Lesson Twenty - Never Be Scared Not To Be The Smartest Person In The Room. How Else Would You Learn To Grow.
Not having seen my dad for a few days I walked into his study and found him working away on his laptop. My dad didn't go to my mothers wedding for obvious reason but he was away to a meeting in London anyway. Though he probably did that on purpose to make sure he wasn't here. The paparazzi would probably have been torturing him too. Wanting to know what he thought about his ex wife's marriage to his business rival.
"Hey, sweetie." He said when he noticed me walk in. He closed the laptop over and got up from his seat.
"Hey dad." I gave him a warm hug welcoming him home. "How was your meeting."
He rolled his eyes and that made me laugh slightly. "Same shit, just a different day."
My dad was a very handsome man but for some reason he looked older today. Clearly something was working away at him and I didn't like it. Any stress of his could be a future problem of mine.
"What's wrong?" He looked at me slightly surprised I noticed, but I notice everything. He of all people should know that by now.
"Nothing." He said waving me off. "The lawyers were just giving me a update on the issue with your mother. They said they are close to getting the business shares that she got from the marriage off her hands."
I knew that wasn't really what seemed to have gotten him so worked up. After all that was good news and he looked like someone had just burned down his factory. I knew though that when my dad didn't want to talk about something he wouldn't. So I didn't press the matter. He would tell me at some point anyway. He always did.
He then turned to face me, a fake smile on his face. "How was the wedding?"
I rolled my eyes. The same eyes that I got from him. "I'm sure you know. It was very over the top but of course that's the way mother would've wanted it."
"I heard you and Riker spent a lot of time together."
Of course he would find that out. The question was how did he know.
"How did you guess that?"
He give me a knowing look. One that a dad would give you when he was both trying to stay out of something but always giving you a warning. "The wedding was all over the news and the paparazzi were taking great interest in you and Riker. More so when you both showed up together."
I was running my fingers along the hundreds of books that was in the bookcases around the room. I was trying to act disinterested in the conversation. I didn't want him thinking I was sleeping with the enemy or something.
"That was mother's idea. She wanted to pair us up because I'm her only daughter and Riker is the Heir to Xavier's Empire after all."
My dad sighed out in defeat knowing I was going to do what I wanted anyway. "Just be careful with him."
I looked at my dad carefully. He knew. He knew what Xavier's business was all about.
"You knew about what they really do don't you?"
I couldn't believe my dad would keep something like that from me. After all if I was to take over his company I would need to know everything that he knows. How am I meant to face these things in the future if he doesn't even tell me what is going on around our families Empire.
"Of course." He shrugged pausing for a moment before sitting down in his leather seat and opening his laptop again. "I know far more about Xavier and what he does than you think."
I glared at him. I couldn't believe him. Does everyone just like keeping secrets from me these days. Then again if I was in their position I wouldn't tell me either. So I let it go.
"I have to go to school I'll see you later dad."
I watched him for a few seconds typing away on his computer before nodding in my direction.
"Ok sweetie, see you later love you."
I sighed and started to walk away.
"Yea love you too dad."
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Driving into Sky's driveway I watched her walk out the front of her house but there was something very different about her. Her eyes were dark and bloodshot, her skin was pale and she looked like shit to put it simply. Sky was naturally such a beautiful girl.
I knew it was to do with her parents though. They had been putting to much pressure on her and have basically locked her away from the world in order to make sure she got the best grades. The only time I have seen her is when I was picking her up for school or in school itself. We haven't actually hung out in ages.
"Are you ok?" I asked as I watched her get into my car.
"Just drive." Her voice sounded so lost and emotionless.
I started the engine again and we sat in silence for a few minutes before I spoke again. I thought carefully about what I was going to say. She looked like any little thing could push her over the edge but I needed to know the truth. I needed to know what was going on with my best friend.
"Sky, are they putting to much pressure on you again?" My voice was soft and I looked at her from the corner of my eyes. I could see her sniffle and there were tears pricked in the corner of her eyes. She was looking down in her lap playing with the ring on her finger.
"I can't do it anymore Lyra." Her voice was even softer than mine and I actually had to concentrate in order to hear her.
"What happened? What did they do this time?" I wanted to do nothing but drive back to her house and give her parents a piece of my mind. They had a perfect daughter that any parents would kill for and yet here they were dragging her down because she wasn't the type of perfect they wanted.
"I got my results from my last test and after cramming in all that studying I got almost a perfect score. I missed the full marks by one." She looked out the window clearly in her own we world as she spoke. "They flipped when they found out saying I should be disowned, saying that I shouldn't be apart of that family because I'm not 'perfect'. I don't even know what perfect is anymore. What they want from me and my brother is impossible. No wonder Ryan killed himself."
I slammed on the breaks and a bunch of cars started honking behind me but I didn't give a shit. I grabbed Sky's arm and she winched when I touched it. This angered me. They had hurt her. Again.
"Let me see."
Slowing she rolled up her selves and there was two red mark on his arm. It was clearly from where her parents had grabbed her. I had never been so angry in my life. Who did they think they were to do something to such a sweet girl.
"You're not going back there." My voice was finally and she looked at me shocked.
"Lyra I have to go back I have no were else to go. Plus they will just drag me back anyway." She pulled the selves down again and looked out the window.
I started to drive again trying to calm myself down. "Don't be stupid Sky you have loads of places to go. Most importantly your my best friend and you should come and stay with me. We are basically sisters anyway, we might as well make it official."
She let out a small laugh but I was deadly serious. I couldn't let her go back to that house. I would always be there for my friends. Even Jake came to live with me when he came out as Gay until his parents came around. The difference was his parents were just shocked, hers were just assholes.
"I can't stay with you my parents will just come and drag me home anyway."
This time it was my turn to laugh. "Please, my house has more security in it than the presidents house. Do you really think your parents would be able to take you from my home without them butting in or more importantly without one of my family members stopping them."
I knew I was going to win this. Sky deserved better in life than what her parents were doing to her. I needed to help her.
"True but Lyra I really don't want to be a burden on anyone." Sky always thought of herself as a burden to her parents. They didn't even want a daughter to begin with never mind everything else that they threw her way.
I pulled into the car park and found a space quickly "Trust me I'm more of a burden to my dad than you would be. Please Sky." I said pulling the car to a stop. "Let me help you."
She looked thoughtful for a moment. I was just happy to see her eyes were clearer now than they were a few minutes ago. At least I was changing her mood, that was something I could always do for her.
"I'll think about it Lyra." I nodded taken the response as a good one. At least she wasn't completely throwing it out the window.
"Come on lets get to class before we're late." Changing the subject as I got out of the car. That was probably enough of that talk. There was no need to push the matter more.
As we were walking towards the the front doors I seen Riker standing off to the side of the building smoking. His hair was a mess and he had a frown placed on his face. I knew it was probably a mistake to go over to him. What ever his problem was it was probably something I didn't want to know.
"Here-" Sky stoped at the top of the steps and looked down at me at the bottom of them. "I'll catch up with you, I'll met you in class." She frowned slightly but nodded anyway. She mustn't have seen Riker at the side of the outer building otherwise she would've gave me a stupid grin.
"Ok I'll just tell the teacher you're at the nurses office or something." I laughed and loved how she was on the ball with saving my back.
"Thanks." I said and started to walk towards Riker Kennedy.
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So who's your favourite character so far? ð¤