18 - h.s

thirty four

Sophia Elliot

I walked downstairs and braced myself for seeing my parents in the kitchen. I took a deep breath and made my way into the kitchen, both my mom and dad not looking at me as my mom stood over the counter cooking dinner and my dad sat at the kitchen table doing what seemed to be some paperwork for his job.

"Are you here to finally apologise?" My mom spoke up in a condescending tone, making my face screw up in disapproval as I sat on the counter, wringing my hands together and noticing I was beginning to get frustrated.

"No, am I fuck." I rolled my eyes at her question, I have nothing to apologise for. I'm finally standing my ground in this house.

She scoffed in response, shaking her head while still not looking at me and continuing with what she was doing.

"Apologise to your mother." My dad spoke up from the table, still not looking up from the paperwork that littered the dining table. When I didn't answer and laughed in response he repeated himself in a more stern tone. "Now."

"Wow." I rolled my eyes and turned to my mother who stood there with an expectant look on her face waiting for my apology. "Mom I am so sorry that you feel the need to take your own problems out on your kids." I deadpanned before I pushed myself off the counter and turned to walk out of the kitchen as my mother slammed her knife down on the counter with force, making my father stop in his tracks at the table and making me stop dead in the middle of the doorway of the kitchen.

I turned on my heels to see both of my parents staring at me, my father seething with anger as he stared me down and my mother had her hand on top of the knife she just threw down. I swallowed and tried to stand tall, not letting myself back down. I leaned on the side of the doorway and crossed my arms while we all stood in silence as they continued to stare, my mothers lip turning up at the sight of me.

"We are not done here, Sophia." My father spoke up at the table, making my eyes widen and my head tilt towards him. He stared at me with his brows furrowed and his fists balled up leaning on the table as his deep blue eyes stared into mine, my heart racing in fear of my own father, knowing how unpredictable he was. Yet, I decided to push my luck. Again.

"Oh it speaks?" I gasped, not helping myself in this situation as I took a subtle but deep breath to keep myself calm as he pushed himself up off the table and stood in front of me with his fists still balled up tightly. I peered over his shoulder to see my mother stood with the knife now in her hand. "I'm sorry you hate me so much but you ever think that it's maybe your own fault?" I pushed, keeping my arms crossed tightly over my chest in a defensive stance. "We all know that this is completely on you and not me. This has nothing to do with me and all to do with you so we know whose to blame here don't we?" I raised an eyebrow and stared back at my mom and dad who stared at me with a blank expression and I know myself that that was never a good sign.

I suddenly heard the sound of a lock turning and I knew that it was Josh and I could breathe a sigh of relief as he slammed it shut and I could hear his feet shuffle across the hall and towards the kitchen.

I could see my dad grow more and more angry and ball his hands up tighter, his knuckled turning white as he lunged for me and I closed my eyed and braced for it, holding my hands up to my face.

It didn't come.

I pryed my fingers open and peered through them with one eye, seeing my brother stood in front of my dad and I, holding his hand out to my dad with his back to me. Pulling my hands away from my face I opened my eyes and saw Josh peering back to me and mouth. 'are you okay?' but I just nodded in response, making his attention go back to my parents stood in front of us.