Friday morning began with an early start. I woke up at five thirty for some reason, rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, and realized a moment later that it was completely futile. So I dragged myself out of bed and padded to the shower. When I was smelling like my favorite cherry blossom shampoo and just a little more awake, I yanked off the shower faucet and wrapped myself up in a towel. It took me about five minutes to get dressed, brush my hair, and dust on my usual light layer of makeup.
After that was all finished, it was barely six fifteen. I needed to get out of the house.
I slipped on my coat, tucked my cell phone into my pocket, grabbed my school bag, and left the apartment. Mom and Dad were heavy sleepers - no surprises there since they worked ridiculous hours - so slipping outsider unheard wasn't a problem. I probably should have left them a note telling them I left earlier, but I decided that I just didn't care at the moment.
The streets outside weren't as busy as they normally were, so it took less time to get to the subway. The subway ride seemed much shorter than it normally did, too. And it was when I was walking off the train did I realize where I'd unconsciously decided to go. I'd unintentionally been heading to the coffee house. Hopefully the Morales family wouldn't mind an unexpected visit. I knew what had happened yesterday couldn't have been easy for any of them to hear, and the last thing they needed was someone dropping in on them without announcing the visit first.
I'd made it to the top of the street where the coffee house and was just deciding on turning back around to actually head for school when I caught sight of Archer sitting outside on the sidewalk. I couldn't see his face, but I knew it was him, and I knew must've had a lot of his mind.
Before I could change my mind, I fast walked down the sidewalk to the coffee house and dropped myself down onto the ground beside Archer. He looked up in surprise at me and raised an eyebrow, his lips pressed together in a tight line.
"What're you doing in here?" he asked quietly, scuffing his shoe against the sidewalk.
"Couldn't sleep," I said with a shrug. "And I wanted a cherry Danish."
Archer gave a snort of a laugh. "Very funny."
"I try."
I saw him fiddling with something in his hands out of the corner of my eye and turned to see that he was rolling a cigarette between his fingers. There was a disconcerting look in his eyes as he twisted the cigarette between his fingers, like he was having a serious internal debate with himself.
"Need a light?" I asked, pursing my lips.
Archer shook his head, the corners of his lips twisting in a grin. "I haven't smoked in awhile."
Well, I certainly hadn't been expecting to hear that.
"You haven't? Why not?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice down.
"Some annoying girl made me see reason," Archer said nonchalantly. "No big deal, really."
Huh. Not a big deal? I happened to think it was a very big deal, but to each her own.
"I bet that annoying girl is proud of you for it, though," I said in what I hoped was a cheery voice.
"Oh, I don't know," Archer sighed. He bounced the cigarette in his palm for a second before he whipped back his arm and chucked it across the street. I lost sight of it a second later. "She probably is, but she's so confusing I have no idea what she's thinking about all the time."
My heart started pounding against my chest at his words and I was hesitant to look him in the eye. I had rarely ever heard Archer be so open before, even in a jestful manner. The only time he'd ever been open to sharing with me was probably that one time he told me about his dad in Central Park.
But was I really that confusing?
I took a deep breath and glanced up at Archer. His gaze was directed on something across the street, and everything about his face was serious; the look in his eyes, his locked jaw, the way his lips were pressed together.
I don't know what made me reach out and grab his hand, but that's what I did a second later. Archer jerked in surprise and flinched away from my touch. I winced out of embarrassment and immediately started mentally berating myself. How stupid was that?
But then it was my turn to jump in suprise when Acher's long, thin fingers laced through mine. His hand was loose around my own, like he was afraid to touch me or something. For that moment, though, I didn't really mind it.
I desperately wanted to ask him if he was alright, if there was anything I could do to help him. However, I'd learned from past experiences that totally wasn't a smart thing to do. If Acher was going to tell me what the hell he was thinking or feeling, he'd have to do it on his own.
The thing was? I don't think I had the time to wait for that.
Archer pulled himself up to his feet a few minutes later and helped me up next. I grabbed my school bag off the ground and tossed it over my shoulder. I turned to ask Archer what was going to happen next, but he beat me to the punch.
"What happened to your head?" he asked, a frown creasing his features.
My hand immediately flew to the shallow cut above my right eye and I gave a sheepish smile. "A book fell off one of the shelves in the library and hit me on the head."
He stared at me in amazement. "You are such a clutz."
I laughed awkwardly, trying to make it seem like I was agreeing with him. This was hardly the case.
