Page 71 of Knot Forgotten

She huffs out a laugh as she pushes outside into the bright, sunny day. “Okay,” she draws out the word, disbelief in her voice. “You only tell me stories about them all the time. Why don’t you just call them?”

An uncomfortable feeling grows in my chest, one that always does when I think of reaching out to them. It feels like my dad would know that I talked to any of them, and he would find me.

As if thoughts of my dad conjure him, my feet root to the spot at the top of the steps, and my breath freezes in my chest as all of the oxygen is sucked from the air. He is standing outside of a car I don’t recognize.

“Nikki,” I say low and urgent enough for her to spin back toward me with concern.

“I was teasing you; you don’t have to call them. I know that it would be dangerous because of your dad.”

“My dad–” I choke out through a tight throat.

“Is a piece of shit. What kind of monster tries to sell his daughter?” Her anger for me is touching but not what I need at the moment.

“He’s here.”

Her eyes go wide as saucers. “Oh shit. What are you doing? Get back to school!” She waves me backward until I turn and get my un-working limbs to move.

I fumble with my phone. “I have to call my mom.”

She answers on the second ring.

“Mom. Dad is here. He is here.” Pure panic infuses every syllable as my heart races in my chest.

“What? Did he see you?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t know.” I peek out the window, far enough away for him not to see me inside. He is still leaning against the door of his car, looking like a parent picking up their child.

“Go to the office. Have them call the police, I’ll be there soon.”

“Mom…” The line goes dead. I force myself to move to the office, Nikki following close behind. “My dad is here, and I need you to call the cops.”

The lady behind the desk looks up at me in shock. “Why would we call the cops for that?”

“I have a restraining order. He is in violation of it.” I grip the counter with clammy hands willing her to listen.

She looks like she doesn’t believe me. When she reaches for the phone, I breathe a sigh of relief until she says, “Mr. Pierce, we have a student here who wants us to call the cops.”

Nikki grips my arm. “Just call them yourself. You have a phone.” She gestures to the cell phone, which is currently being crushed into the counter by my hold on the surface.

I don’t know why I didn’t think of that first. “Never mind, I’ll do it.”

Heading back the way I came, I approach the front door again. The parking lot has mostly cleared out, but he is still there. I key in 9-1-1, a dispatcher answers the phone, and I word vomit the whole situation to her. She promises someone is on their way.

“Stay in the school; the officer will be there in a few minutes.”

I nod, not that she can see me. But then my mom shows up. She is stronger now that we left my dad, but I think she forgot how dangerous he is. She flies out of the passenger side of my aunt's car, a bat in hand, swinging it before she reaches him.

He straightens, like my mom with a bat isn’t as scary as it really is. Then he pulls out a gun, aiming it at her.

“NO!” I shout, flying out the door, my phone clattering to the tile floor in my haste. Nikki is hot on my heels.

“You think I’m afraid of a little bat?” he asks. “Where is my daughter, Gwen?”

“Stop!” I’m down the stairs and across the asphalt in seconds.

“Erin, get back in the school,” my mom orders.

My dad is grinning like a madman. He holds steady, still aiming for my mom. “Get in the car, or I’ll shoot.” He nods from me to the backseat.

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