not!" She pushed the big hand away, her cheeks glowing with ager again. "He sat behind me just so he could pull my hair and make me cry!" James knew how serious it this matter was to Zoey, but truly he couldn't maintain the stern face. His lips twisted and then his grin broke out, a wide smile coming out despite his attempts to hide it.
"Hahaha," his laughter made her face contort and her eyes well up with hot water. "No, sweetheart, I'm sorry." He tried to get it under control, but truthfully he found the situation adorable. "Butch likes you, very much. He just doesn't know how to show it, so he picks on you." This didn't give his little ray of sunshine any comfort. She was about to lose her mind over the very suggestion.
"GROSS!" She squirmed and carefully climbed down off the stool that James set her on for the lectures. "No! No, he hates me! And I hate him!" Well, Zoey had her mind made up. Maybe there's little he can do to convince her otherwise, but then again he isn't sure he wants to change her mind. Butch DeLoria is a troublemaker who comes from a bad family background. Hell, Ms. DeLoria was very adamant about getting a "tour" of James facilities when he arrived here to practice as a doctor. That woman is a mess and a lush. No doubt Butch will grow up to be the same, poor kid.
"I wish he'd die!" Suddenly James snapped to attention and frowned. Zoey immediately stop after she caught the disapproval in her father's eyes, suddenly feeling her skin grow hot with embarrassment and shame. Funny how a simple look from someone can have that effect. "Nnh, no. I'm... I'm sorry." She feared getting a spanking, so she quickly shaped up and started wiping her eyes. It's been years since she got bent over a knee, but she'll never forget that oh no feeling of dread at the simple mention or thought of such punishment.
When her father got down on a knee and held on to Zoey's shoulders, she sucked the snot back into her nose and went tense. She wasn't going to receive any punishment, but James was really trying to fix this so he wouldn't get threatened by the Overseer again.
"Please, darling... Don't ever hit him, or anyone, ever again." The look he gave her tugged on her little heartstrings. "You have to promise me you'll never, ever do something like that ever again. You're going to be around these people for the rest of your natural born life," God, he hopes so, "and you're only going to make it harder for yourself if you hurt someone." Maybe she wouldn't understand, but if she can keep the promise, she'll realize the importance of it when she's older.
"Okay, dad..." After she muttered that, her eyes looked away to the left. For some reason, this made James feel ill, and so he tried to meet her gaze.
"You promise?" The girl almost squirmed as she looked him in the eyes and finally surrendered.
"I promise."