Finding 'x'

•Confrontations•

By the time I'd rushed down from the second level to make it out of the school's clinic, my fatigue had returned and Hot cop had already dragged the man far away than I could manage to reach on foot. So I opted for reaching them with my voice.

I didn't bother calling on Hot cop, one valid reason being that I didn't even know his name. Instead, I called on what my intuition chalked up the man to be, regardless of the gathering crowd and hefty security men that were helping to throw the trash out.

It was a word I hadn't used for years, a word I didn't think I'll ever use as the person that was supposed to be that man for me had ruined my life;

"Dad!"

I didn't just call the word, I yelled it so loud that I heard it bounce off the walls of various buildings and echoed over and over again. 

Everyone that was around stilled in shock, including me. Especially me.

Because the man didn't only nod vigorously to validate my hunch, he also shrug off the men holding on to him, ran towards me, with the speed of light and engulfed me in a bone crushing hug.

"Yes… that's me… I'm your daddy. I swear it I'm your daddy!" He repeated over and over.

I froze like a deer caught in headlights even if I was fighting off the urge to puke and it wasn't because of the stench that radiated off him. It was because I was sick of the sudden proximity that the seemingly mentally unstable man was exhibiting.

Luckily, Hot cop was on standby to pry us apart. However, when he began dragging him out once again, I snapped out of my daze and shrieked;

"Wait!"

 I didn't just rush like a maniac and screamed my lungs out just for a bear hug from a stinking gorilla, I wanted some sort of explanation from the scumbag himself. I wanted to know why he was suddenly back after seventeen years of desertion.

Maybe he needs money?

That was what I'm placing my bet on. He sure looked like he could use a whole lot of it.

"I want to talk to him. Alone!" I announced with my knuckles tightened with tension just as Principal Lawrence made it to the scene. 

Surprised gasps rented the air as I made the declaration but the one that stood out was that of Hot cop. Before I knew what was happening he was dragging me away from the crowd in incredulity.

"Are you kidding?! You really want to talk to that man?" We barely got away from the murmurs before he fired.

I yanked away my elbow from his hold before replying his question; "no I'm not kidding and yes, I really want to talk to that man because as it turns out, that man is my fath—"

"The father that left you to suffer in the hands of an unknown man?"

I closed my eyes when he said those words because it stung. It stung so hard that it took all the restraint in me not to reach out my palm to connect it to his face.

"That will be none of your business mister," I snapped in return, "whatever decision I make is none of your business."

"Fine. Let me have you know that the man over there is mentally unstable and he can harm you if you insist on spending lone time with him," he said in a lame attempt to have me change my mind. It didn't work.

"I can handle the consequences of my choices just fine," I replied and stalked off, leaving him standing there and gaping after me like a fool.

The walk back to the scene wasn't a long one. More people, student and teachers, had arrived and waiting around for the drama that was waiting to unfold.