by Thomas, Anne
That was a whole lot of maybes, yet it was the only thing she had going for her. It was her last effort to make things right. After that, she'd get on with her life and leave it up to Harrison to start working on their problem.
Drying her cheeks, she sat up and took out her shoe boz of places she wanted to go and started sorting through them, dialing Ephram's number.
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Molly felt better. She knew that Harrison would be coming up to her and yelling about how she filed for vacation without telling him in person as a friend, but she didn't care. It was the right thing to do it was what she needed to do. And no matter what he said, she'd be going. He would be too blind with his anger to see that it would be the best for both of them if she left.
She thought about her bags at home that she had packed late last night. Her discussion with Ephram went on for hours, yet she still was able to side step his questions about the real reason for going or anything about Harrison, other than she needed a little break away from him.
They had decided on a town about five hours away. They'd rent a cabin by the lake and spend a relaxing two weeks without anyone hurting anyone. It would certainly be a nice change.
Marty had agreed when Molly told her during the car ride to school. It would be a good thing in everyone's eyes. Now just to get over the hurdle of Harrison's flip out.
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The flip out came just as she was leaving the library. It must have been a late day for Harrison if he had only found out then. And he had surely just found out, that was clear. He was near foaming at the mouth when he appeared at the doorway.
With a sigh, Molly put down her messenger bag and sat on her desktop.
"I want to know what the meaning of this is." He growled in a low voice.
In his hand, crinkling from the pressure, was her vacation forms.
"It means I'm taking a two week break and I need you to approve that for me because you're my boss. And I know you will approve it because as my friend, you must know how much I need those two weeks."
"Did Ephram file these at his work too?"
She shook her head. "You're my boss, remember? This has to do with only me no one else that you know I'm with. Approve it and get done."
"Just asking because I know Marty didn't file for vacation leave, so you're not going with her. And you know what? I'm your friend too. Why the hell didn't I hear about this from you before I found out from your papers? Every other time I'm always the one to fill these out for you because I approve them on spot. But now? What's going on, Radcliffe?"
She rubbed her fingertips in circles on her forehead. "I really need some time away, Harrison. I just...I need to get away. I haven't taken a vacation in a long time and I have the days."
"It's not about days."
"Then what is this about?"
"It's about...about...I'm not granting you leave." His voice had started out weak, but the last part sure was forceful.
"You can't do that!" She cried out.
"Yes I can. These forms say that you're asking for a date that's a week away the proper leave time is informing a boss two weeks ahead. And it's a major test time. It's not very ideal."
"Yet none of those reasons are why you're trying to stop me."
"I'm not trying I am stopping you."
"You can't do that!" She yelled, her temper flaring and the tips of her ears flaming blush.
"And yet...why look at that, I can!"
"No...you...can't! I'm leaving and you can't stop me."
"I refuse to grant this."
"It's a valid form. Just yesterday you were talking about while in school, we treat each other as people in our professions and not as fighting friends. You keep saying you're my boss then act like it and stop having these problems with me that have nothing to do with that form in your hand."
"I already stated the professional sides of your form and why they're rejected. Candice came to me asking for a relieve at the same time you want to take yours and I denied her too and she's my girlfriend. I am being professional about this. But you screaming at me is the opposite, is it not."
She shook her head, the red of her ears spreading to her crimson cheeks. "I will not stand for this. So fire me if you don't like it but I'm going."
"You're acting childish." He scolded in a harsh tone.
"Then maybe we shouldn't be seeing each other anymore." She finalized, grabbing her bag and walking out. On the way to her car, she called Ephram. "I'm leaving tonight. Do you want to come with me now or meet up with me in a week?"
"I'll be over in twenty minutes. Get the car packed."
She tossed her phone on the passenger seat and started driving home, her face refusing to go back to its normal color.
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Molly sat on the apartment porch step, crouched over and letting the painful tears flow. Damn she hated this. All of it. Harrison and his proud, stupid ways that was causing way too much hurt for the cause.
And the fact that she really wasn't sure if she had a job. Any one in their right mind would fire her and never let her within ten miles of that school ever again. But would Harrison tolerate her shameful behavior...or would be fire her?
She bit her lip until she was sure she'd drawl blood. What mess had she gotten herself in to now?
A red truck pulled up, visually announcing Ephram's arrival.
"Hey girl!" He greeted happily, the utter opposite of her.
She nodded, standing up and wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to the base of his neck in a kiss. "Thank you for being here and helping me set off."
He nodded, holding her to him. "I'll drive you up there and then come back here to finish up things at the restaurant. The moment it's all done, I'll be on my way, okay?"
She worked up a small smile to offer him. "That sounds great, Ephram."
"Good, then let's get going."
