the various chances

bonus chapter - three

Jeremy

Years later.......

I take a hold of Lizzie's hand as we walk across the hallways. She shakes her head, "there is no way our Emmy punched some kid." "I agree, love but there has to be something and that was why we are here." An hour ago Lizzie called me saying she received a call from the school that we were requested by the principal under the circumstance revolving around Emilia.

Emilia had it in her. She was grumpy around people she didn't knew, much of an introvert and had no compassion or a drop of feelings in her. Lizzie and I were scared shitless when she didn't cry even after she fell from a flight of stairs. Emilia was her own person; she had her troubles opening up to new people but that didn't justify her violent tendencies. She was soft at heart for the people she loved, like my parents, Aaron and Layla.

We stop in out tracks to see Ethan pacing the length of the corridor just outside the principal's office.

Ethan was prime opposite of his sister. He was outgoing, super extrovert and easy at talking. He had the recklessness flowing in him, like to do something crazy made his adrenaline shoot up. I almost had a heart attack when he wore a fake Doctor Strange cape and tried to jump off the rooftop, luckily it was a Sunday and all of us were home. I was half expecting us attending Ethan's behaviour.

"Mom, Dad", he stops when we approach him. "Ethan" -Lizzie frowns- "What are you doing here?" His eyes snap to mine and I watch the worry flicker his features. "Say it, Ethan", I say.

He sighs, dropping his arms to his sides, "Emmy fought some boys from our senior classes. One of them is literally on the verge of hospitalization." Lizzie gasps. Eyes on Ethan I say "continue." "I heard her cry in the washroom before she was called. I tried to talk to her but they took her in."

"We better hurry in", I say and 3 of us were about to enter the office when the guard stops Ethan by palming hand on his chest, "you aren't allowed in, boy." Ethan raises an eyebrow at him, "watch it, old man. My sister is in there and I am going in, like it or not." I step between the two and ask Ethan to step back. Turning to the guard, I say, "I am sure you know your job very well, and if you'd like it the way it is then you'll not stop him the next time."

Without saying anything he steps aside we make our way in. Emilia was standing at the other side of the desk with her eyes on the principal sitting at the desk. We rush to her, Lizzie grabs her arms and says in a voice full of worry, "Emmy, are you alright?" Emilia nods, "yeah, Mom." "Are you hurt somewhere, Emmy?" I ask.

She nods, "just a little swelling at the wrist, nothing much, Dad."

"What happened, Emmy?" Lizzie asks.

"What happened is" -the principal picks her ass up from the desk and speaks- "that Miss Emilia here picked up fight with the boys of senior classes. They are injured, severely bruised and one of them literally has a broken hip and other one has a dislocated shoulder."

Ethan chuckles, "woah, that is some damage, Emmy."

"Ethan", Lizzie warns.

"The parents of the boys" -the principal eyes Emilia- "would like to file a complaint against her." Lizzie gasps. I step in front of Emilia, blocking her from the principal's view and whisper ask, "what truly happened, Emmy?"

She meets my eyes and breathes lightly, "they were harassing me for days. I even complained this dumb bitch of principal but she didn't pay much heed to it. Today they cornered me after the maths lecture in the classroom and tried to touch me inappropriately." "Oh my God" -Lizzie covers her mouth with her hand. "I had to show them" -Emilia says- "that I was not scared of them."

Lizzie and Ethan wrap their arms around Emilia, she leans her head on Lizzie's shoulder and says, "I am fine, Mom. Don't waste your tears for me." "I am so proud of my sister, guess the roles have been reversed" -Ethan is amused. I sigh in relief, "I am proud of you, Emmy." She smiles, "thanks, dad."

I nod towards the door and say, "Now, you and Ethan go and wait outside. Let your dad handle this." Lizzie pats Emilia's shoulder and nods to Ethan. The twins exit the office. I turn to principal and sneer, "so I don't think there is a need of complain, since you are the one who failed to take actions when my daughter was clearly the first one to report about the incident."

The principal shakes her head and points at the door, "are you insane, Mr Langford? She has broken bones of those boys. How am I supposed to answer their parents?"

"You should answer them what their boys did to our daughter instead of being a scared cat", Lizzie snaps.

"You don't know" -she says palming the desk furiously- "the boy whose shoulder she dislocated was Security Minister's son- Henry Goldshien. What am I supposed to do now?"

"I don't care whose son he is or any of them are. My only issue here is that why are we being summoned when it should go other way round. Shouldn't the parents of the boys being called for what they have been putting on Emilia instead of us?"

"Are you out of your mind...."

"one more word and I'll show you the impact of the second name Langford."

"Jeremy", Lizzie says but I wasn't going to back down. "One more word on Emilia and I'll show you what Jeremy Nicholas Langford is capable of and when I do the dirty, even the Security Minister would need security from me."

"calm down, Jeremy", Lizzie says grabbing my arm.

"Another second of trouble on Emilia or even on Ethan, then watch me rip the place shred by shred", with that we walk out of the office.

Emilia and Ethan were standing at the door. "Get your things" -Lizzie tells them- "you 2 are done for the day." "Meet us in the parking", I tell them. They nod and head of in other direction. Lizzie had her eyes on them, her face had dropped and I could sense the worry coursing through her veins through our adjoined hands.

"What is it?" I ask, spinning her to me.

She wraps her arm across my torso and we start walking out, "are we failing at parenting, Jeremy?" "What makes you think so?" I ask.

"Why didn't Emilia tell this to us, instead of taking matters in her own hands?"

I nod, "you know how our Emmy is right? I won't take it out on her for not telling us but I feel like it would have been much better is she'd talk it out to us. Plus I am sure she'll let it out once we get home or maybe when she is in her comfort zone. I trust our parenting process enough to identify what goes on with our kids, may it be Hannah, Ethan or even Emilia."

"I hope she tells us, I am just so worried. I hope she is alright and that this doesn't leave a scar on her."

"Don't worry, love" -I say- "I am damn sure she'll tell us and let it all out."

After Emilia and Ethan were in the car, we make our way back home. Hannah was off to the first year of her college so leaving the space to us. She was super protective of her siblings so I had made a mental note to keep this off her radar.

We were currently sitting in Emilia's room. While she and Lizzie sat on the bed, Ethan was sitting on the study chair while I stand beside dresser as we hear her describe the situation. Lucky enough she didn't get hurt much and that the shitheads were not able to do anything inappropriate to her.

"You should have told us, Emmy", Lizzie says running a soothing hand down Emilia's hair. "It's just that I thought I had the situation under control but..." "No buts" -I say and sit on the bed beside her- "Emmy if you can't solve it at first strike you let us know. Do you hear me?"

She nods and I continue, "this is serious, Emmy. If you are in trouble let us know, we don't want you to feel alone and helpless. We are here, always here for you." "Yes, dad", she nods and wraps her arms around me. I run a soothing hand on her upper back, "you may have grown up, but for us you are still our little Emmy."

"Same goes for you, Mister" -Lizzie says pointing a finger to Ethan who looks confused- "no recklessness allowed. You are still to see the world." He whines, "where is my hug?" Emilia laughs, brings her head up from my chest, "fool."