A couple of weeks after my outbursts in school and with Kelley and Alex, things have calmed down a little. Pam found out about it all and has been making me go see a therapist about it, saying that I never had the chance to get all my emotions out when it happened.
I get a lot of sympathetic looks from students around school since everyone now knows I've got dead parents. The boys were not happy when they found out but I managed to stop them doing something that would get them in trouble with coach.
Mr Davis gave me detention for a week, I think my rant to him may have lessened my sentence probably because I played the dead parents cared and he felt harsh, he should've.
Alex always makes sure to check up on me if I've been MIA for a couple of hours scared that I'm going to do what we talked about that night but I'm not in that headspace anymore.
I'm sitting in the car right now with Alex as she drives me to my parent's gravestone, my therapist also thought it would be good for me to talk to them even though it's just a piece of stone, it's not like they're in there but I'll give it ago.
"here we are, do you want me to wait in the car," Alex asks as we pull up outside the huge black gates
"Please, I won't be too long," I say and hop out my side, taking a deep breath in of the all too familiar setting I'm looking at.
I follow the path to where I know my parent are buried and awkwardly sit down in front of their tombstones wondering what the hell I'm meant to say.
"I dont really know what I'm supposed to say so I guess I'll start with, hey guys?" I say as more of a question
"I'm 17 now if you didn't know already, in my Junior in high school, my third one of the year actually but I think I'll be sticking around at this one for a while. Schools alright I guess, I'm on the soccer and football team which can be a bit much sometimes but I love both of my teammates to death, they really are like family" I say and glance to the car waiting for me
"I'm trying hard mom, I'm trying to stay as positive as you did, always thinking of what's going good in my life but it's really hard to do that right now, I just want to crawl into a ball and stay there for eternity. I don't have the same energy you did, even when you knew you were dying." I say and my fingers hover over the engraved name on the stone.
"and dad I'm doing everything in my power to find out what really happened to you, I know if your where here right now that you'd tell me to not bother because it's too dangerous but I can't carry on with life not knowing the truth, it's eating me up." I tell the imaginary people
"I love you guys I really do and I wish more than anything in the world that I still had you by my side but for whatever reason, it wasn't meant to be," I say and wipe the stray tear falling from my eyes
"I better get going, my friends waiting for me, I think you'd like her a lot of mom, she's got the same kind soul you did. Alright by guys, love you both" I say and stand up walking back to Alex's car.
"Everything okay?" Alex asks as I buckle myself in
"Yeah, thanks for driving Alex," I said smiling to the girl I've grown to love like a sister over these months
"my pleasure" She says smiling back as she turns the radio on for the drive home.
I'm going to figure out what happened to you dad, even if it's the last thing I do.
- - - -
"You ready to do this?" Alex asks me as I stand in the locker room after our last game
"No, yes, maybe, I don't know" I say my hands shaking a little
"Is Dan Parker finally nervous over something" She says gasping sarcastically
"Of course not! I'm not nervous, why would I be nervous" I say, clearly nervous
"You better figure it out cause she's coming now" Alex says smirking at me still pointing to Kelley walking down the corridor with Ash by her side.
You see after the team found out about our kiss and how we're not official yet they've been teasing us none stop, so right now I'm currently getting ready to ask Kelley to finally be my girlfriend.
"Why is everyone looking at me to weirdly, what's going on?" Kelley ask confused as she steps into the locker room.
"Freckles" I say grabbing her attention. She spins around to face me still looking confused as to what's going on
"When I first came to this town I didn't think anything of it, it was just another place that I was being dragged to because of Mick but it all changed when I went into my first class." I say grabbing Kelley's hands in mine as she looks me in the eyes
"I walked in thinking god help me, I can't think of anywhere worse to be but then I looked up and saw your freckled face and hazel eyes across the room and I knew you where something special there and then." I tell Kelley, a blush rising up her cheeks
"I've gotten to know you better over these last couple of months and I can't help but fall for you harder everyday so, after a little meddling from our friends, I want to know if you'd be my girlfriend Kelley O'Hara?" I ask Kelley hoping she doesn't embarrass me right now
"I would love to be" She says smiling up at me while the blush rises up her face more.
I huge grin sets on my lips and I pull her closer closing the distance between our lips as we hear all our friends cheer loudly in the background for us.
"Ash that was way better than you're proposal to me" Ali says turning to her girlfriend getting a laugh out of the room.
"Just don't leave" She whispers in my ear as we hug
"I don't plan on going anywhere Freckles" I say kissing her
I have a huge smile on my face while we all get changed after our game and I keep stealing glances at my new girlfriend not getting tired of calling her that just yet.
All of a sudden Alex turns to me looking a little panicked.