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Ephram was beat by the time he reached home, yet he wasn't ready to hit the sack just yet. After over ten hours of driving, another fifteen minutes wouldn't kill him. After all, he had business to take care of. Molly had told him a lot on their five hour trip together and frankly, it had done worse than made his blood boil. He had known she was having problems, but not that she thought she had to pack up and leave for a few weeks because of it. It was time he started reckoning with Harrison. He might not like getting a mouthful from what he considered a newbie, but Ephram didn't care one bit. He was going to settle this and make Molly's life a little more stress free.
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"Her car's gone? I mean, are you sure?"
Harrison nodded at Josiah's question. He gripped the stem of the beer mug tighter. "Ephram's brand new Chevy truck was in its spot. She left. She told me she would and she really did it."
"So...what are you going to do about subbing her?"
Harrison shook his head. "What am I going to do without her? God I'm scared, Joe. What if she doesn't come back? She's been so pissed off at me lately. For a while. What if this is it?"
"She has to come back sooner or later."
"But not to stay. She came here for me. What if she leaves here for the same reason? I didn't mean to lose my temper on her. I really didn't, I just..."
"You both have been a lot different since she started dating."
"Yeah...but do I dare blame our problems on her dating?"
Josiah rolled his eyes. "Harrison, look around. You're drowning your woes in a crummy, broken down bar that's the closest one you could find. That's your third beer and you haven't drunk even one in the four years that I've known you. You're actually talking about your problems to me. And your best girl friend is gone and you have no idea where she
's gone, just that she must be really ticked off at you. Yeah man, I think for at least tonight you can blame your Molly problems on her boyfriend."
Obviously, Harrison had agreed with Josiah's half drunken logic. "Damn Ephram." He growled from the back of his throat.
"Well, that's a start."
It wasn't Josiah's voice was replied to him, but the man he had just swore off.
Harrison slowly turned to see the man with the trademark curly hair standing there with a not too friendly looking.
Harrison stood up to compare heights in a challenging way. "I'm assuming you know where Molly is?" He said with a low, quiet voice that always was more effective than yelling...when he could remember that fact.
"As a matter of fact, I do know where she is."
"Oh great well then you won't mind telling me."
Ephram shook his head. "No, contrary to your belief, I did not come here to snitch on my girlfriend to you of all people. I did come though, to set you straight on a few things."
"All I want to know is where the hell my friend is."
"You're friend? Yeah, I don't think so. Not anymore."
"What does that mean?" Harrison shouted in his face.
Josiah put a hand on Harrison's shoulder when he saw that his temper was building quickly.
"I mean the only reason why she left was all because of you! She can't handle you any more so she left for a while to get rid of you. To detatch herself."
Harrison went off on a lengthy string of swear words until he eventually ran out. And then his anger was redirected to the man in front of him. "Did you put her up to this?"
Ephram shook his curly head. "No Redford, I did not. So was so frustrated with you that she left all on her own."
"And she at least requested to be alone?"
"Oh no, she begged for me to go and I am. I just had a few other things to take care of at the restaurant first. I'll be up there late tomorrow."
"Oh, so you didn't get fired from your job to take this little road trip then, huh?"
"You fired her?" Ephram shouted in disbelief.
"...I don't know yet. She offered the choice to me, I didn't think it up. It never would have occurred to me."
"The fact that you'd even entertain the very idea is disgusting."
"Excuse me but I've known her a lot longer than you have. You don't know how she gets. Or what I have to do now that she just decided to run away and leave me without a senior literature teacher!"
"She's supposed to be your best friend isn't that more important?"
"I suppose you have never heard the theory about not hiring your family and friends. I treat Molly in school the way I'd treat any of my workers because you have to, or else Molly would have a whole lot more problems than what she has now. If you're so concerned about her maybe jobless state why don't you hire her? She's a cook, she'd be great. Why don't you move her in to your place while you're at it? Then none of you would need to see me ever again and we can all go our happy ways."
"Uh oh." Josiah muttered, backing away. He knew Harrison well, and knew that what he just said meant major trouble.
His concerns were rewarded by fact Harrison threw a fist in Ephram's direction, slamming in to his jaw.
A strange noise came from that area of Ephram's body, but it wasn't enough to keep him down. "What the...?" his punch aimed for the gut and hit it's goal.
Harrison had the breath knocked out of him for a moment, which allowed Ephram to swing a few more shots, sending blood shooting around and people yelling to call the cops. It didn't stop those two though. Harrison, never one to be beaten, regained his feet and started to beat the crap out of Ephram in his fury, making his blonde hair to be tinted with red splotches.
Thanks to cops having time off, there were some already enjoying themselves at the bar and they came running towards the two. Josiah, not wanting to miss on the fun, quickly jumped in between the two men getting plummled a few times from both before they realized just who was receiving the end of their blows. But before they could correct it and set their aims to the proper target, the cops were on all three of them, handcuffs locking on six wrists and three slightly struggling bodies being dragged off to the police cars.
