Chapter Three: If You Could Only See
DISCLAIMERL I don't own Degrassi. I only own the characters Lawson and Holly in this chapter.
Harmonizing with Tom Petty and using the steering wheel as a makeshift drum, Gavin drove along the streets happily. The weather was comfortable, he had slept in, he got to the gym in the morning, finished paying his taxes and now, he was going to get some quality time with his only daughter. Today was going to be day, he had convinced himself.
Expecting his daughter to be waiting patiently with her book bag on her back, Gavin pulled into the loop in front of his old high school. He didn't panic when she wasn't sitting there waiting. She could be talking to a teacher or waiting inside. Maybe, she was with some friends. He wanted to get out the car but, Holly had ripped a strip into him last time he got out of the car at her school. That was strictly prohibited since it violated all that is cool in high school.
However, as soon as he noticed in his rear view mirror his daughter sitting on a bike rack next to the same boy he had told her very defiantly never to talk to, that rule went straight to hell. He whipped off his seatbelt and shot out of his car seat.
"Holly Mason." He stood his ground behind her and crossed his arms over his toned chest while waiting for both her and Lawson to turn around and notice him.
"Dad?" She knew she was busted, she couldn't even argue with him.
"I better go." Lawson slid off the bike rack and straddled the bike he had taken to come and visit Holly at school. Holly had mentioned to Lawson on the phone the night before that her dad wasn't cool with her seeing guys. She had used her own words and said "My dad's crazy. He thinks all guys are bad news bears. Ugh!"
"There's an idea." Gavin snickered.
"I'll call you later." Lawson had to swallow the lump in his throat before mumbling in Holly's direction.
"No, you won't." Gavin said before Holly could even try and smile.
"Bye." And with that last syllable, Lawson peddled faster than he knew he could.
Gavin waited with Holly, just to glare a little deeper into her and then turned around to get back in his car. Within half a second, his fabulous day had been spoiled.
"I'm so embarrassed! I can't believe you!" Holly started the dramatics and shouted. She reluctantly climbed into the back seat of her dad's car, trying to stay as far away from him as she could. "He's never going to want to see me again."
"Then, I did you a favor." Gavin said very sincerely before backing out of the loop.
"Ugh! Don't talk to me." She finally muttered and then shut her mouth to keep to herself the whole way to the hotel where she said to wait for her mom to pick her up.
Mason sat at his desk and indulged himself with his work to keep his mind off his disobedient daughter and the current situation with the Walters. Quietly, Holly sat on the other side of the desk and took out her iPod to groove to and tune out her father.
"Holly," He finally broke the silence and huffed. She waited before putting in her headphones. She expected her dad to apologize. "I don't mean to come off as a complete jerk. I really don't but, I don't like that kid. I know his dad and I know guys like him."
"But, you don't know him." She pointed out the obvious that Gavin hadn't actually thought of.
"Look, his dad back in the day, he…" Gavin knew Paige's story wasn't his to tell as much as he wanted to teach his daughter a lesson and make his point. "He did a lot of bad things, horrible things…"
"I've met his dad. He seems nice."
"When have you met him?"
"Just at basketball games and they live on Mona's street, so I see him when I'm there."
"You've talked to him before?"
"Yeah, a little. He says he knows you."
"Okay, new rule," Gavin sat back in his chair and swallowed the new truth. "Not only can you never see or talk to that Lawson kid again. If you even see Dean Walters in the distance, I want you to run like there's no tomorrow in the opposite direction."
"Why?"
"Because I'm telling you to."
"That's not actually a reason."
"Holly, do not fight with me."
"I'm going to wait for mom in the lobby. You're impossible, just like mom says." She scoffed and plugged her headphones into her ears.
Gavin watched her daughter sling her book bag over her back and leave his office. As soon as the door was fully closed, he pulled out the phone book from above his desk and looked for the name of somebody he had always regretted losing contact with.
If You Could Only See - Tonic
A short chapter but, I'll have more for you guys tomorrow most likely. Let me know what you guys think so far! If you've got any comments or suggestions, tell me.
- Chellie.