Meet The Morrisons

The 'meeting' day came quicker than Dante had expected, but he quickly got up and dressed. Checking his eye in the mirror, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, the overnight icepack the night of had really helped, and it'd likely be near enough to normal by the next week. "Hey I'll catch you after second period, I've got something I need to do." Dante sent a text to Jocelyn before rushing out of his dorm. He knew even running he'd be a little late but he went straight for Dr. Williams office.

When Dante arrived he could hear them talking already so he waited for a lull in the conversation to knock on the door politely.

Dr. Williams had spent some time listening to the concerns of Melissa's parents. Despite her older brother vouching for the girl's friends, and the reassurance of extra security, they were still worried. Worried that Doug was on the loose, worried that Melissa felt the need to hide what was going on, and worried that their daughter was just going to find herself constantly in over her head. Not that Sidney could blame them. At least though how much Mel wanted to stay mattered a great deal to the couple as well and they weren't the type of people to discount their daughter's feelings.

The doctor had called in Dante to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Morrison before she'd bring in Melissa herself. The knock on the door came through. Sidney got up and opened the door.

"Come in," She told the boy, before stepping to the side to let him pass.

Once he gained the attention of the parents, Sidney introduced them. "Mr. and Mrs. Morrison, this is Dante. He's the young man who helped out Melissa at the dance." The woman paused, "Dante please have a seat."

Before Dante took his seat he greeted Melissa's parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Morrison, Dante Hawthorne," he said extending a hand to Mr. Morrison, giving him a firm but not pressing dominant handshake, then he shook Mrs. Morrison's hand much more gently taking her hand in both of his. "Pleasure to meet the both of you," he said before taking his seat.

Once he'd taken his seat Dante looked to Dr. Williams "Where should I start?" Dante asked her.

The Morrisons accepted the individual handshakes from Dante.

Once seated, and after Dante inquired about where to begin Dr. Williams responded, "Mr. and Mrs. Morrison are trying to get a sense of the people that Melissa has become friends with. The ones that helped her during her time with Doug Jefferson. Why don't you explain, in your own words, what happened at the dance and how you knew Melissa might be in danger from Doug?"

Mrs. Morrison spoke up at this point, "Melissa has told us everything about her relationship with Doug, so you don't need to hide anything or mince your words with us."

Dante nodded, "Okay fair enough." he said, clearing his throat. "Now since you know the story you'll be able to fill in any blanks I leave." Dante said, "Not that I'll leave anything I can avoid out but I'm not as zoned in on the details as this would make you assume." he said, pointing to his eye.

"I'll start with what I remember as the kick-off to the situation." Dante, "I feel starting there and getting to the dance will give a better picture from my point of view." he took a breath. "My involvement started on the day at lunch when I decided to sit at the 'scholarship' table." Dante began. "Doug got very angry at this display of defiance when I refused to move. Your daughter found my standing up to the school's king' or so he'd like everyone to believe to be funny. That was until I noticed Doug move his hand. This was my first indication of something fishy. But I could tell by his movements he knew what he was doing. Behavior I've seen before. Knows how to not leave a bruise so even IF he was ratted on, there'd be no evidence to prove it, and doing so would have just put her in more danger, and made Doug get sneakier." Dante said.

Dante went on to explain the half-blind and dark run through the park at the beach party to find Mel, and the coward Doug having ran off. Along with several smaller events that were clear indicators that Doug knew what he was doing and how to get away with it.

Dante then got to the dance. "The final incident at the dance. I'm sure you've been told enough but, My date needed to rest her feet, so I did the rounds, seeing what all my other friends were up to. Most were doing the same, taking a little break, I saw Melissa sitting alone. Least it looked that way from the angle I was walking in from.

I saw Doug trying to burn a hole through her with a glare, so I asked her to dance to get her out of there. This was the final straw for Doug because he snapped, he was willing to hurt her then and there on the dance floor, but I intercepted. I got her out of the way, I even gave Doug an out, a chance to just walk away and he chose violence. But not before some poorly chosen words. I shut his mouth for him and he punched me in the head four times." Dante continued to explain. "Until security finally noticed anyway, then he ran to God knows where. Mel was at least safe for the moment I got her to her friends, and that's about the end of it."

Dr. Williams nodded but left the talking up to the Morrisons.

"Well, thank you for helping our daughter, " Mrs. Morrison's gratitude was evident in her voice.

"Yes. Thank you. We're just not sure she's safe here with Doug on the loose." It was Mr. Morrison that asked the question. "You consider our daughter your friend? In your honest opinion then, do you think her friends would protect her again if necessary?"

The question to anyone not knowing Mel's past might seem odd but Melissa's parents seemed to need to know her friends here were real friends.

"I do consider her a friend." Dante said, before nodding "I believe they would, I know I would..." his eyes drifted to Dr. Williams. "Even if I had to actually Educational..." Dante paused, censoring himself. "Educational Beating," he said dropping the A$$ from the middle. "I let him do this to me to keep her safe, next time I'm hitting back." he knew this might be cause for a talking to later but he was being honest with her parents.

The Morrisons seemed to nod in unison. They were quiet as if internally debating a few things.

"Is there anything you want to add?" Dr. Williams asked Dante after a few moments. "You aren't the only friend of Melissa's we're speaking to today. So her staying at the school isn't completely on you but anything that might be useful either way that you want to add?"

"If I may." Dante said, "I say this respectfully but I think it'd be an awful idea to take her out of this school." he said, "She's gained a support system here in her new friends. You shouldn't 'throw the baby out with the bathwater', or rather in less poetic terms, let the incident with one bad actor take her away from many good ones. You take her and find her a new place to go, who's to say it doesn't happen again, but in a new place, she's got no friends, or even acquaintances to help her if she falls. At least here you can rest assured that people will pick her up if she falls, and do their best to keep her safe within their best abilities. Doug is a danger, sure we've got no reason to argue on that, but Dougs exist everywhere. Better the evil you know than one you don't." Dante said his peace.

Both of the Morrisons nodded seeming to think over what the young man had said.

"We will consider what you said," Mrs. Morrison said.

Dr. Williams then addressed Dante again, as she wrote something on a notepad and tore it off. " Thank you for that insight and your time. If there's nothing else, you can go back to class." She handed him the paper, which was basically excusing him for being late. "If Courtney is outside send her in."
Dante nodded. "Thank you for taking the time to listen to my input." Dante said, before standing to leave. "I'm around if you need to ask anything more of me." he gave a nod and left. Dante stepped out nearly bumping into Courtney. "Jesus..." he mouthed startled, "Scared me a bit there. They are ready for you," he told her.

"Thanks," Courtney said. "Before I go in, though, what are they like - the Morrison's that is." She didn't sound particularly nervous it was more Courtney figured the more she knew the better.

Dante gave a small shrug, "Seemed fine to me but I went in respectful and they seem slightly old school." he said, "I don't want to say sexist but," he spread his arms out a bit. "I'm a tall tough looking southern boy." he said "I say I'll keep her safe my word sounds stronger than I mean it to. Not that I'm saying I won't keep her safe but, you know what I mean." Dante pointed over his shoulder, "Just go in respectful and keep a cool head I'm sure you'll go great. I gotta get to class, but let me know how it goes afterwords."

It was a little surprising to say the Morrisons were a little old school as both of them were doctors and given what Mel had told her about them. Not that she expected them to be cutting edge but … well, she supposed she didn't know what to expect. "Well, I can throw on my own southern grace and charm." Her Tennessee accent wasn't exactly faded from her time home over the summer and the girl was raised southern with all the manners. "Okay, thanks for the heads up and will do." With that, the girl stepped inside the office.