Mega Huge Collection of Rougher Daddies

by Lara Friedman

  Elsa had already done her homework, she'd only had the time between when she got back from college and when her dad got back from 'work' around 5 or 6 to do anything by herself. He would either want her to smoke with him, or he would be in a foul mood and demand to know how much she'd made for him. He wasn't her real dad, but he'd taken care of her since she was very little and her mum was constantly in a stupor. Keith had started out as her mother's dealer. Then he began to spend more and more time around. He often said as a joke that Elsa was so quiet, he'd lived with them for two months before he realised his new girlfriend had a daughter at all. Elsa remembered that time with a little haze. The guy her mum had kept around before Keith had been very touchy-feely with her, and she didn't like him. When Keith kicked him out one night for beating Elsa's already-unconscious mother half to death, Elsa was still frightened this new one would be like the last one.

  Keith, however, was very different. He'd been kind and made sure she always had something to eat in the evenings. He even drove her to school when she missed the bus. He was like a real dad to her, except when he was in a rage. Keith worked the streets for the harder drugs. He had a weed plantation somewhere out in the sticks which kept him supplied, and he also peddled pills and rocks for the bigger drug dealers. But if his supply got cut due to a raid, or if a client died or went into rehab, he wasn't happy, and when he wasn't happy Elsa was the first to know. He never beat her, or touched her in anyway. He was just bitter and cruel to her. She was an easy target, she knew. So instead she became an absent target. She came home long after he'd smoked himself into a blissful state, and went straight to her room.

  When she was thirteen he'd approached her one morning and asked her if she wanted to make some pocket money. He'd slipped twelve plastic bags of some green across the breakfast table, telling her each was worth ?10. "Enough for your little friends to get a little happy." She'd refused to sell them at college, but she said she'd ask around for afterwards. That's how she began. She'd go round each clique, they all knew who she was now. She kept up on the gossip, and got people's phone numbers and addresses to go drop the stuff off later. It was tough work without a car, some people lived out in the middle of nowhere, but it gave her enough to get by and never ask Keith or her mum for money. Keith, of course, expected a little kickback for the green he provided, but he was reasonable. He knew she was saving to get out of there, and he approved whole-heartedly.

  So now Elsa was about half an hour's walk from her house. Her friends had abandoned her, the streets were getting darker and she scuffed her shoes along the outside of the curb, hands in her hoodie pockets and staring at the dimming sky. A couple cars had slowed to a crawl on the off chance she was stood there to sell something, but when she didn't approach the windows, they quickly pulled away.

  She was startled to feel a hand yank her arm backward out of her pocket. Ready to fight or flee, she turned.

  "Mr Jennings?" Her surprise made her forget her stance, one fist raised behind her head. His eyes flicked angrily from her fist back to her face. She lowered her arm. "You surprised me."

  "What the hell do you think you're doing out here?" He was furious. He'd been watching her from his kitchen window as she stood on the corner. He didn't know whether he was more angry that she was in his neighbourhood, likely selling drugs or herself, or that he'd caught himself admiring her body.

  "Sorry, Mr Jennings. I'm just killing time before curfew." She had the decency to lower her head and scuff her shoes again. His brow drew together. Doing this, she looked her age. Finally.

  "Don't you know how dangerous it is for a girl your age to stand around? Come on, you can kill time inside my place and then I'll drive you home. When is your curfew?" He spun around and walked away, listening for her footsteps to begin tripping after him.

  "It's 9pm, sir. I know it's dangerous, but I have nothing else to do."

  "Didn't it occur to you to go home early?" As they walked into his house, he shut the door behind them, throwing the bolt across, making sure she saw him do it so she didn't think he was trapping her.

  "My parents..." She trailed off. His face softened mildly.

  "Ah yes, the eternal battle that is teenagers and their parents. I'd forgotten. Well, no harm done, now. Would you like a drink or anything?" He turned away from her again, going into the kitchen. She followed and stood awkwardly at the door. "Take a seat, what do you like? I was thinking of having some hot cocoa and marshmallows before bed. What do you think?"

