Bruised Innocence

Chapter 23

A week later, Arwin found himself walking towards the cafeteria, courtesy of his mom who wasn't pleased with him for missing out on lunch.

She made him promise to visit cafeteria and try making new friends after Arwin persuaded her to rejoin work and start going out.

She looked considerably better now and even his das seemed relieved.

Arwin had started walking back home by himself, though his dad still insisted on dropping him in the mornings.

Arwin didn't mind it at all. It was a good way to spend some time with his dad, who was still out working, almost all the time.

He still remembered the conversation he had with his dad the morning after he heard them fighting.

It was an early morning when he found his dad leaning on the balcony in his vest and trousers. He was sipping from a cup and Lacey was curled around his feet, receiving occasional pets from him.

"Dad?" Arwin approached them. His dad almost dropped his cup in surprise but recovered.

"The hell, Ar, don't sneak up on people like that!"

"Sorry dad!"

"Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare? Should I go get your mom?" He asked, concerned. Lacey also looked lazily up at him and promptly started wagging it's tail. He moved to pet it.

"No, I--I just wanted to talk to you."

His dad looked a bit contrite at that. "Oh! Okay," he cleared his throat, "go on then."

"I want to go back to my old school."

His dad looked like Arwin had slapped him. He kept staring at him with disbelieving eyes, opened his mouth to say something and then closed again.

Even Lacey raised it's head up from between it's front legs to look at his dad and then at him, as if to say, 'what did you say to dad, Ar?'

Dad gave a jerky nod to him and then walked to the hall, picked up a shirt and went out, still buttoning them down over his vest.

He could only stare at his retreating back as he went out.

That night, he was reading English literature in my room when dad returned.

Lacey ran out of the balcony to bark happily at him. He came straight to Arwin's room after greeting his mom.

That was rare. Usually, his dad avoided his room as much as possible. Arwin frowned.

"Ar, I have talked to the principal, you can attend Argent high again."

Arwin couldn't help but smile at that. He heard the dishes clang as his mom washed them in the corner of the hall that served as the kitchen.

Soon, it will all be fine. He will go back to school, his mom will return to work and his dad wouldn't have to work on weekends.

Hang on a second!

"Argent high? but dad--I--we,"

Arwin struggled to find words. He thought,

When I said I wanted to go back to school, I didn't mean Argent high. I meant my old school! Argent high was too expensive and--

"We don't even have the scholarship anymore, we can't afford it, dad!"

"Your mother and I will take care of that. You--"

Arwin opened his mouth to object but dad cut him off.

"You---focus on getting better again and your school. It's not your job to worry about finances. Leave it to the adults, okay?"