Raising Haze

Chapter Sixteen

(Haze's POV)

        Zane Mathews.

         "You're...You're my dad...?" I asked, quietly. He just looked at me and nodded.

        "When you came in late on the first day, and I heard your name, my heart stopped. I didn't know what to think. I still don't. Thirteen years, and I finally meet you." He said with a smile.

        "Why did you leave me?" He looked down at his lap, and had a look of dissapointment on his face. 

        "I didn't want to. Heather and I had an agreement. That it would just be Skylar, her, and you. You would be the family, and I'd step in every now and than and be known as your uncle or something. We would tell you I was your father when you were old enough to understand. But I went about it the wrong way, and said things I really shouldn't have to Skylar. God, you look so much like her." He was crying. I didn't even know what to think about all of this. It was certainly a messed up situation. 

        I still can't belive though, that after thirteen years, I finally find out who my father is. I know what happened. And I can't be mad at him. I don't know what it is, but I just can't be mad. I'm more mad at Heather for not telling me any of this through out my life. It's all important stuff, and I feel like I should have known. I feel betrayed.

        I broke down crying. Zane, well, dad, got up and came over to hug me. I accepted the hug offer, and cried on his shoulder for awhile. When I was done, he looked at me.

        "Come on. Lets go." He said. I nodded, and followed him. 

        He stopped at the office, and told the lady that we're leaving and signed me out with no problem. He also got a sub to cover his class for the rest of the day.  She smiled at me before we walked out.

        Walking out of the school, everyone looked at us strangely. Like it was some sort of student-teacher sex thing.  The looks got worse once I was in his car. 

        He started his car, and we drove off. The CD he had in was pretty good. The first song was "100 Ways To Hate" by Five Finger Death Punch. This song fit very well for my feelings towards Heather. I sang along, word for word. My father looked at me like I was on crack.

        Father. 

        Still so weird to think about that word. I have never said it towards someone, and now I am towards my art teacher. 

        When the song was over, I looked out the window and we were at his house. It was nice. I guess teachers don't get paid that bad after all.

        We walked in, and I sat on the couch. He automatically left the room to go grab something, I'm assuming. So, I waited about fifteen to twenty minutes. Eventually he came back with an older laptop. 

        He sat next to me, opened it, typed in his password, and automatically went to the gallery. There were five folders: BlastToThePast, TheGroup, InternetShit, Me, and lastly, Skylar<3.

        He clicked the "Skylar<3" one, opening it. There were a lot of pictures of she and Zane. There were some with him holding her belly. Some of all their friends with a hand on her belly, some of just them hanging out, and some of just her.

        "She was an amazing person, Haze. And I can never live with the fact that I'm part of the reasons she killed herself. I can never live that down." A tear rolled down his eye. I hugged him.

        Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Heather. I rolled my eyes and answered.

        "Where the hell are you?!" She screamed.

        "With my father." I responded back quickly. There was complete silence.

        "How did you find Zane?"

        "He's my fucking art teacher, Heather."

        "You call me mom."

        "No. Because you're not my mother." I screamed, and hung up. My dad gave me a dissapproving look, and I shook it off.

        "You can crash here. I have a spare room." He said. I smiled and gave him a hug.

        It's pretty great. Knowing who my dad is and everything. It's like an empty part of me suddenly filled. I was beyond happy with the fact that I had a dad. I wasn't so thrilled that there was no Skylar, but having at least one of my biological paretns is better than my moms ex-girlfriend.

        Anyway, Dad made some dinner. It was something simple. Mac n cheese and chicken with green beans. It worked. The chicken was very well seasoned and tastey. Then, we watched movies until I fell asleep on the couch. 

        I felt completely comfortable with it, too. 

        I felt like I was finally home.