NAOMI'S POV:

Something inside of me was screaming, I never wanted to lash out at a person more than I did in this exact moment. I could feel my heart beating at the exact pace of this aggressive pounding in my head. I wasn't sure if going back in there would be a mistake, for both Haylee and I.

How could he just scream at her like that? Haylee is a really good person and she doesn't deserve this.

"No. Absolutely not." Before I knew it, I was marching back up onto their porch and heading for the door when it suddenly opened and her father emerged.

He seemed a little more tamed now, but his worrisome demeanor was obviously the result of nervousness rather than guilt. God forbid a random stranger perceive him as ill-tempered.

"Naomi, right?" Wiping his hands on his chest, he asked with a smile.

"Yes sir." I managed to get out.

Despite that sudden burst of courage, I found myself speaking lowly like a mouse.

"I just want you to know that I'm not always as . . . standoffish. And that basically means. . . ."

Rude and belligerent?

"Hostile or aggressive." I clarified after his hesitation. "I know what it means."

"I was going to say cold but fair." He narrowed his eyes in distain. "Look, you're the first friend Haylee has actually brought home and I don't want to do anything to ruin that. I know she needs friend because they help her deal with the stress of school."

It's amazing how this grown adult, her father at that, could stand here completely oblivious to the fact that Haylee's stress is coming, not from school, but from him.

"But don't you dare presume to tell me you know how to raise a child better than I do." His bitterness caused a chill down my spine.

. . . And then everything came out. It came out so fast and randomly, almost like word-vomit.

"But the only reason why she is stressed out so much and why she can't focus is because of you and, unfortunately, nothing that I can do can take that away from her." My voice broke a little from the adrenaline pounding in my head. "I can't be her stress reliever. You're supposed to do that, I mean you are her dad for Christs' sake!"

Folding his arms across his chest, he took a step forward as he peered down at me. "What goes on in my house is none of your business."

"I think it is when you do it right in front of me! You involved me by doing it!" I could feel my face getting hot, a bitterness that I thought long gone was finally here. . .

Who knows what it'll do.

"I suggest you don't raise your voice to me!" He hollered back.

"Or what? You'll hit me in the face until I cry?!"

Shaking his head, he motioned toward the front gate. "That's it. I'm walking you home and I'm going to have a long talk with your parents about this."

Letting a heavy sigh slip through my nostrils, a reaction that bothered him, I started walking to the left, internally hoping that this would be a very quick walk. Since he didn't know where I lived, I had to take the lead and trust me, I was walking much faster than normal.

MR. DAVIS'S POV:

I glanced at my watch, eagerly waiting for Naomi to come home. My heart was hoping she'd come inside with a big smile on her face and in a cheery mood. I know I haven't been easy on her lately, especially after her grade in Geometry class but she's doing a lot better. I just hope some time at a friends house will help ease her transition in the new school year . . . I can only imagine what a change this is for her.

Audrey used to tell me that time heals everything. Unfortunately, for something like this, it's going to take a lot of time for Naomi to fully integrate into this new normal that has fallen in her lap. I keep trying to silence my excessive desire to expedite the matter, but sometimes I just want her pain to go away and for everything to return to normal.

NAOMI'S POV:

He inched closer to me as we approached my front door, clearly he was eager to beat me to Mr. Davis. I stopped halfway into the porch; do I even have to let him in? Surely he'd take my side over his, right?

"Are you going to open that door or shall I?" He interrupted my thought process.

Giving him the side eye, I opened the door and immediately shut it in his face as I stepped inside. I could hear him let out a low growl from the other side of the door, but that only satisfied my pettiness.

Before Mr. Davis could come greet me, I kicked off my shoes and darted upstairs, hoping that Haylee's father would just disappear. ______________ MR. DAVIS'S POV:

"Naomi, you're back early. . ." I stepped inside the living room but there was no one there.

*Knock, Knock.*

That couldn't be her, she has a key and the door is unlocked anyhow. Glancing next to the door, I could see her shoes on the ground so I know she's in the house somewhere. Who could be outside?