That book falling off that shelf, hitting me on the head, was no accident and this definitely wasn't paranoia on my part. It took me probably a good half hour of thinking before I finally realized the relation between that stupid law book and the new game Havoc seemed fond of playing.
What had Archer told me when he found me after school yesterday? He'd told me his father's attorney was calling for a retrial. He'd already been convicted of first degree murder and yet he was asking for a retrial just because his lawyer had Alzheimer's?
That didn't make any sense. Something about this didn't add up. There had to be more going on underneath the surface than anybody else was aware of.
And this was no coincidence. Havoc was trying to tell me something, and the message had definitely been received.
"Is your mom awake?" I asked Archer, lost in thought.
"Yes," Archer answered slowly. "The triplets have to be at preschool by eight. Why?"
"I need to talk to her," I said.
That was the only explanation I gave before I turned on my heel and made my way for alley that lead around to the back of the coffee house.
Archer followed suit, hot on my heels. "Hadley, what's going on?"
"I need to talk to your mom," I repeated. "About your dad."
Archer reached out and yanked my hand back as I went to open the back door. He spun me around, gripping my shoulders tightly, digging his fingernails into my jacket. "That's not a good idea. At all."
I knew talking to Regina about Patrick St. Pierre was something undoubtedly risky, but I had to do it. And besides, I knew somebody who could help.
"You just have to trust me on this one, Archer," I told him, cutting my eyes to his.
Archer looked as if trusting me was the last thing he wanted to do. His eyes were narrowed, his posture rigid, and everything about him screamed overprotective, and all for his mom.
His breathing was a little ragged as he deliberated over an answer for what felt like several minutes. He finally gave an exasperated sigh and said, "If you make her cry, Jamison, I swear to God you won't ever step foot in this place again."
I flinched backwards at Archer's harsh, abrasive tone and the urge to take off sprinting was more than overpowering. But that wouldn't do me any good, because this was something that had to be dealt with right then and not sometime later.
Archer's threat would definitely become a reality, I knew that, but I couldn't take the chance of not doing this.
"I can't promise that," I admitted, thinking of mine and Regina's conversation on Wednesday night. "But I can promise that I'm going to help."
Archer looked taken aback by my words and I turned and opened the back door before he had a chance to say anything else. I slipped inside as quietly as possible and Archer was right behind me, moving even quieter than I was.
It felt like it took ten minutes to walk up the stairs to the family's apartment, and when I finally reached the front door of the place, I was breathing heavily and my heart was pounding. You'd think that I'd be in shape doing body toning, but apparently not.
The door to the apartment was unlocked and I could hear the sounds of breakfast being served in the kitchen, but I still moved with light footsteps as I stepped inside the place.
April, May, and June were seated at the bar in the kitchen with plates of steaming pancakes in front of them, and they were chatting and giggling like usual, oblivious to the fact that something horrible had just occurred. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw them, alive and well and unharmed. Havoc hadn't gotten to them yet.
Regina was at the stove in the kitchen, looking oddly thin since the last time I'd seen her. Victoria was nowhere in sight.
Archer slammed the front door shut behind us and Regina turned towards us in surprise, looking shocked to see me standing in the living room.
"Hadley," Regina said in a surprised voice. "What brings you here?"
Before I had the chance to answer, the girls all whipped around, shouted "Hadley!" and then took off running to tackle me in a tight hug.
"Hi, girls," I said quickly, returning their hugs, then turned back to Regina. "I need to talk to you, Regina."
Maybe it was something in my voice that made Regina realize that this was going to be no simple conversation. She must have known what was coming, because her already pale face turned even whiter and I could see her swallow hard. Her eyes were already bloodshot and shinning and I hoped she was going to cry. I really hoped she wasn't going to cry.
"Archer." Regina addressed her son in a hard, firm voice. "Go get the girls ready for school."
"But what about our pancakes!" May exclaimed loudly.
"You'll get them later," Regina said. "Now go with your brother."
Archer scooped May up into his arms and ushered April and June towards the stairs, but not before turning back to me with a serious look on his face.
"I sure hope you know what you're doing," he muttered warningly before taking the girls up the stairs.
Yeah, I thought with a mental sigh. I sure hope I know what I'm doing, too.
I set my bag on the couch in the living room and walked into the kitchen to Regina. She was leaning up against the counter with her arms crossed and she had definitely seen better days.
"I'm sorry," I said honestly. "Archer told me what happened yesterday."
Regina inhaled shakily and gave a nod, not meeting my eye, and didn't say anything.
"But I think have a way to help."
Regina snapped her head up and stared up at me with an incredulous look. "Hadley, you're 16. What could you possibly due to help with -"
"My dad."
