Our Little Secret (h.s.) // editing

Fourteen

I jumped in the car, and tried to drive as fast as I could to Jess's school. Janissa was supposed to pick him up an hour ago. He probably thought I lied to him. Great.

As I pulled into the school, I saw Jess kicking his legs off of the bench, a woman sitting next to him. Once she saw me get out of the car, and walk towards them, her expression changed. Jess immediately jumped off of the bench and walked to the car with his head down.

"Mr. Styles." The woman approached me. Her angered expression threw me off. "Mr. Styles, can I talk to you for a minute." Her words coming out as more of a demand then a question. 

"Listen, Ma'am, My girlfriend was supposed to pick him up, and she forgot, this won't happen again." I tried to explain. The woman throws her hand up, silencing me.

"Mr. Styles, because of your delayed actions, Jess was involved in some... Violent behavior." My mind immediately began to race. What the fuck did she mean by 'violent behavior'?

"What the fuck does that mean?" I growl.

"That means, there is a reason your son is wearing a baseball cap, Mr. Styles."

Was I that absorbed in everything else but Jess, that I didn't even notice that he was wearing a baseball cap. I dismissed myself from the woman, and walked back to the car. Looking at Jess through the window, he was wearing a baseball cap. It was pointing down, so I wasn't able to see the damage.

I got into the car, and pulled onto the road. My eyes darted to Jess, as he crossed his arms, and looked down. 

"Let me see your face, bud." I whispered. 

Jess ignored me, continuing to look down.

"Damn it, Jess. Let me see."

My hand flew to the top of his head, removing his hat. At a stop light, my hands grasped his face to force him to look at me. His cheek was bruised badly matching his blood stained, busted lip which caused me to release it. I didn't want to hurt him further.

"Fuck." I whispered.

He turned his face from mine, only showing a frightening mark against his neck.

*

Once I opened the door, Jess ran straight upstairs, ignoring Janissa's calls. Her eyes darted to me, watching me throw my keys on the table.

"Are you okay?" She whispered, her body laid against the kitchen door frame. In all of my feelings, I couldn't deny how beautiful she looked with her messy curls pulled in front of her chest. But at the moment, I was feeling so many different emotions. I was angry at myself for trusting that she would pick him up, terrified for Jess, just thinking what he must have went through, and relieved to know that he was, for the most part, okay. If I could, I would go down to that school, and beat the shit out of the kids that did that to him, but I had to remember that he is only in year three.

"Am I okay?" I repeat harshly. "Am I okay?"

"Harry, I'm sorry-"

"My son just got the shit beat out of him, because you were to wrapped up in gossiping with your friends about if I fucked you or not!" I cut her off.

Janissa's eye went wide, as she positions herself away from me.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me! He's nine years old, his life has been fucked up enough, he didn't need a bunch of dicks making it worse because you weren't responsible enough to pick him up!"

"So you're mad at me because your son was beat up by a bunch of kids. I'm sorry that I forgot to pick him up, Harry, but he is not my responsibility! You knew exactly what you were getting yourself into when you offered him a place to live!"

"I didn't just give him a place to live, Janissa! I adopted him! I brought him into my family. I'm sorry I thought you were old enough to fucking remember he needed a ride." 

My anger began to kick in rapidly, and I didn't want to lash out at Janissa, so I walked away in hopes that she wouldn't follow me. But of course, she did.

"You want to talk about responsibility?" She screamed. "Who's the dumb-ass who took the kid to a tattoo parlor to get a fucking tattoo to show him how it goes. On top of that, you both got piercings because you were too hormonal to deal with the fact I didn't want to be with you!"

Her words left me in shock. The memories of her telling me I was just a friend came flooding into my mind. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket, but I ignored it.

"You don't want to be with me? Is that what you're saying?"

"Harry, I didn't mean that-"

"Tell me so I don't waste my time with you!"

-

Janissa left after she told me that she did want to be with me, but couldn't handle me when I was angry. That there was no use in talking to me. In all honesty, I'm glad she left.

Jess hasn't came out of his room which concerned me, but I figured it would be best if I let him be after what happened today. I pull my phone out of my pocket, checking the text.

>She's getting worse. It's about time to say goodbye, Haz.

Immediately, I threw the phone on the couch, and ran upstairs. I grabbed the suitcase from the top of the top of my closet, and throw a few outfits in there. A toothbrush, razors, and other things I might need.

"Jess!" I shout for him, but as always, he's silent. "Jess!" I shout again, this time just walking into his room. He sat in the corner of his room like he always does, and was drawing. I sit down in front of him, opening my arms.

His small body crawls from the corner, and into my arms. He doesn't cry, he doen't whimper, he just silently sits in my arms.

"Bud, we have to go somewhere for a little while."

"Is Miss Janissa coming?" He whispered in my neck.

"No, I don't think so."

"Can you ask?"

"She's kinda of mad at me right now. We got into an argument." 

He pulls always from me, looking into my eyes.

"That was a stupid fight Harry and you know it."

"Jess, it's not-"

"You keep saying it's not that easy. We both know it is. You need to be nicer to her. Yeah, so what she was late picking me up. Yeah I got beat up, but mu bruises will heal. She's your best friends Haz. Don't lose her over something stupid."