"Yes?" I asked, opening the door but keeping my hand firmly on the rim.

There was a dusky man standing with his hands on his sides and his body shaking with impatience. He seemed older than I, at least a decade there. Probably around the age of Naomi's father.

"Are you Naomi's father?"

"I'm her guardian. Is she alright?"

"No. I'm Haylee's dad and I've come to talk to you about Naomi's behavior."

I glanced upstairs and caught Naomi staring down from the top of the staircase. She was sitting on the first step, bending forward so she could peek from the exposure between the railing.

"Naomi," I sighed. "come down here please."

I motioned for him to come inside as we waited for her to make her way downstairs.

"What's the problem?" I asked, noticing her shift in demeanor as she folding her arms across her stomach, something she normally does when she knows she is in trouble.

Naomi glanced at him, but kept her eyes glued to the floor and her chin buried in her chest.

"She insulted me in my own house and interfered in the business of my household." He said firmly, glaring at her.

"Naomi, what did you say?"

Her hesitation was so clear I honestly thought for a moment she would walk away.

"She told me. . . ."

"I got your account," I interrupted him. "but right now I'm talking to her."

His temper growing noticeably more vivid, I took a step toward Naomi and put my hand on her shoulder.

"Naomi, I asked you a question. Answer me." I said gently.

Sharply inhaling, she lifted her head and finally spoke, "I um, I told him what he did was cruel."

"And she yelled at me." He added.

What he did? What did he do? The vagueness of the situation was alarming and it was inciting a trigger inside me.

"What happened?" I asked her. "What did he do that you thought was cruel?"

Naomi remained silent, the fear so blatantly showing on her face.

"She witnessed me disciplining my daughter." He explained, trying to nonchalantly describe the incident. "I presumed, since she goes to your Academy, she would have been use to that but she seemed more affected than I thought."

I nodded, giving Naomi a little squeeze on her right shoulder. "Is that true?"

She nodded.

"Well, we don't punish students together. Their punishments are isolated because we don't condone embarrassment as a punishment."

He seemed taken back by my statement, not sure of whether he should be insulted or act surprised.

"Well, then I can understand her reaction." He glanced at my silent child, hoping for some understanding input from her. "But that's absolutely no excuse for her to be disrespectful. You can't be disrespectful..."

"She did this in the middle of Haylee's punishment?" I interrupted, again.

"No, she did it after I stopped her when she walked out to the house."

Raising my eyebrows, I nodded. "So, she didn't undermine your authority in front of your daughter?"

He blinked at me, guessing whether I was defending Naomi's actions.

"Well, technically no..." he folded his arms. "But she did raise her voice to me and interjected her opinion on something she has no business being in."

"I agree that she shouldn't have raised her voice to you," I shot Naomi a glare. "but if you punish someone directly in front of her, making her bear witness to it, then it becomes relevant to her."

"Are you actually defending her?" His voice broke slightly at the end of that question.

"I'm only trying to say that you can't say that she has no business of the situation you put her in."

"She is a child!"

"She might be a child, but she's smart enough to recognize when others aren't being treated correctly." I defended.

"This is ridiculous! You call yourself a disciplinarian?" Pointing to her, he continued. "You should be silent in those situations because you have no idea . . . .!"

"Don't you dare yell at her!" I shouted back, watching Naomi slightly flinch. Moving her behind me, I took a step toward him. " I think it's time for you to leave."

Pointing to the front door, I started walking toward him to get him to retreat. He continued to holler at both myself and Naomi, something I absolutely wouldn't tolerate anymore. When I finally got him outside, he seemed to have burnt out his rage but he put his hand on the side of the frame and said one final thing:

"Don't ever come near my daughter. I don't need her being poisoned by you."

Blocking his view of Naomi, I gave him a final warning. "I'm going to shut this door and I suggest your hand not be between it and the wall when I do."

NAOMI'S POV:

He clammed the door shut, giving Haylee's dad only a second to remove his hand. I could see the muscles in his back clench through his shirt as he took a deep breath and steadied his self.

