For the Love of Justice

Chapter Nineteen | Undeserving

"You here on planet earth with me, Indy?" 

The hand waving in front of my face snapped me in to focus late Wednesday afternoon, my eyes swinging to meet a pair of grey ones watching me with amusement and concern. 

"Sorry," I laughed breathily, shaking my head and resumed wiping down the booth's table top that Harlow and I had been sitting at counting tips in the quiet afternoon just before my shift ended. "I was daydreaming." 

"It was obvious," Harlow smiled, stacking the coins neatly on top of one another as she continued to watch me. "You were spacey on Monday as well. Is everything okay?" 

"Yeah," I answered back automatically. "Just school stuff. Got a lot on my mind." 

Harlow nodded, not pushing, and I was grateful. 

Until curiousity got the best of me and I slumped in to the booth's cushioned seat, staring at her glumly. "Marley made the football team. You knew that, right?"

Harlow's grin widened, that natural beauty I associated with her radiating outwards. "Yeah, I'm so excited that he did. He hasn't played in so long and he was so good, I could tell he missed it." 

"There's been talk recently, around school. I think it's come from Samson and his friends, but some aren't happy he made it." 

Harlow's smiled dropped slowly, and her eyes slid to the new pile of coins she was stacking. "Samson, that boy really is something different." 

"They really don't like each oter, do they? Samson and Marley, I mean.: I shouldn't have been looking for answers, or asking questions, but the way that Marley had acted after he'd checked the football list was concerning. He looked so...flat.

So cold.

It was scary how vacant his expression was, when his eyes had been so full of emotion when our eyes had met briefly before he had disappeared from school.

Harlow shook her head slowly, sighing. "Samson and Marley had been joined at the hip ever since I could remember. Samson pretty much grew up at our place. They were such good friends. It's just really sad, knowing how much that's changed now."

"Because of the accident." I didn't mean to say it out loud, and I instantly regretted saying it when I winced and looked up at Harlow. "I'm sorry, that's not my business-"

"No, it's fine." Harlow smiled sadly. "Jamie and Samson had been dating at the time of the accident. It was such a big tradegy in such a little town, you know? The three best friends, torn apart." Harlow paused looking out the window. "I guess there's just too much baggage for both Samson and Marley to repair any damage. There's just too much...pain there."

I wish I'd never asked, because Harlow was still staring off in to the distance, deep in thought. It was obvious the accident still affected Harlow, and her family. It was like it was always on the back of her mind, weighing her down, the concern for her brother.

"How is Marley doing at school, Indy? I'd ask him but he'd just lie to me." Harlow asked suddenly, her grey eyes trained back on me.

"He seems okay. Sticks with Jag and Archer, but they look like their doing just fine."

Harlow was nodding. "Good. Dad and I have been worried about him a lot lately."

I was about to ask another question, when the bell above the front door chimed, and a customer walked in and approached the counter, eyeing up the specials board.

"I better serve. Hey, you want a ride home? I'm closing up in ten." Harlow asked, standing up. I nodded, grateful.

She was just so nice, I hoped Flynn realised what he had with her.