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Molly rested comfortably in her indoor hammock that gently swung back and forth. A soft melody of classic music played from the other room.
It would be perfect, but something kept making her drifting mind to come back to a certain though on a certain person. Her heart strings tugged every time she thought about Harrison. It was too soon to be able to decide what she would do about him. It was too soon to be able to decide if she could go back to the way things had been. Maybe they could act like nothing ever happened. Or maybe it would never go back to the way it was before.
She loved Harrison. So much. She knew that well. It's why her heart kept begging her to go back.
But he also constantly infuriated her. Hurt her when his temper blazed against her own. She was partially to blame for all this, of course. And she could take responsibility for that.
But would Harrison, or would she end up looking like a fool?
In twenty five years, she had no experience in this sort of thing when it came to Harrison and her.
In this cabin by the lake, further away from Harrison than she had been in almost five years, she was all on her own.
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"So...you're not the brightest crayon in the box, are you?"
Harrison looked over from his place on the bench to the bloodied man laying in the bed as if this was a vacation.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. You weren't too bright for getting yourself landed in jail especially because you were beating the hell out of me."
Harrison smirked. "At least I really beat the hell out of you and you're willing to admit it."
Ephram was caught there, but he stuck to his point. "What's Molly going to think?"
Oh damn, he hadn't thought of Molly. "You fought back. You're in this jail right along with me. You share fault."
"You swung the first punch. I was only defending myself against the crazed, drunk exbest friend of my girlfriend."
"Yet you weren't willing enough to just step away and stop me. Now you'll be late in getting to Molly."
"My face is full of cuts. She'll be sympathetic when she hears what had delayed me. And she will believe me, because she's really ticked off at you."
And he had Harrison there too. Damn, two strikes against him and he was already losing badly before them. This wasn't going so well.
Josiah was led in to the cell again, two guards guiding him. "I called Marty she said she's busy tonight but she'll be picking us up sometime tomorrow."
"What? Why the hell would she say that?" Ephram said, sitting up in the bottom bunk. "She's not coming tonight? Seriously?"
"Seriously. She said we need to learn a lesson and that she's not Molly if she has to bail us out at all, we'll wait on her until she's ready."
"Why would she say that? I've never been in jail in my life!"
Harrison and Josiah grinned slyly at each other. "But we have. Plenty of times."
"So I'm to suffer because of the two of you?"
Harrison leaned back against the wall in satisfaction. "Finally, all those cold nights in jail have been productive for something."
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Chapter 6 It's not the way I hoped or how I planned it
It was morning, but Harrison hadn't slept. He had watched Ephram drift in and out of sleep in his bottom bunk and Josiah to pass dead out to last the night, but he himself stayed sitting straight up on the bench, staring in to the dark. He had a lot to think about. Molly, mainly, but about his life too. Like why the hell he was spending the night sleeping in a jail cell for the dozenth time. Or why he had allowed hims
elf to drive Molly out of the town in his anger. His best friend for life had left, all for him. For his temper and his hate for the man sleeping not far from him.
And, as much as he hated to realize it, there was only one real way to start making this right. It would make his ego suffer a hard blow, but it would be worth it, that he was sure of.
In the corner of his eye, he noticed Ephram stirring, slowly awakening from the morning light.
"What time is it?" He asked groggily, not yet opening his eyes.
Harrison shrugged. "I don't know. Ask the warden."
Ephram's eyes flew open, sitting straight up and looking around. A notsomild profanity slipped out of his mouth, slightly surprising Harrison. "Tell me I'm not really here. God, I thought I had a horrid nightmare about this...this is really what happened last night?"
Harrison nodded. "So says those nice little cuts decorating your pretty boy face."
His eyes went wide. "Molly!"
"Your cousin is coming to bail us out sometime today. You won't be too late."
But that didn't ease Ephram at all. He leaned his back against the wall and let his legs dangle from the side of the bed. It took a few moments, but he finally asked. "Uh...where's Joe?"
"Right up above you, still sleeping. He's really not much fun when he's sleeping off a drunken splendor."
"Great...so we're subject to sit in here doing nothing but stare at grey walls and listen to the man above me snore."
"Well, that's basically the idea of being thrown in jail having nothing to do but sober your thoughts up."
"Have you done that already?"
"Yep, I'm done. Did too much already. So Ephram, seeing this is the perfect opportunity and you can't run away, why don't you tell me about yourself?"
"You still want to know about me? And here I was, thinking I was the enemy."
"Well, you know what they say." Harrison grinned.
"Keep your friends close, your enemies closer, and Molly fuming mad?"
Harrison nodded, his spirit taking a slight blow at the last part but not letting it show. "Yeah, that just about covers it. So...?"