Sunbeam

43) Lectures

"That was quick," Tess scoffs, "how many times do I have to tell you, this is never how I want you to handle a situation."

"Calm down; it's just a couple of scratches, I didn't kill him," Kezia shrugs.

"You didn't?" Bea says.

"No," Kezia responds.

"You're finally getting it?" Tess asks.

"Nope," Kez shakes her head, "thought I'd let Tommy  have the pleasure of dealing with him."

"He could just get on a train and leave tonight, you don't know who he is," Bea states.

"Dawson Cooper from Newcastle, he's here for the weekend, had a little talk," Kezia replies.

"You are exasperating," Tess glares up at Kez.

"I'm not going to apologise for what I did to him," Kezia says, "he shouldn't have done that, plain and simple. Play stupid fucking games, win stupid fucking prizes. It's the consequences of his own actions."

"You drive me fucking insane," Tess states, "what you did is not okay, Kez. And what Tommy will do to him is not okay either."

"It's not just you he tried to touch," Kez says, "I let it go once. I was not going to leave it be the second time. He got a warning, this is technically progress."

"Will you stop with the technicalities?" Tess groans, "it didn't make you getting shot any better and it's not making this any better."

"I'm sorry I've upset you, but I will not apologise for hitting him, he deserved it. Tess, him grabbing you is not fucking okay. Him trying to grab Esmé is not fucking okay. And him saying-" Kez cuts herself off, stopping herself from saying anything further.

"What did he say?" Teresa demands, "what else did he say?"

"Nothing, nothing," Kez says.

"Kezia Shelby, what did he say?" Tess questions firmly.

Kez looks away from the women who were all staring expectantly up at her, pinching the bridge of her, she sighs turning back to them, "he said that if you don't want to be touched then you shouldn't dress like wanton harlots or common whores."

"Common?" Veronica repeats.

"Is that really the issue you have?" Esmé says, "that he said common?"

"You can all give me as much shit as you want, I don't regret what I did, and I do not feel remorse for a man that doesn't understand basic human decency," Kezia states, "and I will never feel remorse for any man that dares to disrespect you."

"I'm still mad at you," Tess states.

"Will you get over it?" Kezia asks.

"Yes, probably by tomorrow morning," Tess says.

"Fine," Kez shrugs.

"That's not the point," Tess exclaims, "we can't keep having this conversation, Kez."

"What is the exact reason you're mad at me?" Kezia asks.

"Have you been listening at all?" Tess scoffs, "I'm mad at you because violence isn't the answer to everything, what that man did is not enough of a reason to kill him, it's not enough of a reason to beat him up down a side alley. I'm mad because you don't listen when we tell you not to do something! You have no regard for the danger you may be putting yourself in, or the repercussions you could face!"

"You're not mad at the violence," Kez states, "if it bothered you that much, your attempt at stopping me would have been a lot better than that shambles of a lie."