MADDY

What's In My Future?

It was the next morning when I was woken up by my alarm. I kind of wished that Yesterday was just a dream. I didn't want to admit that I was going to miss my father. I didn't want to get up and go to school. I didn't want to face everyone since I know the whole of Cloudy White is talking about it making up their own stories and versions of what happened. 

*DREAM*

It looked like I was in a classroom. It had posters with the ABCs on them, and other cheesy posters with teacher quotes saying "dream big" or ''Learning zone". The floor had a bright colorful carpet with numbers on it with animals. I was at a table with other kids who were coloring. The teacher sat at her desk when there was a knock at the door. She walked up to the door and opened it.

"Hey Mrs. Berry sorry if I'm interrupting"

"No you're not interrupting so It's fine. What do you need?" Mrs. Berry smiled.

"I need to borrow David Cane for a second"

"Oh okay"

The lady with the tight bun entered the room and walked up to me. She bent over to look at me.

"Hey David your Mother is here to check you out you need to get your things okay" she slightly whispered

"Yes, ma'am," I say I get up from my seat and grab my things from the hook where we put our backpacks.

I follow the lady out of the room and I hear everyone saying "bye David" or "lucky take me with you". We go to the office. I see the Mother crying in the office and she has Kelli in her lap already. When I enter the office she gets up and takes my hand and we walk out of the school. When we arrive home we enter.

"Where's Daddy? He's normally home on Mondays?" I ask her to sit down in the nearest chair to her.

She looked down and was silent for an instant until she looked up again and says "David baby Daddy passed away"

"No he's going to come home in a few hours," I cried.

"David Daddy was in a car crash and he didn't make it"

*****

"MADDY FOR GOD'S SAKE WAKE UP!" Luke scares me awake. "I've been calling your name for the past hour you are late for school."

"Have you thought I don't want to go to school"

"Well too fucking bad you're going to get dressed we're leaving in ten minutes."

"NO" I pushed him out of my room.

"You're fucking going even if I'm going to drag you by your hair" I heard him through my door.

"You can't make me do anything you're not my parent"

"At this point, I'm the closest that you have to Maddy." he entered my room, forcefully grabbed my bag and my arm, and walked me downstairs. Even though I hadn't even got to change. Then he shoved me out of the door and locked it. "YOU'RE FUCKING GOING OR YOU'RE SITTING IN THE COLD FOR SEVEN HOURS!" I hear him yell through the door. I decide to walk to school even if I'm still in my pajamas.

When I got to school third period just started. I stepped in and everyone was talking. It doesn't seem like the teacher was in the classroom yet. The room went silent almost instantly. In a room filled with fifteen people, I have never felt more embarrassed. Time slowly went by. No one really talked to me but would talk and look at me when I walked past them. Danny wasn't at school today so I didn't even have him to talk to. My phone was also left at home laying on the charger on my bed from getting kicked out this morning.

***

After school, I walk home alone. 

I entered the house and proceed to go up to my room to hideaway. Hours later when everything had calmed down between me and Luke I go up to his room and I knocked on his door. there wasn't an answer but I still proceeded.

"Luke?" I opened the door slowly and he was playing his game, he had headphones on so I assume he didn't hear me when I knocked.

he looked over at me a took off his headphones and set them on his messy bed. "Yes?" he said after a second of silence.

"What's going to happen to me?"

"What do you mean?" he paused his game and looked at me.

"Since Dad's gone where am I going to go?"

"You will rather go to Grandma Jill who lives in Florida and never met or you will stay with me if you're lucky."

"I don't want to move to Florida even if I hate Tennessee. Everyone I know is here. I don't want to drop all of that and leave to live with a stranger."

"You most likely stay here since I'm over 18 and able to take care of you and be your legal garden. Until you turn 18 in July"

"You're a pain in the ass but I hope I get to stay here." we stayed silent for a second. "Who's going to take care of me when you go into the military?"

"Well after July you'll be 18 I'll just have to enlist after that so you don't have to move to Florida and live with a stranger, or I won't enlist at all."

"Luke doesn't let go of your dream for me. I want you to live your life."

"Maddy this is my life, I would give up every dream I have just to keep you alive and safe from this shitty world." I stood in his doorway silent not knowing what to say next. I looked at Luke blankly for a moment when I thought of another question.

"Here's another question"

"Shocker" he jokes.

"Does this mean I'll have to get a job so we don't have to starve and to keep the lights on since we will be living off of one paycheck now" the only thing that Dad did correct to take care of us is paying the bills, but I'm sure the only reason why he did it is so he could survive?

"I will figure that out" I knew he wouldn't he just didn't want me to worry. Knowing him he would take on another job or do odd jobs around town. Most of the time he's working during the night and sometimes in the day, but that just gives him time to be home more and play his video games. I feel like he doesn't sleep most days but I know he's stressed and working hard to keep everyone afloat.