Our Hill Of Stars

Chapter 30 : Shiner

That night we are met with a large surprise. Everyone is gathered in the Dam for supper when two people barge in, rudely interrupting us.

"What the hell is this?" My dad shouts, standing up to face the newcomers.

My blood runs cold when I see who it is.

Steven Davis and his asshole son, Malik. Or at least I assume it's Malik... his face is so beat up I can barely recognize him.

What. The. Fuck.

I look over at my boys, glancing at their knuckles, still bruised. The moment they realize who it is, they stand up abruptly, coming to stand beside me. Taking a deep breath, I stand up as well. Evelyn and Charlotte follow, along with my mom.

We walk forward to stand behind my dad, confronting the pair.

"Get off my property." My dad scowls, pointing is finger. His face is red with barely checked anger.

"Fuck you. Look what your boys did to my son." Steven Davis shouts angrily, gesturing to Malik, standing behind him.

"Do you even know what your sorry excuse for a son did to my daughter?" Dad sneers at the two in front of him.

"What are you even talking about? Your boys attacked Malik unprovoked." Steven looks slightly confused.

My dad reaches back, grabbing my arm. He tugs me forward, out from behind everyone. Steven's eyes widen at the sight of my banged up face. Malik shrinks back further behind his dad. Fucking coward. He should be facing what he did to me, not running. But I honestly I can barely think of him anymore - I've put him out of my mind. At least, until this moment.

"Does this," my dad points to my very obvious black eye, "look unprovoked to you, Steven?"

It takes a second for Davis Sr. to answer. His mouth opens then snaps shut a couple times as his eyes all but cross while he's thinking. Poor baby probably hasn't had to think this hard in years.

"What happened?" Steven finally regains what little composure he has left to address me.

I clear my throat and tell him exactly what happened. "Your son attacked me just outside your office. I had just dropped off a letter and was on my merry way back to my car." I bite out.

"You must have said something to provoke him." Steven insists desperately, looking back and forth between me and Malik.

"If saying "fuck off" to a stupid drunk boy is considered provoking him, he must have a very minuscule ego." I say bitterly, resisting the urge to touch my face where my skin has turned a dark purple and black.

Oops. I just swore in front of my parents.

I mentally shrug, that is the last thing I should be thinking about at the moment.

"Is this true, Malik?" Steven turns to his son.

"No. I never did such a thing." He denies and I see red.

What the fuck does he mean? He was the one who hit me. He was the one who did it to me the first time.

Words can barely make it too my lips.

Lucky for me, I have a group of pretty spectacular people on my side.

"You lying bastard!" Evelyn screeches from beside me, lunging forward.

Archer grabs her from behind, stopping her from ripping out Malik's eyes. He places a quick kiss on her cheek and she calms down - slightly.

"I ask you this, Steven, if that never happened, how did my daughter get her black eye? Why else would my boys go out of their way to beat the shit out of your son?" My dad scowls at the pair.