a sky full of stars / yungblud

eight

hartley's point of view

I woke up this morning with a gutted feeling in my stomach, although I went to school anyway. Something was bothering me the entire day. I had kissed my best friend yesterday, the only person I could talk to whenever something was up. I didn't really want to kiss him, but he had "exposed" himself to me; I kissed him for his sake. It was uncomfortable being in school today. Rumors had been going around about my rape, but luckily nothing was confirmed.

That was until Tanner showed up, trying to talk to me if I had talked to the cops. I had pushed him the fuck out of my sight, and shakily ran away from school. When I came home, I immediately cancelled all of Tanner's classes. Some of the weight came of my shoulders, but some was still there and I had the feeling it was going to stay for a little while longer.

I texted Dominic earlier to ask him if he came to the park opening at 5pm, and I was relieved to hear that he'd show up so we could talk. I know he told me he loved me, and of course I love him too; I'm just not in love with him. Yet, at least. Maybe someday it'll happen, just not now. Way too many things have happened in order for me to start catching feelings for another human being this early. But I can't deny that maybe it'll happen in the future. I'll just have to see how our talk goes, I guess.

Apparently, the big park opening ceremony, something like that, was a fancy event that only the founding families of the town would be invited to. And in this case, there were a lot of founding families. It would basically go down like this;

It is every little girls dream. It's the whole fancy gown or dress/suit and tie thing. Expensive champagne, new opportunities to befriend new allies. New connections, at the very least, arranged marriages. But the best part was all of the founding families' children going out afterwards and getting drunk.

My mom basically spent all last week making sure my dress was ready for later. It was important for me to look good, because a lot of boys my age came. (A/N: the dress is at the top of the chapter and that is how she will look with the hair and all)

"I will present you to many fine young men of Hastings tonight, so you better be ready. A lot of them are catches, and they can guarantee us a stable finance!" My mom said, while getting me in my dress. We were in my room, the same place we had been for two hours straight. Anything for your daughter to look presentable, I guess. I sighed. "It isn't like we are poor, mother. Our finances are fine, and no; I will not engage in a arranged marriage." My mom stood in front of me and grabbed my face and squished it.

"Helen! We don't threaten our child now, do we?"

I turned around to see a man standing in a nice suit, with a briefcase in hand. I now straightened up my, rather slouched back. "Dad," I uncomfortably looked at him. "- you're back." He came over to me and kissed my forehead. "You look so beautiful." He said and and placed a hand on my bare shoulder. It released some kind of shiver down my spine. He walked over to my mom and now placed his hands on both her shoulders. "Helen, darling. Please speak and think like we're in 2020. Our daughter is not a prize." He said calmly. My dad looked me dead in the eye. "She's a whore. To have relations with her teacher! You're a disappointment, Hartley. Always has been, always will be!" I just stood there and took it. I didn't put my foot down. I didn't protest against him. I took it. He was walking out of the room when he stopped in the doorway. "We're leaving in 15 minutes."

I turned around to look at my mom with a pouty face. "When are we done taking all his shit, mom?" I say, deeply frustrated. My mom was now the one sighing, but sent me a sickly sweet smile. "It's not shit if it's true, Hartley. Now, your father and I will be downstairs. Please be down in precisely 10 minutes. If we're late people will assume it'll be because you had to do something. Or someone." She said and shut the door to my room.

I took a few steps back and fell on my bed. This dress was absolutely impossible to move in. But it looked good on me. Almost way too good.

"Hartley, come down! Now!"

I'm getting so wasted tonight.