I highly doubted I could have pulled a more shocking turn on her than I did just there.
Regina looked like she was about to faint. She clutched at the counter and she started breathing shakily, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.
"I don't...I mean I can't afford to have your father work this case," she said in a trembling voice. "He's one of the best lawyers in the city, and we certainly don't have the money to-"
"Look, Regina," I cut her off. "Money's not going to matter here, I promise you that. He already knows about your situation, and it doesn't hurt to try, right? My dad isn't an asshole. I'm sure he'll understand."
I knew this wasn't going to be easy, convincing Regina that my dad really could be an asset for their family. There was no getting around the fact that Dad's prices were most certainly not cheap. And Regina was right. There was no way they could afford Dad's services.
But I couldn't remember the last time I'd ever asked my parents for anything and if I knew my father like I thought I did, then he'd do this. He may have been neck deep in with the city cheapskates and Wall Street sharks, but he was a good person. It really was hard to not be affected by the Morales family and how honestly pure of heart they all were. Dad was no exception.
"Why are you doing this, Hadley?" Regina asked, her voice dead serious as she stared at me.
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You're going to get yourself into not very nice things if you do this," she elaborated. "I'm not trying to be rude, but you're asking for trouble. You've never dealt with things like this before, have you?"
I shook my head, realizing she was right, but kept my ground anyways. "I haven't, but I honestly don't care. None of you deserve this, and I promise you I'll do everything I can to help. You all are honestly like my second family and I don't want to see something bad like this happen to you."
Both of us were quiet after my rather long winded speech. I was shocked at myself that I'd even spoke up like that. But I'd meant every word I'd said. Over these last 17 days, I'd spent more time with the Morales family than I had my own and I wasn't about to let anything happen to any of them. I mean, Archer was a Morales, wasn't he?
"I'm not sure whether this is going to work or not," Regina said in a strained voice a moment later. "But it would be rude of me not to accept your offer. And I'm honored that you consider us your family. You're a great young woman, Hadley."
It was probably because I'd never been told that before that made me rush forward to throw my arms around Regina in a tight hug. Regina was more like a mother to me than my own one and I didn't want something like this to backfire at her. Patrick St. Pierre was better left locked up. Even if the chance that would happen was infinitesimally small, it had to be taken care of immediately. Not everybody in the judicial system played with a full deck of cards.
I certainly knew Havoc wasn't.
"You want to tell me what that whole talk with my mom was about?"
I glanced over at Archer as we walked towards school, a little hesitant to tell him what was going on. "You probably don't want to hear it."
Archer's eyes narrowed. "Try me."
I blew out a sigh, keeping my eyes trained on my feet as we walked. "You and your mom are going to need to come over to my place after school. And you'll need to bring your dad's case file with you, too."
That was definitely enough to shock Archer speechless. "What?" he gasped.
"I know you think I'm stupid and incapable of doing much, but I'm going to try and help with this one," I told him seriously. "It's in your family's best interest to just trust me. I know what I'm doing."
"I don't think you're stupid," he told me with an eye roll. "I think you're ridiculous. But I wouldn't keep talking to you if I didn't think you were something."
"Okay," I snorted. "If you say so."
Archer gave me a slight smirk before ducking me under the chin. "Come on. We've got class to get to."
I rolled my eyes, gave an annoyed huff, and followed after him as we walked into school.
What a day this was turning out to be.
I left the cafeteria during lunch and went out into the nearest hallway to call Dad. I crossed my fingers after dialing his number and hoped that he would answer in a timely manner and that I wouldn't get his voicemail. I think I'd called Dad all of three times at work since I first got a cell phone, and that had been a good six years ago. He had to answer his phone, didn't he?
"Hadley?" Dad answered on the third ring. "Is everything okay? What's wrong? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Dad," I quickly reassured him. "Everything's alright."
"You're still at school, aren't you?" Dad asked, sounding confused.
"Yeah, I am. But listen. I called because I need you to be at the apartment around five tonight. There's somebody I need you to meet."
Dad fell silent over the line for a few beats before answering. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Patrick St. Pierre requesting a retrial would it?"
I let out an exasperated sigh. "Dad, would you please just talk to them? I haven't ever asked you for anything like this before, and the Morales family are good people. They don't deserve any of what they've been dealt. I'm not asking you to represent them in court, Dad. They just need help with this."