  Her eyes lit up quietly. He could see she was polite, not too forceful, but she did like the idea of cocoa. Daniel wondered when the last time she had been treated to such things was. She slipped on to one of the rickety chairs at the table and drew off her jumper. As it tugged off her form, Daniel suddenly couldn't look away. She was a plump girl, still got the puppy fat. She usually dressed in baggy clothes as she was larger than her svelte friends. But tonight, under the baggy hoodie, she wore a tight-fitting strappy top which displayed her sizable breasts, and a short flowered skirt over coloured leggings and sneakers. Her hair tumbled out of the jumper and she quickly adjusted herself so she felt decent. Daniel swallowed and concentrated on pouring the milk into a saucepan. His mind was skipping all over the place. He'd never felt attracted to one of his students before.

  "Thanks, Mr Jennings. But, can I ask you a question?" She looked at him squarely, obviously not recognising his silent internal struggle. He nodded, not trusting his voice. "That exam was quite difficult, and I didn't understand some stuff in the second section." Daniel smiled.

  "Which parts exactly?"

  "The stuff about atomic structure. I get that the electrons and protons are equal in number, and that dictates where they are in the periodic table, but I don't get why there's a massive gap in the middle." Daniel turned to glance at her. Her hair tumbled down over one shoulder as she traced a pattern with her finger tip on the table top. Her breasts were propped on her arm, pushing them up and deepening her cleavage. Daniel turned back quickly, feeling his blood rise.

  "Erm well," he licked his lips, "That's because of the electron shells, how the electrons are arranged around the nucleus. In the first shell there only can be two electrons, the second can hold eight and so on. Hold on, I'll show you." Daniel sprinkled some cinnamon into the cocoa as it began to boil. He poured the liquid into two mugs and dropped some marshmallows into the top and carried them across to the table. "Those are hot, don't touch them for a bit. Let the mallows melt first." He rushed to the next room to grab some paper and a pen and returned, grabbing the mallow packet before sitting in the chair next to her. "Look, this is how it works."

  For the next ten minutes he explained how the number of electron shells dictated which row the element was on the table, and how full the outer shell was dictated which column it was in. When she understood, he sat back, pleased at her realisation. She began drawing electron shells herself, checking which element she'd drawn on his periodic table. He took a mallow from the packet and popped it in his mouth. She watched him closely, so he held out one for her. To both their surprise, her mouth opened with an audible soft, wet 'pop'. Without thinking, Daniel placed the soft pink sweet on her waiting tongue.

  They both held their breath as she closed her mouth again, her eyes wide, fixated on his. Her drawings were forgotten in front of her, pen abandoned. The sugary taste exploded in her mouth as her eyes were opened to him. He broke the stare, reaching for his mug. He cleared his throat before he took a sip.

  "It's cool enough now to drink." She studied him. He wasn't that bad looking. His dark hair was scruffy, he wore glasses which were perpetually slipping down his nose. He took care of himself. Right now he wore an old t-shirt and jeans with paint and grease on them, but the t-shirt was taught across the muscles of his shoulders and chest, the jeans displayed his nice rounded ass. He couldn't be older than twenty-five. She also sensed something broken in him, something that couldn't be fixed. She took a sip of her drink.

  He me
ntally berated himself for what he'd done. One part of him said it was only a marshmallow, another screamed at him for being so stupid. She might be young, but she was female and therefore capable of any sort of manipulation. The image of his lingering fingers on the pink mallow, the soft rust of her breath over his hand, even now he could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He forced his mind to think of other things. He still had to drive her home.

  "Oh wow, Mr Jennings. This is the best cocoa I've ever had!" She took another long drink, and suddenly she was a child again. When she pulled the mug away from her mouth she had a milky film on her upper lip. She licked it clean, smacking her lips and looking around the place. Daniel saw it through her eyes. He'd only unpacked his last box a month ago, so he hadn't even thought of redecorating yet. The kitchen had once been white or cream, but now the walls were stained with the tobacco smoke of the previous tenant. Through the archway she could see the magazines and books and unmarked homework of his classes covering every conceivable surface in the sitting room. "You live alone here?" Hey wide eyes turned back to him.

