Bar Red's Redemption ✔

c h a p t e r. 45

"Yes," The little goddess nodded, her raven curls spilling over her shoulder in the process. "But I get the fluffy towel."

"You can definitely get the fluffy towel, either way, I win."

"How so?"

"I get to see you naked," Bar smirked. "And I get to know that every inch of gorgeous that you are is mine."

"Flirt."

"You like it."

"Mhm."

***

Once they were at the school, Clementine with her older brother Garnet, Bar realized it was the very last student-teacher conference that he would ever have to attend.

He was more than grateful for that, even if he had to stick by his father's side for two hours and watch as Talmai pretended that he was someone he's not.

Senior year was rolling to an end, kids already applying to colleges and doing whatever they could to bring up their GPAs and to get a good grade on their finals essay.

Bar was not one of those kids.

He didn't apply to any colleges so far and his GPA was basically fucked so he hadn't really been trying either.

As he and Talmai went from classroom to classroom, he could see the confusion and anger on his father's face grow.

Bar was getting good grades for once in his life, he was part of the four percentile that was getting nearly all A's on his tests and exams.

Talmai didn't know how his son did that and the brute figured that his father was pissed off because he would make something out of himself. He would have a future. He would be happy.

And Talmai was just there-- a washed-up, deadbeat cop whose highlight of every night is a cold glass of beer.

Bar would be someone important and his father was finally just realizing it.

His father was just realizing that soon he would lose all control over him. And, as much as Bar loved that fact, he hated that Talmai was angry.

Bad things happen when he's angry.

As they turned to go into Bar's art class, him behind his father, Talmai ran into someone, swearing as he tried to catch the person from falling.

The brute looked over his father's shoulder, freezing in horror as he saw that it was Clementine.

She was smiling awkwardly up at his father as he spoke.

"Sorry, girl. Didn't see you there." Talmai said, relaxing his grip around her shoulders.

Let go of her.

He needs to let go of her.

He needs to stop touching her.

He needs to stop talking at her.

He needs to get away from her.

That was Bar's little goddess. His father had no right-- he had no goddamn right to even look at her.

"No, n-no, it's okay, I-I didn't, um, I didn't see where I w-was going and, and," Clementine gulped, pausing as her eyes moved up and locked onto Talmai's darker one's.

Instantly, the little goddess flinched back, paling.

She recognizes Talmai.

Bar looks so much like his father that it was impossible not to.