"Emelia just text saying mom rushed out the house saying that her lawyer called and it was an emergency, she said mom looked pretty panicked" Alex tells me getting herself worked up
"Hey it's okay, why don't we head to your house and speak to your sister and then go from there, I'm sure there's a perfect explanation for it all" I say to Alex hoping to settle her nerves before she gives herself a panick attack
"Good game today guys, we'll catch you all tomorrow" I say to the team and run over to Kelley quickly kissing her lips before heading back out to Alex's car
I decide to drive us home since Alex seems pretty distracted right now and definitely not thinking straight enough to be driving a vehicle. As soon as we park the car she jumps straight out and into the house where Emelia is sitting down at the kitchen counter
"Em what's going on with mom, why did she just leave like that" Alex asks her sister
"I don't know Lex, she was fine one minute and then she got a call and she rushed out saying it was her lawyer and to order food in for dinner" Emelia explains seeming just as frantic as her sister
"Okay how about both of you take a second to breathe, your mom is with her lawyer clearly working things through with the divorce, for now why don't we help her out when she comes home. Tidy the place up, cook her favourite meal?" I ask the sisters hoping it will distract them a little
"Okay yeah that sounds good, mom loves Chicken Alfredo" Alex says making me smile
"Perfect, that's like my speciality so why don't I cook that for all of us and you two start cleaning around the house" I say and see the pair nod while I head to the fridge getting all the ingredients I need to make Pams favourite meal apparently.
It doesn't take me long to get the meal together and I soon help the siblings out in reorganising the house a little. With Pam being a nurse and working late shifts as well as this whole divorce situation happening, she hasn't had much of a chance to catch a break.
A couple of hours go by and we finally think we've got the house back to some normality, we all crash onto the couch not realising how exhausting cleaning could be
"I don't think I've ever been his tired after a game" Alex says as she sprawls herself across my body
"Me neither and I had soccer and football practice on the same day once" I say causing the two Morgan siblings to chuckle.
Just as Emelia is about to say something we hear keys outside the front door start to jingle and watch as Pam walks in a huge smile on her face
"Mom!" Alex and Emelia shout leaping up out their seat to hug her
"Not that I don't love your hugs but what is this for" She says once her two daughters let go
"We were worried mom, you ran out the house looking really panicked and we thought something bad had happened" Emelia explains
"And I said there was nothing to worry about" I say butting into the conversation and walking over to give Pam a hug myself.
"I'm fine girls, the lawyer called about the divorce case with your dad-"
"Michael" Alex say cutting off her mother
"Micheal, and told me the some really good news" Pam says excitedly a huge smile on his face
"What is it!" Emilia shouts asking the million dollar question we're all thinking
"Well it turns out- wait is that Chicken Alfredo I smell?" Pam asks stopping mid sentence all of a sudden.
"Oh yeah, well while you were out Dan has the great idea of helping you out a little so we made your favourite dish and cleaned the house top to bottom for you" Alex says
"You guys are too sweet, you didn't have to do all that for me" Pam says tears in her eyes
"Please don't cry mom" Em says and hugs her mom's waist while Alex and I get pulled in by her arms
"You're making me all mushy, come on I want to try some of this food" She says causing us too chuckle as we head into the kitchen
I serve everyone up a dish and we sit chatting about how our day went in school and what crazy thing we did, somehow I let Alex tell Pam about the multiple times I've been kicked out of class and while us three kids find it pretty hilarious, Pam wasn't happy about a few of them but she did laugh in the end.
We migrate to the couch after we've finished eating and put on a film to watch as all of us snuggle up to each other, I find myself sprawled across Alex's lap while Emelia basically lays on top of me since she's light enough.
"Wait I never told you what the lawyer said!" Pam says in realisation
"What did she say!" Alex asks sitting up too
"It turns out your dad had a side business running that he didn't tell anyone about and he was doing it to make enough money for his new family but because he was stupid and don't read the contract the business was signed to both of us because he used the house as insurance and that's under both our names." Pam explains
"He had a side business of what?" Emelia asks shocked
"Investments, remember when he 'lost his job' that year back and we didn't have his income for like 6 months well he was actually saving all that money for this business and invest in a bunch of small business. One of them happens to be Horizon" Pam says and we all just stare at her in shock
"Sorry do you mean Horizon, the clothes shop that literally has almost a store in every state in America" I say not believing what she's saying
"That Horizon indeed, your dad gave them 50 grand to start their business up and in return he signed a contract to gain 8 percent profit for whatever money they make" Pam says smiling widely at the three of us while we all gape at her like fish
"I can't wrap my head around this, you're telling me dad gets 8 percent profit from a company like Horizon!" Emelia says
"How much do they even make?" I ask since it's got to be quite a lot
"This year they turned over 300 million dollars" She says and I let out an audible gasp
"That's-" Alex says but I cut her off
"24 million dollars, are you telling me that you get all that money" I say in disbelief
"Yep, the court ruled in our favour since your father planned to leave us with nothing and go off with his new family and since he lied about being out of a job where we struggled for 6 months since I was the only one bringing in any money, the judge said he didn't deserve any of it" Pam explains
"And since you're also in the contract there's no way he can get a single penny of it" I say smirking in realisation
"Are we millionaires mom?" Alex asks her mother
"Yes Alex, technically we are millionaires" She says smiling as her two daughter leap on top of her cheering loudly.
I can't help but feel happy for the family, having to grow up with little money and your mother working long hours to try and provide you with food, all while your father was living a second life and leaving you to struggle. He got what he deserved and so did these guys.
"I was thinking if you're up for it, we can go house hunting this weekend, I think we deserve some fresh scenery around here" Pam says causing the two girls to squeal happily
"Don't think you're not coming too Dan" She says looking at me
"It's really not my place Pam, this is a family thing" I try to say
"And you think you're not family! I see you as my daughter Dan and you can't get out of it that reality" She says and l smile happily before being pulled into the hug too
So this is what it feels like to have a family again, I guess it's been so long since I had mine I forgot what it feels like to be loved around here