When Love Gets in the Way

Chapter Sixty

Becky

I wanted to ask my dad sooner about Rosa moving in but I haven't found the time until now. School has just finished for the day and I have to ask him before I head up to my room for a few hours else I won't get another chance tonight and that will be another night wasted.

Besides I'm nervous.

It's not that I don't trust my dad to have a good reaction to all of this, it's just that we don't have the closest of relationships. Mum was always careing and we spent a lot of time together. When she was still alive, dad was better and less stressed all of the time. Now he's just angry.

I know that he misses her still but he shouldn't take his anger out on me. I miss mum greatly. She was always so funny and was an artist just like me.

"Hey dad." I say as I enter his office after knocking three times like always. He turns to look at me which is new. Normally he just sits there staring at his computer screen.

"What's the matter?" He asks me in a monotoned serious voice.

"Umm... Well... Actually..."

"What have I taught you about muttering?" He sniffs and I bow my head apologetically.

"Sorry." I say before the room falls into an awkward silence. My dad stares at me, waiting for me to say something else but I don't. I don't know what to say. Should I start by coming out or asking if Rosa could move in? The latter will probably have a better response so I should go with that one first.

"What is it Becky?" He asks impatiently.

"Well, I have a friend who doesn't get on well with her mum. They had a fight the other day and my friend left. She's staying with someone at the moment but I was wondering if she could come and live with us?" I ask him my voice coming out quickly and jumbled. He stares at me blankly for a minute as my words sink in and then frowns.

"James is your only friend." He states and I chew my bottom lip nervous at his harsh tone.

"Recently I have made a few new ones but Rosa - she's the friend - means an awful lot to me and I would love it is she could stay." I explain to him and he raises and eye brow at me clearly sensing some missing information from my story.

"You are not making any sense." He tells me and I suck in a deep breath.

"Dad, I'm bisexual and dating a girl, Rosa." I blurt out as I exhale deeply. He stares at me for a moment before his face becomes stoney.

"No." Is all he says.

"No?" I repeat wondering its meaning. Is it the answer to Rosa moving in or something else.

"You're not bisexual." He tells me and horror hits me as his words sink in.

"Yes I am. I care for Rosa just like you cared for mum." I tell him trying to make him understand.

"No Becky, you are not bisexual! Now go to your room and leave me to my work." He snaps before he turns away from me. I stare at him in shock for a few seconds before I leave his office and then leave the house.

_________________________________________

He's supposed to be my dad yet he refuses to accept me. I love him yet I don't think he loves me. I've probably been nothing but an inconvenience to him.

Mum would have understood. She was so kind and funny and now she's gone. Gone like a winters snow in summer.

Suddenly, the sound of flesh colliding with flesh reaches my ears and my blood runs cold.

There's a fight nearby!

I'm good in arguments but not physical violence. Even though we're a bunch of angsty teenagers, there are never any physical fights at school (other then that time Luca beat Darren Western to a pulp). I've never really witnessed a fight other than that so it's still a new thing to me.

The distinct sound of someone getting beaten makes me want to run a mile but I know that someone close by is being hurt and I need to help them. No matter what I feel.

I will my body to move forward towards the source of the sound and reach a deep alleyway.

Why is it always and alleyway? Couldn't something happen in the middle of the park for once so I didn't have to sneak down a dark, narrow alleyway into who knows what trouble.

I suck in a deep breath before I throw myself into the alleyway.

"Hey, stop right there. The police are on their way." I announce into the alley and before I have a chance to catch any faces, five hooded people rush past me and out of the alley.

Wow, that lie always works.

I look into the alley and the sight that meets my eye causes a small scream to ascep my mouth.

"James! Luca!" I yell as I take everything in.