"Are you well?" Norman asked.

"I'm just a bit nervous," Lucy answered.

"But you look so pale. Has that woman been feeding you?"

"I just haven't been feeling well, that's all."

"Have you seen the doctor?"

"I've visited the infirmary at school."

"You should be taking care of yourself a lot better. You can't be running a company if you keep getting sick. Even I have to take time to get a checkup. Working hard is fine but don't overdo it."

"I'll remember that, sir. May I come in now?"

"Yes, you may."

Lucy took her seat on the couch and Norman shortly followed as he asked, "What do I owe this sudden visit?"

Lucy rubbed her hands in a frantic manner, "Sir, can I stay here for a certain amount of time?"

"What is this now?"

"I just wish to... well... I just want to stay here for a while."

"Has your mother done something?"

"No. Everything is as it was. I just desire to stay here for a few days, maybe a few weeks, if you don't mind."

"Lucy, I am a busy man. I have no time for games. Unless, that is, you are intending to finally accept your place in the company. Why stay a few days when you can become the best future CEO of the company while living with me?"

"I told you I haven't decided on anything yet, sir."

"For every second you delay, hundreds of opportunities pass you by. You may not think of the offer much right now, but when you get older you'll soon realize that you should have accepted my proposal."

"I'm still going to think about it."

Norman groans, "Then go back to your mother then."

"Dad... I mean, Sir, just for a few days would be fine."

"Not unless you accept my proposal, dear."

"I don't see why I have to be making business deals to live with my own Father."

"Tell that to your mother and the courts who gave her custody."

"But still, a few days won't hurt you."

Norman eyed the girl who to him looked disheveled and ragged, even as she wore formal clothing and properly combed her hair to his liking. But her jittery nature and the weak complexion on her face had made an impression on him. "I am very busy, dear. I don't have time to deal with trivialities."

"There's nothing trivial about my request."

"Come now. What is the matter with you? Why are you so insistent on staying with me all of a sudden when you had no problem going home before?"

"I'm just... you know... I just wish... I'm just scared, that's all."

"Scared of what?"

"Scared that... there's a strange man out there who is trying to get me."

"Strange man? What stories are you making up now?"

"I just feel someone is out there to get me. I could use, you know, the protection of my Father in these times."

He got up from the couch. "Perhaps one of those deadbeats that your mother no doubt keeps seeing. I bet that woman hasn't changed a bit. Bringing strangers into her home when she has a daughter to look after. No doubt her family continues to send her cash to continue living this destructive lifestyle as well. I tell you, women of today are nothing but trouble. They always go about how they are independent and how men are keeping them down, but as soon as they need something or are having difficulty, they start belittling us, telling us how we're not doing our manly duties to protect our women. If you're so independent and strong, then take care of your own problems instead of running back to me after you said so many horrible things.”

“Sir, I have never said anything of the kind-”

“After everything I have done, trying to take care of my wife and family, trying to run a multi-million dollar company, appeasing shareholders and investors, being a good son and son-in-law, I still ended up being the bad guy. I'm still being blamed for the divorce as if her faults were mine to bear. Have I been the one who cheated on her, then they would tear me apart, but since she did it to me, I was being negligent of her needs, never mind that this marriage was not my idea to begin with, which nobody thought of my feelings on the matter. I did everything that was asked of me and never complained, and yet she gets hugs and kisses for all her transgressions while I get yelled at all because I didn't come home earlier one night. This is why I went my own way and demanded a divorce, even at the protest of her family. I've had enough of women always getting their way and..."

Norman continued his diatribe, not realizing she had already left.

 

 

 

 

 

Another day at school as Lucy continued to survey her surroundings. In between classes, all she could think about was going to the library till the bell rang, and today was no exception. Skipping lunch, Lucy heads off to the stairs where Jenny was waiting for her.

"So you really have been going to the library all this time," Jenny said as she approached Lucy. "What's going on? I hardly see you anymore. It's like you don't even exist." Lucy couldn't eye Jenny but her guilt was enough to keep her from walking past her as before. "You look pale. Are you okay?"

"I'm not feeling too well."

"Do you need to see the nurse?"

"No, I just... I just... just leave me alone."

"Maybe talking about it may make you feel better. Come on, talk to me."

Even if Lucy had been ignoring her own appearance and behavior, it was clear that she wasn't fooling anyone else. All she wanted was to talk about her experience and the only people she could do so with were her parents, the two people who could care less about her well-being. Jenny was the only person left by virtue of her simply not letting Lucy go. Lucy blamed her for her current state, believed that all she wanted was gossip, not caring anything she was going through as long as Jenny go something out of her misery. Yet, she tells Jenny, “Follow me.”

They headed toward a bench in a secluded area where Lucy began. "Do you remember when you told me to meet up with that boy I was chatting with?"

"Yeah, and I've been dying to know how that went. Did you finally meet him? Are you going out with him? Are you boyfriend and girlfriend? Do you need protection?"

“Yes, I met him. It went terribly wrong. I should have never taken your advice."

"But what happened?"

Lucy started rubbing her hands. "Turns out that the person I was chatting with wasn't someone my age. It was an adult. I feel so stupid. I should've realized it. I thought he was just some brainy kid who skipped grades and went to college, but no, of course not. How could I be this dumb?"

