If Today was Your Last Day

Chapter 6

I walked in my front door feeling a sense of emptiness. What's going to happen now? I thought to myself. Will Misty and I ever be friends again? Will she even talk to me? I guess fate will decide that. 

My dad stumbles into the front hall, with a bottle of vodka in his hand. He takes a swig of the awful drink and slurres. 

"Good, your home. Now where's your mom,"

Mom died 6 years ago, has he forgotten? No, it's the vodka. 

"Dad, mom is gone."

"What do you mean she is gone? I talked to her just this morning."

Whenever my dad gets really drunk he starts to imagine and see things that aren't real.

"Dad, please stop drinking. It's making you see things." 

I go to take the vodka from him but he smacks my hand away, I try not to yelp in pain.

"Scarlette, WHERE IS YOUR MOTHER!" 

"SHE IS GONE! SHE ISN'T COMING BACK DAD, SHE DIED 6 YEARS AGO YOU KNOW TH-" 

Wham! 

My dad smacked my right across the face. 

"Don't you ever speak to me like that!" 

Wham!

He smacks me again.

"My wife is not gone! Don't you lie to me ever again! Is. That. Clea-

My dad's bottle of vodka slips out of his hand and crashes down onto the hard wood floor, spilling vodka everywhere, Glass shadering.  My dad grunts and shuffles over to the couch, he passes outwithin moments.

I crouch down and pick up the pieces of broken glass. A tear slips out of my eye, and so does another. Before I know it I am crying. This time is different from the rest. I am actually letting myself cry, not holdng the tears in, or sobbing quietly to myself, I am truly crying.

I look up to the celing and shout,

"Why mom? Why did you have to leave us, me? Why did you leaving turn dad this way? What did anyone ever do to you? Why did you have to go? Why..." 

I breathe, in and out, in and out. I throw the few pieces of glass that I picked up on the floor. I stand up from the crouched position I was in and walk out to front door. I sprint across the street and up Clayton's porch steps. My fist whams into his front door. 

Bam! Bam! Bam! 

"Hey, Scar what's u- Scar are you okay?" 

I throw my arms around him and sob into his shirt. 

"Clayton, I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay Scar, tell me what's wrong." 

I walk into his house first, Clayton follows behind me. I sit down on his couch in the living room, he joins me.

"Clayton, I have been holding this in for a really long time and I don't know if this is going to come out right, or if it will even make sense, but I am going to go for it,"

I look at his eyes for any emotions or posibble thoughts he could be thinking. Clay portrays none.

He nods his head, indicating me to continue.

"Well, ever since my mom passed away my dad has been acting strangely."

"Oh, is that why you never invite me over to your ho-, sorry continue"

"Yeah, so my dad started acting strangely ever since she my mom died. It's like the more years that pass, the more strange he gets."

"Scar, what do you mean by strange."

I take a deep breath as tears start to form in my eyes, blurring my vison.

"Clay he drinks and smokes weed. He does drugs in the house and smashed beer bottles are everywhere. He doesn't keep food in the fridge for me so I have to eat out every day! I work two jobs just to pay for food and essentials. And Clay he even-he even hits me." 

By this point I am no longer sad but I am enraged. My dad never did anything for me, he didn't even care enough to put food in the fridge. 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I was worried that you wouldn't be my friend anymore and that you could never look at me the same. I was scared that you would be ashamed of me."

Clayton tilts my chin up to look at him. 

"I would never, ever be ashamed of you Scar. You did nothing wrong, if it is anyone that I am ashamed of it's your dad. I wouldn't even say ashamed, just disgusted. It takes everything in me not to go over to your house and absolutley freak on your dad, but I know that would just make things worse. Instead we are going to go to the police station okay?"

"No, clay I'm fine really he hasn't hit me in about a month or so, and he doesn't drink as often. I don't want to turn him in Clay. He is my dad, I still love him."

Clayton purses his lips into a thin line.

He brings his hand up to my cheek and brushes it softly I cringe back from him. The stinging in both my cheeks haven't gone away from my dad hitting me just five minutes ago. Clayton pushes my sleeve up to reveal fresh bruises on my arm. 

He looks me right in the eyes and says.

"Scarlette, I am not going to sleep until you are either far away from this man, or he is behind bars."

I can tell that Clay is serious and that he means what he says, so I take a deep breath and say,

"Okay, you are right. Let's go to the police station." 

He takes me under his arm and pulls me tight whille we walk towards his front door.

Before we walk out the front door he stops us and turns to face me.

"Scar I need you to promise me something,"

"Yes?"

"If anyone ever hurts you, ever again you come straight to me okay?" 

Tears start to swell in is eyes.

"I promise." 

Clayton bends down and gives me a friendly peck on the cheek. 

"I love you Scar."

"I love you too."

We walk out of the house and get into his car. He backs out of the driveway and heads to the police station. I look out the window at the beautiful sun set. Despite all that I have been through, I now no longer feel sad or mad anymore. I feel relieved. I drift of into a peacful sleep, knowing that everything is soon going to be alright.