She was told he was not to step foot in this house'
'We were lucky he was here, if she had collapsed when she was here on her own...'
'She never went against us before. He's changing her!'
'Darling, she's growing up'
'You heard Mr.Quinn, Travis is a well known trouble maker, he fights all the time, that bullshit he told Taylor about his dad and she's so naive she believed it rather than beliving he's a bully that uses his fists instead of his brain...'
'Come on you don't know that he made that up'
'Mr.Quinn said he had been in at least two fights he could think of this week alone and he threatened him... a teacher! He is no good, he is not to step foot in this house again do you hear me?!'
'He was here checking on Taylor, she shouldn't have been here alone after what happened'
'That was her again, Begging Mr. Quinn to bring her home, begging not to be taken to the nurses office and why do you think that was, hu? I bet she had plans to meet that boy here and why? What were they planning on getting up to in an empty house? That's it, I'm putting my foot down, Travis Kelce is banned from this house and banned from going anywhere near my daughter!!!'
********************
I lie back in my bed and pull the blankets up to my chin.
My mom and dad have been going at it like this ever since they returned from the school. Mr. Quinn has apparently wrapped my father around his finger, convincing him that Travis is indeed the devil while I somehow am responsible for every move he made yesterday.
Carrying me to his classroom instead of the nurses office because I said I couldn't walk... I didn't.
Taking me home instead of the nurses office because I begged him I was fine and just wanted to go home... I didn't!
Yet somehow in amongst all of the lies and confusion my father has decided I was purposely trying to sneak home to spend time with Travis... I wasn't.
Everything is such a mess I can't even think straight and my head is still pounding as a result of my concussion.
My mother keeps bringing me soup but my stomach is in so many knots I couldn't eat it even if I wanted to which I most definitely do not.
I miss my friends.
I miss the life I had just a few weeks ago
More tears trickle down my cheeks and I turn onto my side, pulling my pink, elephant into my chest and sobbing gently against the fluff.
"Baby..." my mother's voice is gentle as the bed shifts beneath her weight "Taylor..." she strokes my hair and then kisses my head. "I'm sorry you had to hear that"
"It's fine" I sniff and she begins plaiting my hair
"Mr. Quinn seems nice"
I just nod
"unfortunately he confirmed all of your fathers fears about Travis"
I nod again
"You aren't to see him again honey okay? I mean I know you will see him around school but you don't talk to him or spend time with him. Mr.Quinn assures your father that he will keep an eye on you both"
I just nod again, Mr. Quinn, Mr. Quinn, Mr. Quinn I don't even have any classes with him and he's already become my least liked teacher.
"Taylor we are worried about you, you aren't your normal, happy, bouncy self"
"I'm sick" I lie and then pull away from my mother who is still plaiting my hair "I want to go to sleep"
"How's your head? Still sore?" I nod again and then close my eyes and hope my mom will take the hint. It takes her a moment or two but then she kisses my head and silently leaves the room, pulling the door shut behind her.
Reaching for my phone I look at the screen, two notifications
1 new follower on Instagram. Irish Davy. I click on the account, the profile picture is just a shamrock ☘️ and I groan when I see its Dave Quinn that has followed me. His account is photo after photo of him topless.
Topless lifting weights
Topless petting his dog
Topless wearing a huge hat shaped like a pint of Guinness
Topless leaning against his car with a pint of Guinness in his hand.
I sigh and then close Instagram making sure not to follow him back and then check my second notification and my heart stops and then begins to pound manically when I see I have one message and it's from Travis
T: Tay, we need to talk
Tay...
I slam my phone down on the bedside table.
Why won't Travis leave me alone?
Hasn't he humiliated me enough??
Why doesn't he just take the win and then move on to the next girl whose life he wants to destroy ??
And Mr. Quinn... what does he want with me???
I pull the blanket over my head and hope that when I wake up this will all turn out to be a really, really bad nightmare
