Harper Wilson has always enjoyed flying under the radar. It's how she's survived high school thus far. She has dreams of becoming a digital artist, maybe even working to design video games, like her favorite Fortress Siege. She just has to make it t...
The fallout after she hung up on me was almost immediate. I sat in my room, phone and controller in hand. What was I going to do? What had I been thinking, keeping this from her? I had plenty of opportunities to say something. I didn't. I'd dug myself in deep with the secret knowledge I held about her playing. Now it blew up in my face.
A few minutes after my phone call with Harper ended my mom shouted from across the house. "Maxwell Draven, you get in here this instance!"
My mom was in the kitchen. She stood at the counter, toe-tapping, and arms crossed over her chest. She held her phone in one hand. She looked pissed. Great. Just great.
"Have you been manipulating Harper?" Her words were curt and her expression pinched. She pointed the phone at me like a weapon.
"No!" Not exactly and not on purpose.
"I just got off the phone with Mrs. Wilson and she said you were playing games with her over that Fortress game you play. That you tricked her into going out with you."
Had Harper really said that? "No. I wasn't playing games with her."
"So you didn't know she played and you didn't use your knowledge to convince her to stop seeing some other boy to go out with you? All while she didn't know it was you?"
When my mom phrased it like that, it sounded like I was playing games. Zane was right. I should have come clean sooner. He thought I had when I started going out with Harper. He would be lecturing me too when he found out about this.
"I didn't know how to tell her I played the same game. I didn't convince her to do anything, she came to me for advice under the anonymous shield of the game."
"But you knew it was her?"
"Yes," I mumbled and looked down at my feet. "I know I should have said something sooner, but I didn't know how."
"You know how? You just say it!" My mom waved her arms over her head. "I may not know how this Fortress game works, but it sounds to me like you manipulated Harper for your own selfish gains. She's really upset and Mrs. Wilson doesn't think you should stay with them when we go back to Boston and you know what? I agree."
I looked up. "What? No. I liked staying there. I'll apologize to Harper. It was a misunderstanding that I let grow instead of clearing it up."
My mom shook a finger at me. "Oh no. Don't you dare bother that poor girl. I'm going to call Derek's father and see if you can stay there. And if they aren't able, I'll call Zane's mother. Give me your phone."
I took a step back. "Why?"
"I'm deleting Harper's number."
Like I couldn't get it from someone else. Still, I handed my mom my phone. She'd probably just wrestle it away from me one way or the other. Better to oblige now and get it over with.
"I'm taking your video game away for now. You are not to get on that Fortress game and harass her anymore."
"Come on! Just tell Harper to block my screen name. Don't take away the whole game!" It helped me release my anger and frustration. "You're going to punish me for a lapse in judgment?"
"Yes!" My mom's face had been growing steadily darker as we fought. She was as red as a tomato now. A thick vein bulged in her forehead. I hadn't seen her this mad in a long time. "You made a mistake and it hurt someone else. You have to deal with the consequences."
"What about your mistakes? It looks to me like you're just living it up in Boston while I'm stuck here paying for your goddamn mistakes."
Her mouth hung open. I ground my teeth. Who did she think she was telling me about dealing with consequences when she and my dad had made a mess of our lives and never apologized to me?
"Get out of my sight." She pointed for the door. "I don't want to see you right now. I will go to the Wilson's and get the rest of your things."
I went back to my room. My mom came in a few minutes later and took my whole system. She also kept my phone for the time being. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't text Harper to try to apologize. I couldn't text my friends for help. I had some homework to do. Instead, I flopped backwards on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
~*~*~
A few hours later Derek called the house phone. My mom was still gone and my dad was out with Beretta. I dragged myself out of bed to answer. "Draven residence."
"So formal," Derek said on the other line. "I hear, we're to be roomies soon. Please tell what did you do?" There was a teasing note in his voice. I wanted to smack him through the phone.
"I lied to Harper about something and got caught."
"Ah, so Zane was right about Fortress Siege," he said. "You never told Harper you played. I take it she found out?"
I walked back to my bedroom and threw myself on the bed. "It was bad, Derek."
"Bad enough you have to live with me," he chuckled. "I'm sorry, dude. Can you just apologize?"
"It's going to take more than that." I'd been trying to rack my brain for ideas when Derek called. So far I couldn't think of a gesture big enough to salvage this relationship. I hoped though. Harper was worth fighting for.
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