She Was My Colour

8: Protecting her

Hell.

Lisa repeats in her brain when she laid her eyes on a man with crusty, oily looking slick back hair that had clearly outgrown his face. He looked around the age of 50, had pointed looking moustaches unshaved, a thick fabric coat she assumed was black on, wearing worn out work boots, and a beer bottle in his hand.

Brewmeister. Snake Venom.

She read the label and couldn't understand a single part of it, yet she assumed it was some heavy liquor. She detested heavy drinkers. She despised them. She always thought that people who felt the need to rely on self-destructing mechanisms were immature and silly.

She felt Jennie mildly quiver against her back before a traumatised whisper came by.

"Lisa... I'm begging you.. p-please just leave for today."

The tall blonde noticed how the man was chugging onto the beer bottle and stumbling back and forth in his steps, before his drowsy eyes managed to catch a glimpse at them. The brunette was forcefully trying to push Lisa away towards the other direction at this point but the blonde was just too enraged at the sight of the man.

"Oi, Rubyjane!" He calls out disrespectfully, and it looked like poison was dripping off his feet as he heavily tramped over, "Where's your mother!"

Lisa wanted to speak up and tell him to back off, but Jennie got ahead of her and went towards him first.

"Dad, go back-"

"You haven't gotten the cash I asked for, have you? It's been what, a week??!"

The brunette hated that Lisa was seeing this, she hated this man for coming on Christmas to ruin everything. She hated that he was drunk and close to being unconscious again every single time he came by asking for cash.

If there was anything she wished for right now, she seriously hoped she'd disappear.

"Not here, please.. it's br-"

"And who's that?!" The drunken man gets distracted and shouts, cutting Jennie off though he was literally only a few metres away from his daughter. He points over Jennie's shoulder towards Lisa, and the latter was starting to get really irritated.

"She's- she was just about to leave. Please don't do this on Christmas dad."

"I gave you a life, you give me the cash! What's so difficult?? You telling me this bitch is the reason why you've been slacking recently and refusing to hand me the money? You've been running away from home lately, huh?!"

Jennie shakes her head anxiously, and tries to grab a hold of her dad but he viciously pulled away from her and stomped into the house regardless. The brunette tries to run in after him when Lisa's grabs her.

"Don't. He's not in the right state of mind right now. What if h-"

"He's always been like this! When he came by yesterday, he was just as drunk, Lisa! I need to go in just in case he throws a temper again, so go home Lisa. Please."

For the first time in forever, the tall blonde rolls her eyes and groans a little too loudly in frustration before pulling Jennie along with her towards her house, refusing to concede.

"What are you doing?! Go home!"

"I'm staying. I'm worried about you so please just let me stay, okay? At least if something happens to you, I'll be arou-"

"You just don't get it, do you?!" Jennie suddenly let go, "I don't like you seeing this side of me! I don't like seeing both you and my dad in the same space, Lisa! It's the same thing as mixing heaven and hell up and I hate that okay?! It hurts my pride! So leave!"