𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, ᴛᴇᴇɴ ᴡᴏʟꜰ

𝒕𝒘𝒐. rescue

i'm adding a trigger warning here for child abuse and harm. if you know someone in this situation please reach out.

[ 2.02 ]

how dare you touch these boys?!

Maya gathered her things off of Isaac's desk as she prepared to leave, seeing as though their tutoring session was over and she had to get home to dinner. "Tell your girlfriend to stay for dinner," Mr. Lahey ordered Isaac as he set a fourth setting on the table.

"She's not my girlfriend," Isaac whispered.

"Whatever she is, tell her to stay."

Isaac nodded and headed back to his room, "Hey, MJ?"

"Yeah, what's up?" she smiled softly at him.

"Do you mind staying for dinner?" Isaac winced prepared for her to say no but was pleasantly surprised and his face relaxed.

"Yeah, totally! I'll—um—I'll just text Scott that I will be home a little later," Maya smiled and nodded assuringly. "Nothing will happen tonight. I won't let it, okay?"

"Thank you," he breathed as Lucas called for them.

Maya took a seat across from Lucas while Isaac and his father sat at the heads of the table. "Thank you for letting me stay for dinner, Mr. Lahey."

"Well, I figured you could use come compensation for having to tutor my son here," he said and laughed dryly at his remark.

"Please, I love spending time with these two," she responded honestly making the two Lahey boys smile.

Ignoring her, he moved to his eldest son and asked about his grades to which he answered with, "Um . . . so far it's an 'A' in french and a 'B' minus in econ."

"Oh. What about chemistry?"

"I'm not sure," Isaac lied. It absolutely broke Maya's heart seeing how scared these boys were of their father. She decided that this was going to be their last night in this house. She'd make sure of it. "Uh, midterms are in a few days so it could go up."

"Well, what's it at now?" Mr. Lahey pushed.

Maya gulped taking a bite of the food. She had never truly seen this kind of fear—or felt it—it scared her. She didn't know the reaction his father would give hearing Isaac's grade.

"The grade?" Isaac asked.

"Uh, yeah."

"Uh, I'm not sure."

Lucas shared a nervous and scared glance with Maya who nodded telling him everything was going to be fine.

"But it just said it could go up."

"I just—uh, I meant generally," Isaac ran his hand through his hair getting more worried by the second.

"You wouldn't be lying to me, would you, Isaac?"

Isaac shook his head slightly, "No."

"Then tell me your grade."

"I just told you, I don't know."

Mr. Lahey then turned to Maya, "You're his tutor. Surely you'd know his grade or at least if he's doing well."

"Oh, I . . . " Maya's eyes widened and her heart pounded.