Fighting for her (Novak series #1) {Completed}

8. Come on, I'm trying

Hope's POV

I walk with confident steps through the school corridors and try to remember the way to the principal’s office. Even I studied at this elementary school many years ago and should have a mental map of the building by now.

The problem is that I only visited the principal’s office once in my seven years, and that was when I started elementary school. You see, at Chapman, they keep Junior high school in the same building. Usually, the different levels of studying split up in other structures, but not Chapman.

Given that it’s a private school that I work extra to pay for, it’s bizarre. Given that snobs tend to be careful that everything should be extravagant to ensure their place as an upper class in society by throwing away money instead of helping those in need.

Then why is Jessie attending a private school? Because I want him to get a solid education and get somewhere in life. I don’t want him to feel bad about his financial situation or be affected by poverty because he doesn’t have the ability to get a job.

Employers don’t give a damn that you’re passionate and good at what you do. If you don’t have an education, you aren’t ambitious enough to get a chance at all to try. For some reason, managers tend to see that if you’re not ambitious enough to get an education, you’re not worth it.

Personal suitability rarely matters, and that’s a shame. I know several people around me who are good but don’t get the chance because of lacking education. My neighbor, Mr. Jones, is one of them. He’s a meticulous and exceptional carpenter but doesn’t get any opportunities to show it.

When the ceiling in my room began to crumble last Christmas, he was quick to get there and fix it as quickly as possible without even charging for the trouble. According to Mr. Jones, that’s what any reasonable person would do.

I wish I could agree with him and believe it. But it’s simply not possible for me because I live on the “other side” of society that sees more than most people do. Of course, Mr. Jones is in the same situation, but he’s older and wiser than me.

He has met many different people from different corners of the world, thus creating a less twisted and cynical world than the one I experience on a daily basis. I hope one day to be as cheerful and kind as Mr. Jones.

Until then, I get to lick the principal’s ass and hope he doesn’t throw Jessie out of school because of his behavior. I breathe in and out in an attempt to calm down my racing heart before knocking on the door. A voice comes from inside that tells me to step in.

Jessie sits in an armchair in front of principal Nathaniel Burton’s desk with an irritated facial expression. I sit down next to my little brother and get worried when I see his swollen eyelid with bluish tones. What kind of school are they running here!?

“Good thing you could come, Ms. Hathaway,” the principal says, leaning over the table to shake my hand. “It’s unfortunate that we have to meet again under such unhappy circumstances.”

“Certainly. I’m here if Jessie is involved in something he shouldn’t,” I answer and look at my brother. “What happened, Jess?”

He avoids my gaze and looks up at the ceiling instead. This is how he’s been since my ex-boyfriend and I broke up. I think he looked up to Freddie a lot, but I felt it wasn’t a relationship I wanted to continue when he cheated on me.

Jessie took his betrayal very hard, almost harder than I did. For some reason, it was in connection with that he began to argue with other students and periodically get into fights. I’m not quite sure about the cause, but I have my hunches.

“One of our other students accidentally dropped his food tray in Jessie’s lap, and instead of accepting the other student’s apology, they started fighting,” the principal explains with a sigh, and I give my brother a stern look. “Since I’m aware of how hard you work for your little brother to be able to get a good education, I decide Jessie gets suspended for three days. But if this happens one more time, he’ll be expelled.”

“Thank you very much for your kindness, Mr. Burton,” I sigh and shake his hand again. “I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

“I hope so. For Jessie’s sake,” the principal replies. “I also hope that you’ll succeed in making your brother realize how hard you’re working to make sure that he doesn’t have to do the same when he becomes an adult. One might think that he should be more grateful.”

“Thanks again,” I reply and walk out the door with my little brother next to me.

We walk in silence. I’m quiet because I’m disappointed with how Jessie behaves and why he’s silent; I can’t answer. He may be a troublemaker at school, but he’s very protective when it comes to me and doesn’t like to disappoint me.

I’m not that person who screams to make someone understand when they’ve done wrong. It’s much more effective to let my silence show what I feel and make the other person realize what he has done. Jessie hasn’t done anything to me personally, but the thought that my work might be unnecessary hurts me.

Especially since all I want is for him to be able to build a stable and happy life where he never needs to feel the pressure like I’m doing. We get out of school and start walking home. Although Chapman is a private school, it’s not very far from the old hovel we call home.

It just so happens that we live on the district’s outskirts, and it’s thanks to the fact that the school isn’t located in the center that Jessie doesn’t have to worry about how he’ll get to school every day. I unlock the front door and let my brother step in first before I follow.

Without questioning what happened, I go into the bathroom and get the first aid kit. With a cotton swab and wound disinfection, I systematically clean Jessie’s wounds on his face before filling an ice application with ice that I hold at his swollen eye.

He lifts his hand and holds it while I wrap a bandage around his hand. When I finish his treatment, I pack up the things, put them back, bring out a plate of yesterday’s leftovers and a cola can to my brother, who starts eating immediately.

I pour a glass of water to myself and sit down opposite him. My gaze sweeps over the gray atmosphere outside the kitchen window, and for a moment, it feels like the weather symbolizes my life. It’s not until Jessie puts the fork on the plate that I come back to the present.

