FREEDOM #WATTPRIDE

Juvenile

(AJ POV)

NYPD holds me in handcuffs while the nurse checks me out.

When she leaves it's just the officer, Hunter, and I.

My dads were going to kill me but it was worth it.

I look up to see Hunter, untouched and twiddling her fingers. She looks up at me with these deep blue eyes that reminded me of the oceans back home. Then quickly looks back down at the ground when her eyes meet mine and blushes.

"Thank you, Ashley."

She says in the sweetest American accent. Her hands bunch up in her skirt nervously.

"Hunter," Saying her name gives me a weird feeling, but she shyly looks back up at me. "I will protect you,"

I swear to her and bring up my handcuffed wrist to wipe the blood from my lip with my thumb. She stares at me in a state of disbelief and blushes a little.

"My name isn't Hunter anymore. It's Isabella."

She says quietly and I smile. She looks down again embarrassed.

I gently reach out my hands to hold her small shaking hands.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Isabella," I say and she smiles.

"Your accent makes my name sound so pretty." She giggles and looks at me, with the sweetest smile I had ever seen.

I can suddenly hear two guys yelling outside the waiting room and groan, letting go of Isabella's soft hands and leaning back.

Bracing myself for the verbal beating I was about to get.

Dad and Ash crash into the room.

"Oh my lord, he's in handcuffs! Jonathan, we have raised a juvenile delinquent!" Ash freaks out and I roll my eyes. He's always so dramatic.

Then two women also walk into the room and rush to Isabella.

"Are you okay sweetheart! Oh my god, did this boy hurt you?!"

They ask and give me angry glares. Ash leans on dad with his head in his palm.

"And now he's beating up women. Oh, this just gets better and better." Ash whispers and dad jabs him with his elbow.

"No, AJ protected me mom, from Bruce. The mean boy I told you about." Isabella says and Her moms look at me.

"Thank you, come on sweetie, let's go home."

They pick up Isabella's bags and start to walk out, but then Isabella turns around and quickly kisses my cheek before running to catch up with them.

"AJ..." I didn't want to look at dad's disappointed face but I have to.

The police officer unlocks the handcuffs and I stretch out my sore wrists.

"If this happens again he will be put under arrest." The officer says and Ash grabs me and holds me in his arms.

"Oh trust us, this won't happen again. Isn't that right AJ?" Ash looks down at me and I nod to the officer.

He looks unimpressed but we were able to walk out without any consequences.

"Are you out of your mind! We saw what you did to the other kid, he's going to be in the hospital for a week!"

Ash yells at me but I was more focused on my dad and how he was going to react.

"Jonathan?"

"I'm happy you protected that girl AJ, and I'm proud of you in that aspect. But Ash is right, you went too far." Dad says and I look down.

"I know," I sigh. I feel his arm around me and he ruffles my hair a little.

"I was going to make you apologize but after hearing what he almost did to that poor little girl, I would hit him too." Dad says and I laugh a little.

"I just can't believe he was making fun of her just for being transgender. On Bridgeport that's just so normal, I guess I assumed America wasn't any different." Ashley says under his breath.

"Alright, let's just get home to the girls with their delinquent brother." Dad laughs and Ash punches him for me.