"Oh, I see, but what exactly happened?"

"Didn't you hear me? I was chatting with an adult. I met up with an adult!"

"Yeah, I get that. So what happened?"

"What happened? What do you think happened? I ran away."

"Oh, really? Was he that ugly?"

"Ugly? What does that have to do with this?"

"I don't see a reason why you would run away unless he was really ugly."

"That's not the point. I met up with an adult and now I'm scared."

"Wait, so he wasn't ugly?"

"That doesn't matter."

"Wait, hold up, let me get this straight. So this college guy you've been chatting with all this time finally meets you and you ran away?"

"Of course. You expected me to stay there?"

"Yeah. You were meeting him, right? That's actually kind of rude of you to ditch him like that."

"Are you crazy? I was expecting someone my age, not some random adult."

"But I thought you got to know him."

"But now that I think about it, we never shared anything about our personal lives, so I never considered who he was."

"Okay, fine, but why did you run away? You haven't explained that."

"Jenny, would you have stayed if you thought the boy you were chatting with was a fully grown college student?"

Jenny thought for a moment, furthering Lucy's confusion. "Well, is he cute or not? You never made that clear."

Lucy got up, "You really are crazy. You're going to get kidnapped with that attitude."

"Kidnap? No way. Not as long as I have this." Jenny reached into her bag and pulled out a two-ounce canister of pepper spray.

"Are you allowed to have that?"

"Not according to the can. Says I got to be eighteen, but as my mom says, 'better to get in trouble with the law in the moment than be kidnapped by a creep forever.'"

Lucy almost threw her hands in the air but refrained herself halfway and rather pushed her arms in front of Jenny. "You're telling me that you would've gone out with that adult."

"Yeah, if he was cute."

"It shouldn't matter that he was cute."

"Wait a minute. I think I get it. You're one of those girls that think a guy should like a girl not by her looks but by her character? I'm sorry to say this but if you're not getting a boyfriend ever with that attitude."

"Why are you fixated on how he looks? He's an adult!"

"But is he cute or not? You're avoiding the question, you know."

"Yes, he was cute, but that doesn't matter. He was an adult and if I went with him, he would have kidnapped me."

"Why makes you think that?"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, why do you assume he was going to kidnap you? I mean, if he was ugly, maybe. Those are the creeps who stalk young beautiful girls like me. You know, the ones you see in the news who look like pervs? That's why I have the pepper spray at the ready. But who wants to go out with an ugly guy anyway? I'm just saying, if they want to go out with young girls, at least look nice, and lose some weight too. They're always so fat. Oh, that's right, was he fat?"

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. You don't even know him. You're taking a risk."

"Why do you think that way? That's discrimination, you know. That's kind of messed up. I'm starting to think he dodged a bullet with you."

"Why are you defending that guy who probably knew he was chatting with a kid? What if he did all this to lure me away."

"That's what the pepper spray is for. Don't tell me you forgot your canister."

"I don't have any. I don't think kids are allowed to have that."

"Oh, that explains it. no wonder you're so paranoid. You probably look over your shoulder every second of the day."

"No, I don't," Lucy said as she looked over her shoulder. "But putting that aside, this was a messed up situation. Adults shouldn't be approaching kids." Jenny chuckles. "What's so funny? I was taken advantage of!"

"Well, if you still think you're a kid, that's fine, but your no longer in elementary school, you know. We're supposed to be growing up now."

Lucy eyed Jenny with a piercing look. "And what about your mom?"

“I didn't say we have to live on our own. We're still growing up. Besides, I can't leave to be on my own. I looked it up. But there's something in the law that says you can legally divorce your parents. Though I don't know if I want to go through that. I love my mom, but sometimes I need my own space and-”

“No. I meant, what if she found out you were chatting with an adult? Huh? What would have happened if she found out you went to meet up with a complete stranger and he turned out to be an adult?”

"Hmm..."

“What do you mean, 'hmmm'?”

“I don't know but if you want, I can ask her.”

"Huh?" A look of bewilderment was on Lucy's face.

"I'm going to admit I'm a bit jealous," Jenny said with enthusiasm. "If I had a chance to be with a college student, I would be so excited. I bet my mom would be excited as well."

A look of disgust was on Lucy. "But you like a boy here."

"Yeah, but he hasn't asked me out yet. Oh, but he may actually like me. He's been looking at me for some time. Maybe he's shy. Maybe if I tell him that a college boy likes me, then maybe he'd get jealous and have the courage to ask me out. Say, if you're not going out with that college guy, mind if I gave him a shot. You said he's cute, right?"

Completely disconcerted where the conversation led, Lucy simply walks away.

'Is she serious?' Lucy thought to herself. 'I can't believe Jenny said those things. Does her mom really allow that? Is that even allowed? Should I call child services? No, that will probably get me in trouble.' The bell rang and Lucy started heading toward her next class while watching those beside her, 'Am I ever going to feel safe again? Is there no one else I can confide in?' And in the random clutter of thoughts that were transplanted into her head, she couldn't help but regret the one that came through her mind when she talked to Jenny about the status of the man who she believed would take her away. 'I don't care if he's good-looking. That's not the point.'