About a teacher who had accidentally called her by another student's name.
About a girl who had dyed her hair purple.
Daniel listened.
He always listened.
After dinner, they stepped outside.
The black SUV was gone.
Daniel didn't think about it.
Not yet.
The next morning, Sophie woke up to hundreds of notifications.
Someone had posted a video.
It showed her walking into school.
The caption read:
"Mechanic's Princess Thinks She's Better Than Everyone."
There were laughing emojis beneath it.
Then another video appeared.
And another.
By lunchtime, almost everyone had seen them.
Sophie locked herself in a bathroom stall.
She didn't cry.
She refused to.
Instead, she called her father.
Daniel answered on the second ring.
"What's wrong?"
"Dad..."
Her voice broke.
Daniel stood immediately.
"Where are you?"
"School."
"I'll be there."
"You don't have to."
"I'll be there."
Twenty minutes later, Daniel walked into the school office wearing the same work clothes he had worn that morning.
The principal looked at him.
"Mr. Mercer, this is a student matter."
Daniel remained calm.
"My daughter is being harassed."
"We're investigating."
"Good."
"We'll handle it."
Daniel nodded.
"I hope so."
The principal seemed relieved.
Then Daniel added:
"Because if the school can't keep her safe, I'll find another way."
The principal frowned.
"Are you threatening someone?"
Daniel looked directly at him.
"No."
He paused.
"I'm telling you I'm her father."
That afternoon, Ryan and his friends waited outside school.
They had no idea Daniel was watching from across the street.
They laughed as Sophie walked toward the bus.
Ryan stepped into her path.
"Hey, princess."
Sophie stopped.
Daniel started crossing the street.
Ryan reached toward her backpack.
Then a hand closed around his wrist.
Ryan looked up.
Daniel was standing beside him.
The laughter stopped.
Daniel's voice was quiet.
"Don't touch my daughter."
Ryan tried to pull free.
He couldn't.
For the first time, he noticed something strange.
Daniel wasn't squeezing hard.
He didn't need to.
His grip was simply in the right place.
Ryan looked at the mechanic's tired face.
"You think you're tough?"
Daniel released him.
"No."
Ryan rubbed his wrist.
"Then why are you acting like this?"
Daniel stepped closer.
"Because you haven't met tough."
The three boys laughed nervously.
Daniel looked at all of them.
"Go home."
Ryan's smile returned.
"You can't tell us what to do."
Daniel sighed.
Then he turned toward Sophie.
"Get on the bus."
"Dad..."
"Go."
She obeyed.
Ryan watched her leave.
Then he looked back at Daniel.
"You just embarrassed me."
Daniel didn't answer.
Ryan stepped forward.
And that was when Daniel realized this wasn't going to end in the school parking lot.
The First Warning
Ryan shoved Daniel.
Daniel barely moved.
The teenager stared at him.
"Move."
Daniel looked at him.
"No."
Ryan shoved him again.
This time Daniel stepped backward.
Not because the shove was powerful.
Because he didn't want to fight.
Sophie was still visible through the bus window.
Daniel didn't want her watching.
"You're making a mistake," Daniel said.
Ryan laughed.
"That's what old guys always say."
One of his friends pulled out his phone.
"Record it."
Daniel noticed.
He looked directly into the camera.
"Put that away."
"Why?"
"Because you don't know what you're doing."
Ryan smiled.
"You're scared."
Daniel shook his head.
"I'm trying to protect you from yourself."
That sentence irritated Ryan more than anything else.
He swung.
Daniel moved.
The punch missed.
Ryan stumbled forward.
Daniel caught his shoulder and steadied him.
He could have dropped him.
Instead, he let go.
Ryan turned.
"What was that?"
"Your warning."
"Warning?"
Daniel nodded.
"Go home."
Ryan charged again.
This time Daniel moved differently.