Living With The Emerson Girls

Chapter 14

~Zachary's Point of View~

"Zachary Oliver, please report to the Headmaster's office," I heard over the P.A., during English. Everyone in class looked at me, some people even went, "Ohhhh."

I rolled my eyes as I got up slowly, trying to think of anything I could've done. "Hey, is everything alright?" Ariel, who had English with me, tugged on my shirt, looking up at me inquisitively.

I shook my head. "I don't know what it is. I'm sure it's nothing.”

“Zachary, do you think this has anything to do with Carolynn?”

“I don’t know. It’ll be fine, whatever.”

"Okay." She turned back to the poem we were both working on, obviously not convinced.

*****

"Mr. Oliver," the Headmaster said, the very minute I entered his office.

Carolynn, Carolynn, Carolynn.

Her name echoed through my mind. She had to have something to do with this.

She said we were friends?

"Mr. Hills...Is there a reason you called me down here?" I asked suspiciously, raising my eyebrows in concern.

He looked up, smiling an unnerving smile.

"You were at the infamous Dawson party this Friday, with Carolynn... Am I correct?" He questioned, folding his arms in front of him. I noticed that he reached into his pocket as I answered, "Yes sir, I was."

"How much did you drink at this party?"

"No sir- I- I don't drink, I-" I stuttered slightly.

"Zachary, please. You're a teenage boy. I was a teenage boy once. You go to a party, of course you'll take advantage of free beer."

"No sir, I don't drink at parties. It's dumb. It makes the experience less... memorable."

"Very well then. How about drugs?"

"I don't do drugs. I play lacrosse. With all due respect, Mr. Hills, why am I being questioned?"

Mr. Hills put his hand up. "Alright, alright you got me. I'm only inquiring in advance to decide if I recommend you for a lacrosse scholarship to any university of your choice."

Oh, and you have to be with Carolynn, I silently added.

"Sir, I know about the strings that are attached to this recommendation. These strings involve your daughter, and she benefits from them, and I am oh so not sorry to inform you, that I have a girlfriend."

Girlfriend? It sounded right on my tongue when I said it.

"Her name, Mr. Oliver?"

"Ariel." There was no need to tell him her last name, he probably knew.

"Mr. Oliver, I don't think you realize the severity of declaring Ariel Emerson as your girlfriend. Are you going to give up such an opportunity for a girl who will never even compare to Carolynn?"

"Yes. Why do you even care about me being with your daughter anyways?"

"Carolynn is my only daughter, Zachary. And I give her everything she wants. And anyways, Mr. Oliver, interest in lacrosse is increasing. The more scholarship-granted students at this school, the more parents will want their children to attend Seaport Prep. This is a private institution. Private means tuition."

"I don't care. I'm not doing it."

He didn't seem at all fazed by this.

"Fine. You'll be hearing from my lawyers then."

"Your lawyers?"

"It seems to me, that Carolynn was... violated at the Dawson party."

I stood abruptly. "Mr. Hills, Carolynn was drunk at that party. I stopped everything before anything could happen. Nothing happened. You can ask Carolynn."

"I know that, Mr. Oliver. But I am a man of great influence in this town. And even if I can't prove what I'm going to press charges for, everything you just said is on tape." He held up a shiny recorder.

"You- I haven't said anything wrong."

"I have friends in the computer editing world. I have friends everywhere. You know... my lacrosse offer still stands."

I thought about what he was saying. Mr. Hills was going to accuse me of raping Carolynn unless I took up his offer. But that meant losing Ariel. And I wasn't going to be pushed into dating Carolynn.

"Your lawyers know where to find me, then. Living with the Emerson girls."

*****

"Zach, you're such an idiot." Ariel muttered, bringing her hand to her face as I finished telling her what had gone down between the Headmaster and I. We were in her room back at the Emersons's house. She was sitting on her bed, and I couldn't help but notice that she had to keep tugging her skirt down. She put her head on her pillow, and my heart beat fast, as her white shirt lifted up just a tad.

"I didn't know what to do, okay?" I sighed, running a quick hand through my hair. I lay down next to Ariel and interlaced my fingers with hers, a simple gesture that made her cheeks turn bright pink.

"I mean, it's great that you're willing to take the fall for me..." She said, in an exaggerated falscetto voice.

"Perfect boyfriend?" I lifted my eyebrows.

"My hero." She gave me a quick peck on the cheek, and scooted in closer to me.

I smirked.

"But... You do realize that unless you can somehow prove you're innocent... Mr. Hills still wins, right?"

"Well, won't they do a rape kit or something?" 

"I guess. I'm sure that Mr. Hills realizes that. The fact that Carolyn has been with a lot of guys doesn't help his case, though."

“The only hope I have is to destroy what he recorded. I didn’t say anything bad, but he says he knows people who can cut and edit it into something… compromising.”

“I just don’t get it. Why would Mr. Hills want to press charges for you raping Carolynn? Carolynn wasn’t raped. There would have to be some emotional trauma that’s putting this into… Unless…,” Ariel trailed off, a cute, concentrated expression on her face. She sat up, and raised her hand to her forehead.

“What Ariel, what is it?” I pressed my hand onto her shoulder, but she smacked it away.

“Shut up Zach, I’m thinking.”

“Okay.”

Her huge brown eyes lit up suddenly.

“I think…”

“What?”

“I think Mr. Hills raped Carolynn.”

*****

GUYS I AM SO SORRY FOR TAKING FOREVER TO UPDATE. I REALLY AM. IT'S BEEN TOUGH. SORRY IF THIS IS SHORT, BUT I THINK YOU'LL LIKE THE NEXT CHAPTER.

PEACE AND CHICKEN GREASE,

-shecameherewithme <3