Eggo's short stories

The Stepdad

"Im tired." The girl in the back seat of the car said for possibly the tenth time in the past twenty minutes. Her siblings had long ago fallen asleep, and now it was simply her step-father left awake.

"Got to sleep then." He said gruffly, his coal black eyes glaring at her in the rearview mirror. He had probably said this same line every time she had stated her issue. It went from a kind suggestion to a demand by the fifth time. Yet the girl did not listen, and the father was losing his patience.

The girl was the father's opposite in ever way. She had orange curls that fell to her mid-back and the lightest green eyes you'd ever see. Her skin was fair and light with natural blush in her cheeks. Her figure was slim yet curvy, and in other words, she was drop-dead gorgeous. In a unique way, that is, which made it all the better.

Her pale eyes stared back at his with a look of tired boredom and defiance. Her expression said she didn't give a shit, and that if he did he was a pathetic human being. Her stepdad hated this feature of her the most. This ability to make you feel unimportant. Beneath her, with just a single look. She was only sixteen, but she had the maturity of a woman in her mid-twenties. Her name was June.

"I'm ti-"

"JUNE!" The stepdad snapped, his veiny and tan hands gripping the steering will so hard his knuckles turned paper white. His wife, June's mother, shifted uncomfortably in her sleeping position next to him. He inhaled slowly, taking in as much air as he could as he tried to feel any feeling but rage, but that's all that he could think about. What had he done to deserve a daughter that never respected him!? Why'd this beautiful woman have to come with four children? Why couldn't he be happy for once in his life!!

As he thought, he looked up at June again. She still stared at him, blank and bored. Eyes dull and unreadable. Rage flooded his systems all over again. He was tired. The night sky was clouded and the moon barely visible. The road they had took was no longer on the highway, and they had another hour before they'd reach their home. Well, that's what his wife said. But it never felt like home to him. He always felt like he was unwelcome by anyone but his wife, and even she seemed to not want him there sometimes.

"Seriously June, please." He whispered, trying to keep his tone quiet. "I'm trying here can't you see that? Why do you and your siblings insist on disliking me?" He murmured loud enough for her to hear but not loud enough to wake the sleeping family.

June stated at him, before for the the first time in the past thirty minutes now, blinked and looked back out of the window. Normally the stepdad would feel relief, being released from the interrogation like feeling he had when he met eyes with any of the children. But this time he felt annoyed. He asked a question. She was implied to answer.

"Answer me June." He said sternly. Not daring to look into the rearview when he felt her eyes back on him. Felt the holes she was burning in his back. Or wanted to, anyways.

"I'm too tired to answer." She answered lamely.

"I SWEAR TO-" He took in a deep breath and stopped himself, biting his tongue so hard he felt like any harder and it'd come right off. He braved himself, and looked into the mirror. Sure enough, her eyes were focused on him, but this time they were hard. Staring at him with a hatred. A look he was only used to the eldest, Levi, giving him. Levi never masked his face, though he also never said anything.

He broke eye contact first, focusing on the dark road and listening to the car him as it went along the flat and cracked road, withered from age and disuse. He swallowed and found his voice after a long period of silence. "I just..." His voice sounded pathetic, even to him, but he continued, "Don't understand why you all dislike me. I'm nice to you all, I bring home money, I don't try to replace your father. I swear June, I really don't wanna be a replacement." He stopped talking and looked into the rearview mirror. To his surprise, she was looking at the toddler next to her. Mindy, with her short curly orange locks, slept slobbering in her car seat.

Mindy liked the stepdad. She was the only one who did.

"I don't want a replacement either." June replied without hesitation. Her eyes flicking back to his. "I don't want a dad at all." She said simply, "None of us do."

"But you want your mom to be happy, right?" He asked her with a proud smile. He felt he made her mom happier then they did, in his mind he was her hero. The one who saved her from having to deal with the four egotistical children alone.

June stared at him again. This time it was for a long silence. "You don't make mom happy." She finally seethed. Her express dark and malevolent. "You annoy her. Your selfish." June said, leaning back into her seat and crossing her arms.

The stepdad gaped, his eyes wide. How could she! He paid for her education! Her food! He was the reason she was so popular and got nice clothes! "Excuse me! You cannot talk to me that way-" June cut him off, her tone laced with venom. "I will talk to you the way I wish." Her voice was layered with such a deep rooted hatred the stepdad almost flinched. "I have an opinion and I will express it. If you don't like that, sucks." June said, her eyes swirled with danger. A warning.

The stepdad did not get it.

"I pay for you! I MAKE a good life for you all!" He began to raise his voice, stopping in the middle of the road to look back at her fully. Craning his body to face her. June flushed angrily, tensing and leant forwards she whispered, "Shut up! You'll wake up Mindy!" She growled, "You know Mom works too! You don't make half of what she makes, just a reminder!" She snapped quietly.

The stepfather's face turned red in anger. "You bitch! Woman shouldn't work. All of her money goes into my company! All of my money goes into your school!"

This was news to June. All of her mothers money was going into his shitty little CBD shop?! No way. That money was going somewhere else and she knew it.

June went to reply, when Mindy began to cry.

The mother sat up with a start, her eyes wild. Mindy screamed loudly, wailing like she was in pain. Levi awoke, and June's other sister, Trinity, sat up shock fast. The stepdad grew angrier and angrier, and did not stop yelling at June for a moment. "I MAKE YOU WHO YOU ARE! IF IT WERE UP TO ME, I'D GIVE YOU ALL AWAY. HELL! I'D SELL YOU! ATLEAST THEN YOU WOULD BE MAKING US SOME MONEY WITH THAT BODY OF YOURS!!" His yells grew louder, and somehow he did not realize his wife was staring at him without love. With only contempt.

"Get out."

The voice pulled him back to Earth so fast he jolted.
"W-what?" He blinked and looked to his side. His wife stated at him with the same look June had held. Hatred. "Get out of my car. Get out of my life." She said again. Her eyes harder then steel, and her voice empty.

"Babe-"

"OUT!" She yelled, smacking her hand loudly against the dash. The stepdad flinched back, "I can't walk home-" "OUT, NOW!" She yelled again, "YOU WILL NEVER, EVER SPEAK TO MY CHILDREN OR OF MY CHILDREN THAT WAY! YOU WILL LEAVE, AND WE WILL NEVER EVER SEE YOU AGAIN.. GO!"

In a fit of fear, the stepdad grabbed the door handle to the car and fell out of it backwards into the cold, hard road. The dark night swallowing him and leaving only a bit of his face visible by the car lights. Without a word, the wife climbed into the driver seat and slammed on the accelerator. The car roared forwards, and as she drove she pulled her door shut.
They sat in silence for only a few seconds, though the silence was a happy, relieved silence. Like a weight was lifted off of all of their shoulders. The mom sighed before glancing at June in the rearview mirror. A small smile rested on June's lips. With a grin, the mom said aloud,

"Anyone want McDonald's?"