Any chance I might have had in getting Dad to help me out with this was probably thrown out the window the second I snapped at him like that. I waited with baited breath with my eyes squeezed shut for Dad's response. I was expecting to get chewed out to the third degree. I was expecting to be told that I had to quit working at Mama Rosa's and that -
"Okay, Hadley. I'll be there."
My jaw dropped. "Really?"
Dad gave a laugh over the line, and I figured he was smiling. "Really, really. Make sure they bring the case file, though."
"Right...okay. Thank you, Dad. This means a lot."
"I know."
I was feeling very pleased with myself after I ended the call with Dad and returned to the cafeteria. So far, everything was going according to plan. And I was hoping that everything was going to be in our favor, too.
"What's that smile on your face for?" Archer asked as I took my seat across the lunch table from him.
"Nothing, nothing," I replied nonchalantly, shrugging a shoulder. "Nice day, isn't it?"
Archer looked out the huge, pane-glass windows towards the front of the cafeteria. The sky was covered in thick, gray clouds that threatened rain. Then he looked back at me with a blank expression. "You're weird."
"So I've been told."
Regina was waiting outside JFK for Archer and me after the final bell of the day. It was Friday and all the teens around us were packed together in a rush to get home for the weekend, but I could easily spot Archer's mother almost anywhere. She looked downright nervous with her bag clutched to her chest as the two of us made our way over to her.
I kept my distance as Archer pulled Regina off to the side and murmured something to her in Italian that I didn't understand. Regina replied in a quiet but frantic voice. What she said made Archer wrap his arms around her in a tight hug.
I knew I was intruding on a private moment between mother and son, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from either of them. It was beginning to become clear to me that Regina relied heavily on Archer. For support, for comfort, for being the mold that kept their family together.
If Archer took his own life, there was no way Regina would be able to handle it.
Archer and Regina joined me a moment later on the sidewalk. Regina still looked freaked out to within an inch of her life, but there was a renewed sort of vigor in her step that had me a little reassured.
"Ready?" I asked her, giving a small smile.
Regina nodded, giving as best a smile as she could. "Ready."
Archer flagged down a cab and the three of us clambered in, all of us waiting for the outcome of how this visit with my dad was going to turn out.
It felt as if the taxi ride took two centuries. I was practically bouncing in my seat the entire time. If Archer hadn't jabbed an elbow into my side and shot me a glare I probably would have started shrieking out of nerves.
I threw a handful of bills at the driver before I even checked the tab and tossed myself out of the cab after Regina and Archer when the cab pulled up to the curb outside my family's apartment complex. I slammed the cab door shut behind me and the cab squealed off without any hesitation.
Regina and Archer stood on the sidewalk and stared up at the building with equal looks of befuddlement on their faces.
Oh, great.
"This is where you live?" Archer asked me in an incredulous voice, giving me a horrified look.
I felt my face filling with heat and quickly walked up to the front doors to let myself in without giving an answer. I didn't exactly need Archer's horror about where I lived weighing on my shoulders on top of everything else.
Hanson, the doorman, gave Regina and Archer polite smiles as they followed after me to the elevator. Regina and Archer both looked as if they felt highly out of place as we rode the elevators up to the seventh floor. I wished I could do something to make them feel more at ease, to let them know that I wasn't some stuck up rich bitch or whatever people claimed I was. Right now wasn't the exact ideal time for that.
I let out a sigh of relief when the elevator doors opened out onto the seventh floor. It wasn't that I didn't want Archer or Regina to have this sort of snapshot into my life. On the contrary, I figured it was probably a good idea. I mean, how kind had that family been to me so far? And I'd shared just about nothing about myself with them ever.
When I opened the front door of the apartment, I saw Dad's coat tossed over the couch in the living room, so that was good. Definitely good. Dad had kept his promise.
"Uh, come in..." I said awkwardly, gesturing towards the living room.
I didn't exactly know how to describe the look of disgust on Archer's face when he walked into the apartment, shutting the front door behind him. It looked like this was the last place he wanted to be at the moment and and that he couldn't imagine somebody would even live in a place like where I did.
I opened my mouth to say something to him, but my words fell short by the arrival of my father.
"Hello. You must be Regina," Dad said in a courteous voice, reaching out to shake Regina's hand.
Regina stared at Dad for several moments before she seemed to regain her composure and return the hand gesture with a shaky "Hello."
I'll admit that Dad did look pretty intimidating. He was tall -even taller than Archer-and in his formal work clothes, he looked like he belonged apart of the British royal family.
"And you must be Archer," Dad continued, turning to Archer.
Archer nodded, his jaw locked and a slight tick going in his cheek. He returned Dad's handshake with a bit of hesitance and looked anywhere but at him.