  "Yep I do. Drink up, Elsa. We'd better get you home before you're late." She glanced at the clock and rushed the last mouthfuls of the drink. They made the journey back to hers with about five minutes to spare of her curfew. She ducked her head down once she'd left the car.

  "Thanks for everything, Mr Jennings. It was really nice of you." She turned and skipped up the pathway, opening her front door quietly and turning no lights on inside. Daniel waited until she was safely inside and he'd heard the front door click locked before pulling away. Back inside his house he stared at the two dirty mugs, nestled together on the table. Then he noticed she'd left her hoodie on one of the chairs. He felt himself frown. It was going to be tough to return that to her without it seeming suspicious.

  ------

  Elsa had chemistry on Tuesdays and Fridays with Mr Jennings. Today was Friday and she could feel that she was excited for the first time to be going to a lesson. She practically skipped into the classroom. He looked as surly and disinterested as ever. Sometimes he could be fun, letting them make stuff explode. That seemed to release some tension in him. But on days like today, she knew it'd be book work and copying from the board. At the end of the lesson she felt her spirit rise as she called her name.

  "I'd like a word with you, please Elsa." She motioned for her friends to carry on, they were eager to get in line for lunch. "Here, you left this at mine Wednesday night." He handed her the hoodie.

  "Oh, of course. Sorry sir I'd forgotten." He turned away as she lingered, biting her lip. "Sir? Do you think you could tutor me?" He paused, and she saw the tension in his back increase and then forcefully decrease before he turned.

  "I have to ask you something, Elsa." He turned to her, but didn't look at her. She tilted her head in question. "Have you been cheating?" She took a step back.

  "No, sir. All the work I do is my own. What makes you think I was cheating?" She lowered her head, as if she was disappointed in his question.

  "The people you hang around with, they don't do so well. Your grades are high, but you don't seem to pay so much attention in class." A frown passed across her face, but it cleared.

  "You think because my friends are stoners and happy to do the minimum I should do too?" Her voice was quiet, humble. Her head snapped up, and he could see it was twisted with anger. "I didn't choose my family, sir. I didn't choose to have a drug dealer for a step-dad. I'd love to be a nerd, sir, but as it is I'm saving up for my future. Every piece of work I do is my own, because I don't want to be stuck here. I don't want to have the choice everyone else does. I don't want to be my mother." She gasped as if she'd said too much. She covered her mouth and stifled the sob which came too loud for the empty room.

  For a moment the noise from outside overwhelmed them both. Students yelled and screamed in the corridor as they made their way to the playground or the cafeteria. Elsa's shoulders slowly stopped shaking. Daniel dearly wanted to move around the desk and hold her, comfort her, allow her to cry and tell her she was safe, but he knew that wasn't permitted. Just as she knew. Finally she got it under control. She sniffed and lifted her face to him. Her cheeks were pink with suppressed emotion.

  "Please, sir. It's not often I find someone who actually cares. Will you tutor me?"

  "We can't at my house, but it's a possibility that I could run an after-hours thing here for you and some others who also want a bit extra help. I'll ask the head." She smiled sweetly, then nodded, using the reclaimed hoodie to wipe tears from her face.

  "Do I look okay?" He nodded and she left quietly.

  "You look wonderful." He said under his breath. He thought she heard when she turned slightly, but then she was swallowed by the crowd of students and gone from his sight.

  ------

  The exams went too quickly. The head agreed for Daniel to set up a weekly after-hours class for about five to ten students who wanted that little extra help to pass or excel. He worked hard to teach them everything they needed and wanted to know, and too soon the exam was there and then gone. His little extra time with Elsa, watching her up close, understanding her mind and her dreams was over. He felt as if it was a time that passed too quickly for him. She was applying to a university in the city in the autumn term, one that specialized in sciences. His heart had swelled with pride when she told him that. Daniel would never see his Elsa again.

