Hazel Rain

Chapter 46

Kim had put the kids to bed earlier than usual, bribed them with huge ice cream sundaes and a movie in their bedrooms. It was rare they allowed the kids to watch television in their individual bedrooms on a school night, but she needed time to her self before Adam came home.

The letter from the school sat on the table, she couldn't bare to hold it in her hands and she couldn't tear her eyes off of it. It was almost as if it was taunting her, that one piece of paper held the power to hurt her niece.

She had a sinking feeling that this was more than just a classroom bully, this ran deep. What hurt most was she feared that this was something that they couldn't fix, she felt completely helpless.

Adam knew something was up with Kim, he could hear the shakiness in her voice earlier. A pit had formed in his gut, he knew it had to do with Hazel but he didn't know much more than that. Kim had told him she was going to see what she could get out of their niece and he was nervous to hear what she disclosed, if anything.

Kim heard the key in the door and she jumped up off the couch and practically knocked him down as she ran into him, "Baby..what's wrong?" Adam asked.

She had crumbled in his arms, she had held the tears at bay all day but as soon as she felt his arms around her the dam broke and she sobbed uncontrollably. He could feel her legs give way and he held on tighter.

Adam rubbed her back, "Kim..baby." He pulled back and held her face in his hands, "You're clearly upset and I need to know why..this" he paused, "is scaring the shit out of me...what is it?"

Kim left the safety of his arms and grabbed the paper, she shoved it at his chest, "Read it." She couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

Adam dropped his jacket on the sideboard and read the memo, it was from the school. He felt his stomach drop as he read it, "...a father daughter dance..." his blood ran cold and his knees wobbled, this wasn't what he was expecting.

He hung his head, "What did Hazel say?" He read it again, and dropped it on the counter.

"Nothing. Hazel said nothing." Kim leaned on the counter, "I found that under her bed." She watched him as he studied the paper, "She told me the kids in her class have been mean to her...including Sadie."

"Sadie? I thought they were 'besties', she was mean how? What do you mean?" Adam asked, he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, before reaching for the bottle of aspirin. He could already feel the beginnings of a headache.

"They are...or they were. I don't know now. Hazel said it was two boys mostly,Connor and Champion." Kim hopped up on the counter, "they call her weird, and they threw a ball at her...but Hazel swears it was an accident."

Adam braced himself against the kitchen island, he focused on a small crack in one of the tiles on the floor, "Champion?" He looked up at her, his face screwed up in disgust and a hint of rage.

"Yes, it's a boy in her class." Kim explained.

"What kind of fucking name is Champion?" Adam questioned. "I'm gonna kill the little shits, Kim. They pick the wrong kid to pick on, I'm gonna deal with this first thing in the morning, those bastards are gonna wish they'd never been born. Champion? Who the fuck names their kid that? His parents are probably douchebags.." he rambled on and on about the kid's name.

"Who the fuck cares about his name!" Kim hopped down and grabbed his wrist, "Adam! Forget them."

Adam shook his head in disbelief, "Excuse me? You want me to forget them..no fucking way Kim."