"Take a seat Naomi." He said neutrally, not even turning to face me.

I grabbed my wrist, squeezing it tightly to suppress my nerves, as I slowly made my way to the couch. Butterflies were forming in my stomach and the adrenaline was starting to dissipate.

"Naomi are you okay?" He asked, turning to the left and coming to sit across from me.

"Um. . ." I could feel tears forming in my eyes as I started anticipating his anger. "A-am I in trouble?"

Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck. "I need you to tell me exactly what happened. We're definitely going to talk about it, but first I want to make sure you're okay. I know witnessing someone else get a punishment can be. . . pretty intimidating."

"Haylee's so stressed out from him." I blurted out. "You have no idea how sad she seems when he's near her. But she's so bright in school it's like, it's like night and day."

"Has she ever told you about what his temper makes him do?"

"She says he can get really mad quickly and he yells a lot."

Shaking his head, he inched closer. "No, what I mean is . . . ."

He looked into my eyes and I saw something troubling him. He looked like he was about to spill a harsh reality to me, something he didn't want me to know.

"Can you understand that there is a difference between a spanking and a beating?" He asked sincerely. "A difference between discipline and abuse?"

I nodded. "I think so?"

"You see, sometimes, it is very easy to cross the line between discipline and abuse, especially when you're angry. And often those who are abused, even physically, won't mention it to anyone else."

"But why? Don't they need help?"

Taking a big breath, his shoulders dropped as he battled between his answer. "They do. But sometimes their fear keeps them from saying anything."

I guess I can understand that. I have a hard enough time admitting my emotional troubles. . . I can't imagine disclosing any physical ones.

"Naomi look at me." He made sure my eyes met his before he continued. "How did he discipline her today?"

The entire scene immediately flashed before my eyes, but all I could see was Haylee in tears. Not from the smack, but from the shame and pressure she felt.

"He yelled at her and, when she said something back, he slapped her in the face."

MR. DAVIS'S POV:

I took a deep breath, feeling an instant shiver in my spine as I remembered Mr. Patry Sr. Doing the same to me. But he only ever did it in private; never around another student or any guest. Though that didn't make it any less horrific. Slapping a child on the face it, its strikes harder than any form of corporal punishment. When you hit a child in their face, it's like you're hitting who they are. You're infringing on their identity.

"How forcibly? Was she alright?"

"Well she cried and her head jerked, but she was alright." A tear fell from her cheek. "It just looked so cruel."

I nodded, "Yes, well there are some parents who believe that it's an effective form of discipline."

"Her cheek was red and she went silent." She shook her head, confused by her fear and frustrated from the unfairness. "Are you going to do that to me?"

My heart instantly shattered. At that exact moment I almost came apart right in front of her. How could I look at this sweet, innocent child in front of me and tell her such harsh realities of the world?

"Listen to me," I took her hands in mine and waited until her breathing went silent. "I will never strike you, never put my hands on you that would exceed a reasonable amount of care. The only place I will ever strike you is on your bottom."

She nodded, "I didn't know what to do when I saw it and I was afraid that if I said something he would do the same to me."

"Did he threaten you?" My blood began to boil.

She shook her head. "No, but I was still worried." "Y-you wouldn't let him, would you?"

"Never. Other than Mr. Patry, I'd never let anyone put your hands on you."

"Okay." Wiping her cheeks, her red face pinched. "I just feel so bad for her...she's under a lot of pressure."

"It's hard to intervene when it comes to a friend's family, the best thing you can do is be there for her and offer support. Imposing in the family will only make things worse."

"I know."

I looked up at her sad face, my heart instantly melting from her compassion. She was so kind and gentle for her age, she understood more things than even some adults I knew. I can't wait to see how she molds in the future.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, I wish there was something I could do but based on your account it doesn't sound harsh enough to classify as abuse."

"He's just a jerk."

Ignoring her comment, I took her hand and' gave her a hug.

"If she'd be allowed, maybe Haylee could spent time over here with you. That might help with her stress."