Dark Tides

Chapter Seven

          The ride back to Sullivan's Island was longer, and quieter, than Hadley had ever known it to be. As fate (or perhaps karma) would have it, her dad had already been on his way to the club when she called him. He informed her of a phone call he'd gotten from Cassi's parents had ruined, well, everything, before assuring her he'd arrive soon. The first few minutes of the ride had been filled with shouting before dissolving into uncomfortable, dragging, silence. Apparently, after getting a message from Cassi about the flat tire, Cassi's dad had gotten in touch with Hadley's to see if he'd been able to help them fix it. From that point onward the lie had quickly been unraveled and Hadley now found herself in the proverbial hot seat.

          They were nearly home when her father finally spoke again, no less angry than he had been twenty minutes earlier, but a lot quieter. It did little to make her feel better.

          "I just... I can't wrap my head around it, Hadley. I keep trying, but... what the hell were you thinking?" He asked, glancing towards her before quickly turning his eyes back to the road. "I thought you had more common sense than that. Lying? Since when did you start lying?"

          "I'm sorry," Hadley managed, trying to maintain her composure. After what had happened in the alley, she found the rebuke to be overly harsh. Didn't he realize what she'd been through? Didn't he care? No, because she hadn't told him and she wasn't going to tell him. He probably wouldn't believe her anyway. The truth was, all she had just wanted to crawl into his lap for comfort, like she had when she was a child and thought the boogie man was hiding under the bed.

          She wasn't a child anymore, the monsters weren't just a figment of her imagination, and to top it all off she had really screwed up big time.

          "Sorry? I was scared to death something horrible had happened to you," he replied. "When Cassi's mom said you had a flat tire and I hadn't heard from you... I half expected to find the car on the side of the road and you girls gone."

          "We had it handled," Hadley protested, annoyed that her father lacked so little faith in her ability to take care of herself. In the back of her mind, she was reminded that she hadn't done it all by herself. If it hadn't been for Lathan than her father's concerns would have been justifiable – at least the side of the road part. "I lied because I knew if I had asked you, then you would have said no."

          "Damn right I would have said no!"

          "I don't even understand why you're so against this! The band, me singing, all of it!" She could feel tears of frustration burning in the corners of her eyes. Normally she had more self-control and she wasn't so easily felled by emotion. After what had happened, however, she was standing on incredibly shaky ground.

          "I'm just trying to keep you safe," he shot back.

          "From what, Dad?"

          "Anything, Hadley. Hell, everything! I hope you had a good time tonight, because you're grounded."

          Hadley knew it was inevitable, had anticipated it even, but hearing him say it was still hard and she found herself protesting regardless. "But Dad!" It was almost as though it was instinctual, even though she knew she deserved whatever punishment he doled out.

          "Enough," he snapped as he turned the car into their neighborhood. "No leaving the house, no cell phone, no laptop, no internet – you're on lockdown, kiddo, until further notice."

          "What about the aquarium? They're expecting me to be there," Hadley replied, her heart sinking in her chest. She could live without all that other stuff, but missing out on her volunteer work -- she didn't even want to consider it.