Chapter Two: If It Was Up To Me
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the characters Lawson, Sasha, Holly, and Robbie.
Even when the game ended and Degrassi declared the winner by 34 to 28, Gavin still couldn't shake the bitterness and chill that running into Dean Walters gave him. It may have been over a decade since they last met and since Dean had done everything that he had done but, nothing had changed in Gavin's mind. Some things are unforgivable; some committed things are too heinous to give any kind solace to.
He strolled the parking lot cautiously, paying close attention to everyone and every single vehicle. Families were hugging by the school doors, teenage lovers kissing against parked cars, friends wrapping one another in hugs and handing out high fives freely but, Gavin walked like a black cloud of gloom, dragging his feet on the pavement.
Standing
underneath the moon's light directly, Holly stood alone, a little
smile that had been glossed over sitting pretty on her face and her
hair tucked cutely behind her ears as she playfully slapped Lawson
Walters in the chest, playfully. They both looked to be laughing and
enjoying one another.
The closer Gavin got to Lawson, the more he
saw similarities between himself and his father. They both were tall
well built guys, towering over most other people. They both had dark
features and smiles that loudly screamed "wicked".
Gavin couldn't understand how he missed the connection to begin with. He knew Dean's last name was Walters but, he figured it was a pretty popular last name.
"Holly, let's go!" He didn't even look over when he yelled out for her. He just shoved his car keys into the lock and waited by the passenger seat door for her.
"Hold on!" She screamed back and then returned to what she was laughing about with Lawson.
"Now!" He yelled, acknowledging the strange looks he was getting from mothers walking by since he sounded exactly as angry as he was.
"Dad, I'm going to hang out with Lawson for a bit, is that okay?" She stepped away from Lawson and asked her dad with two cars parked between the two of them.
"No. I've got to drive you to your mother's."
"Well, I can just call her or Robbie for a ride later." She shrugged. She didn't see any sort of problem.
"No. Come on, Holly." He slid his eyes away from her and pulled open her door harshly. He almost ripped it right off.
"Dad, why not?" She checked behind her to make sure Lawson couldn't hear her whining.
"Because I said so."
"Oh, you're as bad as mom!" She huffed. Gavin never thought she'd take that as a compliment. "I have to go, sorry!" Holly spun around and waved at Lawson who was standing with his dad and two of his Bardell team mates.
"Really?" One of the guys next to Lawson called back.
"Yeah, my dad's being a tool." She made a silly face and then waved goodbye to them.
"Thanks." Spinner grunted as he held the car door open for her to slide in. As soon as she had her seatbelt locked over her, he slammed the door and climbed into the passenger seat.
"Dad! This totally blows." She scoffed and changed the radio station from Gavin's favorite classic rock radio station to a top 40 one, as soon as he had turned the car on.
"I know. That's just life for you." He avoided making any eye contact with her because he knew her eyes were just like her mother's and would seep into him until he felt so guilty he'd buy her a pony. Plus, he was distracted by watching Dean through his rear view mirror.
"What did you think was going to happen?"
"What?"
"With Lawson and I? Did you think we were going to do something bad?"
"You're fifteen, Holly, Geez. Why are you in a rush to have a boyfriend? Let me tell you, they're nothing like they look like on TV."
"I'm not stupid, Dad. I know that. I just like this guy and you're being one of those dads."
"What kind of Dad is that?"
"One of those ones. The overbearing and annoying kind."
"Well, thanks to me being overbearing and annoying you're going to stay celibate and unharmed."
"Ew, Dad!"
Neither Holly or Gavin could believe they were having this argument.
"Alright, let's go!" Robbie slid into the backseat, changed out of his basketball uniform with his gym bag thrown next to him. He was on top of the world, he'd scored more than half of the points in the winning game and he'd helped the Panther's get a step closer to a championship.
"Holly, I want you to promise me you won't talk to Lawson Walters again."
"What?!" She screamed, turning the radio down entirely, which was the only good thing out of the whole argument. "Why? No way! That's unfair!"
"Tough."
"Should I walk home?" Robbie struggled to get a word in.
Gavin carved the corner of the parking lot so sharply, he nearly ran over two small children. He couldn't concentrate when he was angry or fighting with someone and the fact that Dean Walter's SUV was in front of him only made it more of a struggle.
"Look, I know what guys like Lawson Walters are looking for. Trust me, you're not interested."
"Dad, you're being ridiculous!"
"Yeah but, I'm still the Dad, so I win."
"Dad -"
"This conversation is over."
Once more, Holly slouched down in the front seat and turned the pop song up loudly before crossing her chest with her arms and pouting. It was a twenty minute drive from Degrassi to the Mason kid's mom's house, twenty seven minutes with traffic but, the whole way there Holly kept her lips curled in a pout and nobody said a word.
"You know, your face will stay that way." Gavin slid out of the driver's seat and watched his young daughter stomp all the way to her doorstep.
"See you, Dad." Robbie chuckled and pat his Dad on the back.
"Yeah, good game, son." He pat him right back before Robbie wandered away from the car with his gym bag hanging off his shoulder.
"Gavin! Gavin!" Right as he was climbing back behind the wheel, the frantic call of his soon-to-be ex wife chased after him. He crawled back out and closed the door behind him. He figured this might take some time. "Explain to me why I've got a screaming hysterical fifteen year old girl in my kitchen." Sasha planted her hands firmly on her hips that jetted out left.
"I guess those drama classes she's enrolled in are really paying off." He leaned against his car and said.
"What happened?" She dipped her head down and made sure her eyes were digging right through his.
"I told her she couldn't see a boy." He rolled his whole head back and sighed, holding his head with his two hands.
"Gavin." Sasha shook her head from side to side and exhaled deeply.
"Sasha, you don't know this kid. Can you just back me up on this one, please?"
"She's a fifteen year old girl with a crush. You can't just prevent those kind of things."
"Watch me." Gavin told Sasha very defiantly.
"Is this that boy…Lawson…Lawson…Waters?" Sasha tried to recall the tall boy that had come over for pizza once and watched a movie with her and Holly in the living room.
"Walters."
"Yes, I've met him, he seemed really pleasant."
"He was over here?"
"Once. We were having a pizza night and she asked if she could invite a friend over."
"He was in my house eating pizza?"
"Uh oh, should I have ordered KFC?" Sasha laughed.
"Sasha, can you, please, take this seriously? I know this kid, he's bad news."
"How so?" She went back to holding her pelvis and standing in her toughest pose.
"He's never treated girls right."
"Details, please. And how do you know this? Have you been partying with teenage boys, Gavin?"
"Damnit, Sash! Take this seriously."
"I'm trying but, everything you've said is not a good enough reason for us to banish our daughter from this boy."
"Just be on my side, Sasha, please."
She tugged at her pony tail and cracked her neck while thinking very deeply. Sasha didn't know what she thought of this situation.
"I'll talk to her, okay?"
"Good enough." Gavin didn't like that Sasha didn't just jump on his team and back him up but, for now, that was going to have to suffice. He opened up his car door and climbed in again.
"Hey, Robbie's taking my car to school tomorrow but, he has to stay late for some project. Could you pick up Sasha?"
"At three thirty?"
"Yeah. I know you work at four but, I can come by the hotel and pick her up."
"Sure, that's fine."
"Great. See you."
If It Was Up To Me - Stabilo.
Okay, a very boring chapter but, I have big plans for chapter three. Please, read and review. I love all your comments.