"Thank you...for meeting with us today," Regina began, clearing her throat. "It means a lot."
I watched the exchange between Archer's mother and my father nervously, feeling my heart pounding in my chest.
There was a sympathetic glint in Dad's eyes as he nodded and smiled slightly. "Please don't mention it. I'm glad to be of help."
Regina looked shocked at Dad's answer. "Right."
"Well, shall we?" Dad said, gesturing towards the dining table off to the side.
Regina turned to Archer and said something to him in Italian that made his eyes narrow and his lips tighten in a thin line.
"Care for a walk, Hadley?" Archer said in a stiff voice, his eyes still locked on his mother.
"Uh...sure," I replied quickly, throwing my bag on the couch. "See you in a bit, Dad. Regina."
I gave Regina a reassuring squeeze before heading for the front door, Archer close behind me.
I'd wanted to be present for the meeting, but I could understand that Regina wanted privacy for this visit.
Neither of us said anything as we took the elevator down to the lobby and stepped outside into the crisp night air. Dusk had already fallen and the street lights had long since flickered on.
We stood outside on the sidewalk for several moments, the cold air cutting through the tense atmosphere like a knife.
"I should've known."
I looked over at Archer in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Archer gave a disgusted sigh, scuffing his shoe on the sidewalk. "That you'd live in a place like this. I'd almost forgotten you were knee deep in a shit ton of money."
That was the last thing I was expecting to hear.
"What, do you resent me because of my parents' jobs?" I demanded, my voice rising sharply. "It's not my money!"
"Your parents seem pretty at ease with flaunting their windfall, don't they?" Archer asked me, ignoring my question. "That's some apartment you have."
"You think I have anything to do with that? Where I live?" I fired back. "Archer, I don't even know my parents! I just share an apartment with them! Do you think I enjoy being left alone by myself all the time? I don't give a damn about their money! I'd trade my parents' income in a heartbeat to have the family you do!"
Archer didn't say anything after my sudden heated outburst. I didn't say anything, either. I was breathing heavily like I'd just run a mile and I couldn't meet his eye. I just stood there, my gaze directed at my feet, and tried not to think of the worst possible scenario that could happen after this. At this point, anything could happen, right?
So when the silence stretched on between us, I took one of the biggest risks with this entire thing I'd ever done.
"My middle name is Ann. I hate eating vegetables and I like taking bubble baths at least once a week. My favorite color is purple. I eat about a box of waffles on the weekends and I still watch Spongebob Squarepants. Someday I hope I'm going to get married and have kids. And someday I'd like to go to school for urban designing."
I stopped talking when my voice started shaking -whether out of nerves or anger I wasn't sure. I was silently hoping that Dad was going to call and say it was alright to head back up to the apartment and that Archer and Regina could head home. This had been a more than stressful past two days and this sudden outburst from Archer was completely overwhelming.
I knew he was pissed off about a lot of things, but I'd thought he'd let go of the fact that my family undoubtedly came from money. What other grudges could he possibly have at the moment?
"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"
I stared up at Archer, a little confused as to why he was giving me a slight smirk.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
Before Archer could answer, my cell phone started ringing loudly in my pocket, cutting off whatever he'd been about to say.
"Dad?" I answered quickly.
"You and Archer can go ahead and come up," Dad said over the line. "We've finished talking."
Dad didn't sound too stressed or anything, so maybe everything had gone alright.
Archer and I returned to the apartment without saying anything. This time, though, the silence wasn't all that uncomfortable. It was probably even a little nice.
I opened the door to the apartmenth and peeked inside cautiously. Dad and Regina were conversing in the living room, their voices considerably friendly and at ease.
"Hi, you two," Regina said with a smile as we stepped inside. "Nice walk?"
I scowled, rolling my eyes. "Tremendously nice."
"We'd better be heading home, Archer," Regina continued, addressing her son. "April, May, and June should be getting home soon, and we've got to leave soon." She stood as she talked, heading for the front door. "Oh, and Hadley? My sister Sophia has invited us to stay at her place in Albany for the weekend. Your father's given you permission to come with us, if you'd like."
My jaw dropped and I stared at Dad sitting on the couch with an incredulous look. He just grinned in response and held up his hands in a it's-your-choice-to-go-if-you-want gesture.
It looked like I was going to Albany for the weekend.
It would at least give me a chance to find out what had transpired between Dad and Regina during their short meeting. It would give me a chance to keep an eye on the triplets and Archer.
Who knows? Maybe it was even going to be fun.