𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕚𝕤 ℙ𝕦𝕣𝕖

Chapter 7: Family Problems

"Look, if it can calm you down I am going to sit you and your friends at lunch time next week" he proposed.

"Yeah okay, see you on Monday dude"

"Bye" Victor responded.

Garfield hanged up his phone and decided he needed to take a walk. So he walked out of the house and to the park.

Garfield was sitting on a bench in a park. He was playing at a game on his phone. He felt someone pat him on the right shoulder. He turned around to see Rachel Roth. She was wearing a black hoodie and it was up. Garfield patted the bench to tell her to sit down. So she did and Garfield put his phone in his pocket.

"So, are you okay?" He asked.

"I already told you, I am" Garfield looked at her closely and remarked that she had a bruise ,in the form of a hand, on her cheek. He pulled her hoodie down. He was right, she had that bruise on her left cheek.

"What happened?" Garfield asked her full of concern. She looked like she wanted to cry.

"That's none of yo-" Garfield interrupted her.

"Stop saying that it's not"

"But Garfield, it's not" she said softly.

"I won't tell anyone okay" he insisted. Rachel shook her head.

"I am not going to tell you anything" Garfield sighed.

"Okay, I can't make you anyway"

"Thanks"

"So..." Garfield started. "What are doing here?"

"I just needed air" she answered as she looked away.

"Same" she looked at him again.

Suddenly, Rachel's phone started to ring. "Sorry, I-I need to answer this" Garfield nodded. Rachel answered her phone.

"Hi?"

"Rach are you okay" she sighed. It was Dick, of course.

She talked with him for about 4 minutes. When she hanged up the phone, she looked at Garfield right in the eyes.  "Hey do you wanna go somewhere?" Gar proposed.

"Where?" Garfield smirked at her.

—At The Arcade—

Garfield brought Rachel to the arcade. They were playing games together as they asked questions about the other.

"So you're from Africa?!?" Rachel asked him in shock. Garfield nodded as he grinned at her.

Garfield was looking at her in amazement when someone suddenly called her. Rachel gulped when she heard that voice, it was none other than her ex boyfriend, Adam McKenzie or like he calls himself, Adonis. She turned around to see that he was really close to her. He caressed her left cheek before whispering in her right ear. "Oh Rachel, you missed me, didn't you? What about a second round?"

Rachel pushed him back and said "Don't touch me" as Garfield tried to get her as far from Adam than he could.

Adonis chuckled. "Oh c'mon, you know you liked it" Rachel was shaking like crazy.

She shook her head. "Stay away from me creep"

He smirked at her. "No, you don't even mean that anyway" The black haired guy took a grip of her wrist and started to walk away with her.

Garfield punched him right in the face. Adam's grip became tighter. It was hurting Rachel even more. "Let me go" she begged him. Garfield pushed him away from her only to get punched in the stomach by Adam. They started to fight against each other and fortunately, a student that worked there forced them to get out. When they got out, Adam McKenzie whispered in Rachel's left ear "I'm not finish yet" before leaving.

Rachel was starting to cry so Garfield pulled her into a hug that she quickly replied to by hugging him back. The blond boy whispered things to her like "shh, everything is okay" or "He's not here anymore, no one is going to hurt you now" and it made her feel loved and in security.

"Thanks Gar" she thanked him. He smiled at her.

"It's nothing Rae"

—At Garfield's Home—

After they left the arcade, Garfield brought Rachel to his house. So they entered only to be greeted by Gar's adoptive parents.

"What is she doing here Gar-" Rita started sternly but she stopped talking at the instant she saw that Rachel had been crying. "Oh poor girl, come here" she hugged her and tried to console her. "What happened?" She asked her son.

"There's a guy that attacked her" Steve frowned.

"Why?" He asked.

Garfield was about to say that he didn't exactly know why but Rachel decided to respond. "Because he likes making my life a misery" Garfield's heart broke when heard that. 'She doesn't deserve this' He thought.

After, they were all in the living room together, sitting on the couches. Rita had made a hot chocolate for Rachel. Garfield was sitting next to Rach. He was patting her back.

"You can sleep in the guest room, Rachel" Rita proposed the girl.

Rachel sobbed and shook her head. "I don't want to bother you" Rita shook her head too.

"You are not bothering us" she started. "You can sleep in our guest room as long as you want" Steve's eyes widened at Rita's sentence.

"Thanks Miss Dayton" Rachel said smiling.

"You're welcome dear"

Garfield walked Rachel to their guest room. They entered and he explained her how is the breakfast, told her where the bathroom is and all those kind of things. Garfield was leaving to his room but he was stopped by Rachel. "Wait"

"Yes Rae?" She walked closer and hugged him.

"Thank you" he smiled and hugged her back. "You're welcome Rae"