I feel like i've lost years i haven't lived-September

In Trouble, Again?

When they got home everyone shuffled out of the car and inside. Carson tried to go into her room to avoid talking to Phil, but the man sternly said her name when she starting walking up the stairs. Which successfully stopped her. Instead the girl just dropped her school bag by the door and stared at the floor, waiting for whatever was going to happen to her.

"Lets go to my room Carson."

She froze for a second before nodding her head and following Phil. The man not even realizing what Carson thought was happening.

Once they were in his room Carson quickly took her shoes and jacket off, waiting until she was told.. or forced to take off more.

She stood by the door timidly while Phil sat down at his desk and looked at her.

"Sit down."

Carson nodded her head and sat down on the floor, still not looking up.

"What happened in there Carson? Why are your hands all bloody?"

He wasn't wrong there. Carsons hands were bruised and bloody, they may have even been broken. Not that Carson could tell, she'd had too many broken bones to count and was never allowed to complain.

Phil waited patiently for Carson to respond. But when she didn't he got a bit more upset.

"Carson. What happened?"

He was getting more frustrated with her not answering.

"Carson!"

Phil shouted, causing Carson to flinch back and hit the closed door.

"Sorry sir."

She spoke quietly with something more then just fear in her voice, something the man once again couldn't identify.

As soon as this happened Phil understood what was going on in the girls head. Why she had taken off her shoes and her jacket, why she wasn't speaking. It all started to make sense to him. God he had been so blinded by anger about the situation that he hadn't realized how much this must've scared the poor girl.

"Carson, i- i'm sorry hunny."

He went to put his hand on her shoulder, she didn't protest but the slight flinch told him everything he needed to know.

"Carson look at me please."

The girl hesitantly looked up at the man

"Why don't we go in the living room okay? Or outside? Where would you feel comfortable darling?"

Out of instinct he said his room, where he takes the boys to talk when they're in trouble, for privacy. He had been doing it since his kids were little. Whenever the three got in trouble he would talk to them separately in his room, it didn't have the same distractions as their rooms so it was easier for them to focus on the situation and talk. He hadn't even though of the implications for Carson.

The girl stuttered to reply, wanting out of this room as quickly as possible

"Uh.. um- Livin- living room?"

Phil nodded his head

"Okay lets go."

Carson stood and moved out of the way, waiting for Phil to open the door. She waited until it was opened to grab her stuff and, close to run, out the bedroom.

The man felt awful that he had put her through that. The terrified look in her eyes, the obvious panic. He had equated it to because she was in trouble, having seen the look in all his kids eyes at one point. Normally when they knew they had fucked up. He wasn't even that upset about the fight, if what Tommy said was true she was defending him. The boy had always had a problem sticking up for himself and Wilbur and Techno were never around to do it. When Tommy told them something happened they would go after whoever did it, but often times Tommy wouldn't tell them if anything was said or did to him.