I glare at him defensively. "I'm making this hard? Me? The last time I checked, you were the one asking all the questions. You have no right to pry into my life!" I exclaim, pointing an accusing finger at him.
"River," he whispers, keeping his cool while my freak out level continues rising at a consistent rate, "please, don't yell at me. Just tell me what happened."
I can't take it anymore. The tension, the need to tell him, the desire not to, and the fear of what's going to happen if I do, is all too much. My only defense; the only thing my family ever taught me to do, is to scream.
"Nothing happened!" I cry. "Would you just keep your stupid little pretty boy nose in your own bus-" Harrison suddenly claps his hand over my mouth.
"I'm going to give you a minute to cool off." He states calmly. "If you still want to talk about it, I'll be in my room. If not, please, just....just know that I won't bother you anymore if you don't want me to."
My anger is immediately diffused by such a calm response. I stand, like a statue in my place, and watch as he flicks the TV off and starts heading for the hallway.
"Mine's opposite my mom's." I barely hear him say, before he disappears from my line of limited vision.
I hear a door click quietly shut, and let myself collapse on the couch in exhaustion. Being angry really takes a lot out of a person. With my head in my hands, I try to choose between talking to him calmly, or spending my night out here alone with only my thoughts to keep me company. The right choice is evident, but that doesn't stop my brain from trying to convince me otherwise.
"This is so stupid." I whisper to myself, not making a move to get up.
The fact is that while Harrison makes me crazy with his questions and his care, I can't help but want to be around him. He makes me feel safe; something I haven't felt in a very long time. I know he's trying his hardest to understand, and he's not judging me for what I've done; which is more than I can say for anyone else I'd think about showing.
Even the expressions make me feel like I belong somewhere, with someone. Sky doesn't even have that effect on me most of the time. We kind of just push through problems together, and try to ease each others' stress level.
I sigh, rubbing my face in indecision. My head says no. My heart tells me that I shouldn't still be sitting here. So, for the first time in what seems like forever, I listen to that sappy organ behind my ribcage. Once I am no longer sitting, there's no stopping me.
"River," he whispers, keeping his cool while my freak out level continues rising at a consistent rate, "please, don't yell at me. Just tell me what happened."
I can't take it anymore. The tension, the need to tell him, the desire not to, and the fear of what's going to happen if I do, is all too much. My only defense; the only thing my family ever taught me to do, is to scream.
"Nothing happened!" I cry. "Would you just keep your stupid little pretty boy nose in your own bus-" Harrison suddenly claps his hand over my mouth.
"I'm going to give you a minute to cool off." He states calmly. "If you still want to talk about it, I'll be in my room. If not, please, just....just know that I won't bother you anymore if you don't want me to."
My anger is immediately diffused by such a calm response. I stand, like a statue in my place, and watch as he flicks the TV off and starts heading for the hallway.
"Mine's opposite my mom's." I barely hear him say, before he disappears from my line of limited vision.
I hear a door click quietly shut, and let myself collapse on the couch in exhaustion. Being angry really takes a lot out of a person. With my head in my hands, I try to choose between talking to him calmly, or spending my night out here alone with only my thoughts to keep me company. The right choice is evident, but that doesn't stop my brain from trying to convince me otherwise.
"This is so stupid." I whisper to myself, not making a move to get up.
The fact is that while Harrison makes me crazy with his questions and his care, I can't help but want to be around him. He makes me feel safe; something I haven't felt in a very long time. I know he's trying his hardest to understand, and he's not judging me for what I've done; which is more than I can say for anyone else I'd think about showing.
Even the expressions make me feel like I belong somewhere, with someone. Sky doesn't even have that effect on me most of the time. We kind of just push through problems together, and try to ease each others' stress level.
I sigh, rubbing my face in indecision. My head says no. My heart tells me that I shouldn't still be sitting here. So, for the first time in what seems like forever, I listen to that sappy organ behind my ribcage. Once I am no longer sitting, there's no stopping me.