  The weeks ticked over slowly. The teachers had their end-of-year do before the term broke up. The school was silent when Daniel went to pick up the last of his stuff from the labs. He glanced out the now-familiar windows over the empty school grounds as he packed up his box. Nearly empty. He glanced back. In the yard, three lonely figures stood, they were talking and joking, he could see them laugh but not hear at what. One of them was Elsa. He watched as the other two handed something to her. She held it up to the light, and then brought it to her face. He knew by the way she was acting that it was a drug deal he was seeing.

  The rage he felt that they were using the school to sell drugs overwhelmed him. He ran down the stairs and burst the doors open. The three figures jumped at the sudden noise and then scattered, Elsa was slightly slower to react. Even at this distance he could see the fear in her eyes when she recognised him. He ran toward them, and the three of them pelted away.

  Daniel knew the other two students quite well, as he gave chase to the edge of school property and then gave up. He watched as Elsa tore away from the place, only looking over her shoulder once. His breath tore in his lungs and he could feel his heart break. He was so angry that he'd seen her deal, that she'd used his ground to do it. He couldn't believe she'd been so disrespectful.

  ------

  Daniel paced from the living room to the kitchen again, sipping his black coffee. He didn't like it like this, but the bitterness suited his mood. He watched the rain pour out the front room and the back, thinking about what he'd seen. He knew the other two students, he could easily report them. But then he'd have to report Elsa, and that he just couldn't do. He couldn't take her future from her. At the same time he worried that she was doing just that. If she was dealing in school grounds in the middle of the day. Anyone could have seen, anyone could have reported them and then they'd be in so much trouble. She'd lose everything.

  Daniel slammed the mug on the table as lightening flashed. The thunderclap almost masked the first knock. He stilled, unsure if he'd heard it. Then another knock, slightly louder.

  "Hello?" He called out.

  "Hey, Mr Jennings? Can I come in please?" Daniel glanced at the clock as he unlocked the door and swung it open. It was after eleven at night, but here she was. She'd worn a waterproof jacket, but only leggings on her bottom half. A small broken umbrella was tucked under her arm. Her face was pink from being struck by the wind-driven rain. "Please, sir?"

  He realised he was stood in the doorway studying her, blocking her entry. He stepped back, ushering her inside. Before he shut the door
he looked around the street to make sure no-one else was there, watching him invite one of his students into his house late at night. Once the bolt was drawn across and the door locked, he turned to her. Elsa had disappeared into the living room.

  He found her sat on the sofa, peeling off her sodden leggings and water-proof jacket. She laid them on the radiator without him asking her. Her hair was damp around her face and fluffy from the hood in the back. She now wore the short flowery skirt he'd seen her in before, and a long sleeved sweater which was damp on the sleeves. She bit her lip, nervous.

  "I'm sorry for disturbing you so late." She took a step forward. Daniel motioned for her to sit on the sofa. He moved some papers so he could sit at the other end, as far away as he could get. "I didn't mean for you to see... Today in the college. I didn't want for... I'm sorry." She hung her head, contrite. Instantly he forgave her, but he couldn't tell her that.

  "I don't think it was appropriate for you to make those transactions on school ground." He put steel into his voice.

  "I know. I hate doing it there. I didn't want to but Mary..." She glanced up and down. "I'm sorry. I just don't want them to get into trouble. If you have to report anyone, please just say it was me and not them. Say you didn't recognise my client. Everyone knows I'm the biggest weed dealer in town. The cops would thank you, but please, don't tell on Mary. It wasn't her fault." She trailed off. As she'd spoken, she'd tucked her legs underneath herself and shuffled forward slightly on her knees.

  "I didn't report you." Daniel said quietly, watching her. She looked up, elated. "But I could have. Don't do a deal there again, Elsa. It's not appropriate. I know the other two, I know Mary and I know Sid. I don't care who they are, but you could have ruined your future today, Elsa, if it had been anyone else who saw you. You have to think of these things." He held out his arms to her, trying to make her see.