The Exception

Chapter 59: A Family Effort

"Oh! I'm so late for school!" I jumped from the couch, but not realizing I had a blanket around me, tripped. Luckily, my dad was there, and he caught me before I smacked my head against the tea-table.

"Relax, hun, you're only five-hours late..."

"Dad!" I squealed. "I'm in so much trouble? Why didn't you wake me!?"

My dad laughed and shook his head. "I'm not an idiot, Agnus...I called the school, and organized with them that you could have the next two days off..."

"The next two days?"

"For trauma councelling, considering the fight happened on school property..."

"You're not sending me to a ..."

"No, no, I just needed a good excuse for the school not to be too suspicious...besides, consider me the councellor..."

I frowned and shook my head. "I was really out of it..."

"Like a baby," Keith appeared at the door and smiled.

"Keith...what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at..."

"Work? Today is actually my day off..."

"And you're spending it here? With me? Knocked out?" I asked and sighed.

"Actually no, the first ten minutes after you passed out was spent organizing and explaining things to your parents, the next ten minutes was spent getting Mila off my back...quite literally, I might add, and then was a lovely breakfast...Mrs Rondo, makes a fantastic Omelete, might I add...and then the rest of the time was playing hide and seek with your little sister...which is funny, considering I haven't found her yet since two hours ago..."

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"I'm just messing with you, she hid in closet, then the broom closet, then the pantry, then your closet, then your parents closet...mind you, I did not open that, then another closet, then back to her own closet....and then she passed out, because she was tired of finding all the most difficult hiding places in the world..."

I laughed so hard and shook my head. I looked up to see my dad's concerned face.

"Honey, you should have told us you needed a break, we really would have understood...the move...everything happening after that, and then this fight...we could see it did a number on you, but it took Keith turning up at our doorstep to get you to admit you need time..."

"I honestly thought I could handle it..." I looked up at Keith. "Turns out I was wrong trying to handle it on my own."

My dad nodded and sighed. 

"Where is mom?"

"She's out getting us some pizza and a movie, which we all will be watching... and enjoying...but maybe you need to have a shower and get dressed first...unless you want to take a longer nap..."

"No, I'm good," I said. I stood up, and for once, I actually felt better. A weight had been lifted, and the fact that I didn't need to go to school today was such a major blessing. I turned to Keith. "Thank you..."

"What are friends for?"

I smiled as he said it. Most of my friends would back off if I asked them to. Most friends would believe me, if I told them directly I was fine. However, considering all this circumstances, I knew Keith was one of a kind. 

"You staying for the movie Keith?" my dad asked him. 

I glanced at Keith who smiled "Sure, if it's good movie."

"Shame, you really don't have to spend your entire day off with me," I said, feeling bad that he couldn't even sleep late. He only shook his head.

"Trust me, this is probably one of the best ways of spending my day off. My mom's at work, and all my other friend's are doing school work, and so I'd pretty much be stuck...home alone..."

"Don't you have school?" I asked him.

"I've pretty much gotten used to working late afternoon's into the night's, besides...technically, I'm on holiday from that for a little while even though I am not  on holiday with my work...so..." Keith winked at me. "Don't worry about me. Worry about you, and just, relax...please..."

"I'm gonna take a shower..."

"Don't forget your yellow duckie..."

I laughed and shook my head as I went to my bedroom.  Surely enough I showered, got into my comfortable clothes, because Keith had literally seen me in my worst now, and walked back into the sitting room. Keith was busy talking to my dad, and I could hear my dad laughing every three minutes. It reminded me a lot of the time I used to work in the Candy Store. Keith was witty. He didn't let his dark past make him bitter or angry or resentful.

Which made him so much different to Evan. It took me a while, but in reality, Evan's witty insults might just be a form of his anger. Albeit, I never saw him as visibly angry as I may have seen Keith, he lashed out more, hurt people more. Evan is the way he is, because he is hurt.  Evan still had a lot of explaining to do. 

But not today. I just hope he doesn't show up at my doorstep, or then it'll turn my day straight back into night. I couldn't deal with him now, and with me being so tired, Evan could probably just weazle his way out of any scenario. I'd make sure, next time, that will not happen. He will have to explain his side of the story, and he'd better make damn sure to be truthful.

My mom came through the door, and the scent of pizza made my mouth water. I was hungry for sure, and was going to enjoy the rest of this day with my family and with Keith.