“I’m sorry, Hope,” he says quietly, and I look at my brother.

“For what?” I ask and watch him sigh.

“Because I seem ungrateful when I know everything you do for me. You’re the closest thing I’ve ever had to a mother, and considering Farris is who he is, you’re the most important thing I have. Even so, I find myself in situations where it looks like I don’t care what happens, even though that’s not true,” he replies, and my heart warms when I listen to him.

“What actually happened?” I ask softly and put my hand over his in an attempt to be supportive.

“It wasn’t that he dropped his tray on me that made me angry,” Jessie replies, and I’m waiting for him to keep explaining. “The food tray wasn’t a mistake and not the comment about you either.”

I close my eyes hard when I realize what he’s talking about. You see, after Freddie and I broke up, there were rumors that I was working as a prostitute to pay the bills. Even though it’s been two years since we broke up, I guess he couldn’t accept that I left him.

His ego couldn’t handle the hit of a woman saying no, resulting in him starting to spread rumors. Instead of telling the truth that he had cheated on me and that I broke up with him, he said he found out that I was a prostitute, which was also why we broke up.

That wasn’t true, of course. But no one cared, considering everyone knows my so-called father, Farris. I guess the other boys in Jessie’s school heard about me and my “profession,” making it easier for them to provoke him.

It’s not about fighting just because they can, but they want him out of their school. I guess they don’t think a subclass w***e’s little brother belongs in their luxurious alma mater. The rumor doesn’t bother me, and I don’t feel shame anymore.

But when we broke up, we were in our senior year of high school and only seventeen. The looks and whispers I got in the hallways were like stab wounds in my thighs. I never thought I could feel normal again, which was stupid because I was still thinking like an overemotional teenager.

Two years have passed, and even though I have problems with depression in periods, I don’t feel bad about it anymore. However, it hurts that they can’t let my little brother be because of what happened between Freddie and me. It’s just not right.

“Who’s messing with you?” I ask.

“Philip and his buddies,” Jessie whispers, and it’s like I suspected.

Freddie’s ego still has to be hurt if he tells lies to his little brother, Philip, to try to get back at me. My ex isn’t violent, he has never been, and we had much fun during our years together. However, I find it sad that he can’t move forward and take responsibility for his actions.

Instead, he chooses to hurt what matters to me, my little brother, the only one I have. He knows he can get access to me through Jessie, and that’s why he does it. Pathetic if you ask me.

“Okay, I think I understand,” I sigh and rub my face. “Go up to your room and do your homework. I have to call Mrs. Novak and tell her I can’t work tomorrow.”

“What do you mean? I’m fourteen years old, Hope. I’ll survive a few hours in solitude,” he replies, looking at me.

“Yeah, no. I’m not going to leave you alone when Farris is in such a rut he’s in now, and especially not because I know you’ll sleep away all day. Even though I have sympathy over what happened at school, that doesn’t mean I won’t put you to work,” I answer and push the number into my phone. “Go and do your homework. Now.”

He sighs and walks towards the stairs. I may seem slack when it comes to his upbringing, but on the other hand, this works better than a screaming match between us could ever be. Jessie respects the rules I set up for him and is never disrespectful to me.

“Yes, hello?” Mrs. Novak replies.

“Hello, Mrs. Novak,” I say, inhaling a shaky breath. “It’s Hope.”

“Oh, Hope! I was so worried when you disappeared earlier, even though Darby said you got there properly,” she replies. “Is there something that has happened that I can help you with?”

“I’m sorry, but Jessie got suspended from school, and I can’t leave him home alone tomorrow when Farris is home,” I explain with a lump in my throat. “I understand if you no longer consider me fit for the job and excuse any problems this may cause.”

“Oh, nonsense!” she exclaims. “Of course we want you, and you’re welcome to take your brother with you. My son, Noah, will be home tomorrow, but given that he’s not used to babies even though he has siblings, we need you anyway. I’ll talk to him. Maybe he can help to keep Jessie busy tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” I say in a broken voice and feel the worry seep out of me. “I appreciate your kindness.”

“Aw, honey! Please don’t be sad; I’m well aware of the situation with your father and what role you have in Jessie’s life. If it makes your job easier to take him with you, then there are no problems at all. See you tomorrow, take care, Hope!” she responds cheerfully, and my tears fall, as I didn’t know how much anxiety I had over possibly losing the first job I actually enjoy.

“You too, Mrs. Novak,” I answer and sniffle.

“It’s “Eleonora,” I’ve told you,” she laughs and hangs up the phone while I thank the gods for my employer’s wonderful soul.

A / N:

Hey, everybody!

Hope’s ex seems like a real asshole, and she doesn’t deserve to have to be the target of his revenge act.

~ Do you think Hope handles the situation in an adult way or rather avoids the problem?

~ Were Jessie’s actions exaggerated or understandable?

~ Does Hope have more responsibility than she really should have?

I sincerely hope you liked the chapter’s content, and I don’t ask for much, except perhaps a little comment with your thoughts. You help me more than you think, and when I don’t get any comments, I don’t feel as much motivation to write. I love you, hugs and kisses!