8|Choice

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Stella

{Picture above is Stella's outfit for today}

After putting on my dress, I walk downstairs to begin my Saturday activities.

It's been a couple days and Hudson has continued to ignore me and so has my father. The outcome of this would be I'm sure one of them permanently ignoring and I really did not want my father ignoring, probably until I go off to college.

My father has never even been relatively close to upset with me yet and so this is new and I am lost as I don't know what to do.

"Father please, can you stop being upset with me now?" I approach my father.

He sists on the sofa watching the television but breaks his concentration to look at me, "Have you broken ties with the criminal?"

Supposed criminal, I was about to reply but instead chose not to do so.

"Yes" I say. Hudson is not speaking to me so I guess I could classify that as separation. "I am sorry for breaking your trust, but father please I thought I was doing the right thing"

Father glances at me before nodding and responding, "I forgive you, Stella"

Oh, that's all I've wanted to hear these past few days and now I was suppose to meet Hudson at the library to continue our assignment but what excuse would I come up with?

I didn't want to tell father that I was working on a project with Hudson, so I told him that I wanted to study at the library today rather than home. He insisted on driving me but I told him I was fine.

"Good-bye, father" I say before kissing his cheek and walking out of the house.

By the time I got to the library, Hudson stood at the door waiting for some reason.

"Good you're here" He says. "I can't work on the project at the library today. I need to babysit my little brother, it would've been easier to tell you this on a phone instead of driving down here but whatever" He speaks. Not giving me the chance to reply he begins walking to his car.

"Hudson, I have to go to church tomorrow and the assignment is due on Monday, today is the last day we have" I remind him.

"Well what am I gonna do, my brother can't stay at home by himself" He tells me opening his car door, "Can't I just text you the rest of the-oh right no phone"

There was another option, the last option and I didn't want to go through with it but pretty soon I was in the car driving with Hudson driving towards his house. Thank God it wasn't the house that his parents were murdered in as that house was set on fire.

"Who do you live with?" I find myself asking him.

He doesn't reply, no surprise there.

"Look Hudson, I know you don't trust me or probably even like me, but I am not the enemy here" I tell him.

"Then tell me Burman, who is? The town, the police, your dad "

"My father is just doing his job" I say to Hudson. "The evidence that he has acquired points to you"

"Wait. Wait. Wait. You are most definitely not going to sit in my car and tell me I should be in jail, is that what you're doing? Gosh Burman, your such a hypocrite and your weak, I was actually surprised by the way you stood up to your mother and father, you stood up for something you believe in, only to see that they've still got you wrapped around their little finger with you begging for their acceptance"

"They're my parents Hudson" I say.

"And?" He asks. "What the fuck does that have to do with anything?"

"I should obey them" I tell him, hoping he would see my side of things-my perspective.

He didn't, "I'm done having this conversation" Hudson replies.

"Hudson, I'm trying here, I believe that you didn't kill that teacher that is why I helped you, but my father wouldn't prosecute an innocent person-"

"Why? Because he's perfect, newflash Burman, nobody is"

I understand why Hudson must be upset, I'm basically seated in his car, telling him he's a murderer.

"And don't worry about that offer, it's now off the table, I can't work with somebody who can't even stand up for what they believe in"

"I do stand up for what I believe in and your right Hudson, I do yearn for my parent's acceptance, but..is that such a bad thing? Hudson you aren't even mourning your parents, you haven't spoken about that day or anything even remotely close to that and want me to believe you why? Because you nicely asked me to? Maybe show me what I'm fighting for Hudson, then we can talk about belief..." I finish off, taking a very deep breath.

"Stories, huh?" He says before his foot hits the break, which causes me to jump forward and he spins the car around, "Shall we go back to where it started then?"

And that is exactly what we did. The now burnt down house is in the process of construction.

"I wasn't here when it happened Burman, but apparently the murder weapon, a gun, was found at the back of the yard with my dna on it and so the police pointed towards me" He scoffs, "As if setting fire to a house and planting evidence isn't the oldest trick in the book"

I look at him, he stares at the house as if memories were playing in his head.

"Where were you then?"

"Why does it matter? I wasn't here"

"See the way this whole communication thing works is-" I start but he rudely cuts me off, "I was out getting drunk with my friends, that day my parents and I got into an argument over some stupid shit, I went out and was just trying to forget about it, came back and found my house in ashes and myself an orphan"

He looks at me, "So, you believe me now?"

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