The Boy With Tattoos

Chapter Three

TBWT | Chapter 3

You can't handle me

Why were my nerves wrecked? This was my dad. This wasn't my mom I was dealing with. He was clean; he was him; he was a loveable; he was my first love. Your dad was supposed to be all of those things. He was supposed to be the first guy in your life to show you, genuine love. He handled things well when it came to raising a seventeen-year-old girl.

When I came into the house I didn't expect to see luggage, my luggage, to be sitting there in the doorway. What the hell did I do? Did he want me out of the house? He didn't love me anymore? Was I hard to handle? No, I wasn't. The last bad thing I did was speed past a red light, but he didn't need to know that. I didn't understand this. I didn't understand why or when this happened. I didn't do anything wrong. He wanted me to leave?

When I saw red, sleek leather pumps walk around the corner my lip shot up into a snarl. It was my mother. Her dyed blonde hair cascaded in curls around her face. She looked healthier than from what I have seen in a long time. She wasn't skin and bones. She was a plumber with red blood flowing to her cheeks. These sites actually enlighten my heart. My eyes followed down her body then had caught onto someone's arm around her waist. It was her Max-a-Million. My heart jolted out of my chest.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I screamed causing everyone to jump out of their skin, shocked. I could already feel the stream of angry tears coming down the side of my face. I barely felt when Ashley wrapped her arms around me trying to calm me down.

"I've come to get you babycakes," her voice was so sweet it almost broke my heart hearing her. "I've changed; I missed my daughter. I and Maxi have changed. The court granted me custody of you. They heard your father was unfit."

"No you're the unfit parent," I hissed as I walked past her with my things, taking them back upstairs. My wet hair whipped around my neck causing me to shiver. I looked back at them with heavy eyes. That's when I noticed my dad by the opening of the kitchen. He was leaning back against a counter holding back tears. His chest had started to pull in muffling the fits that were about to come.

"Really, if I'm such an unfit parent why is there a purple mark on your face? I didn't cause that. Did he do it? Did he hit you, baby?" She asked. She had started to walk closer to me. My heart had started to race. It was about to leap out of my chest. It longed for my mother's sincere caring touch. When she was close enough her long fingers traveled to my cheek causing me to close my eyes. The touch felt so certain, but I knew it was a lie. Everything she did and said was a lie that I needed to stop believing in.

"He didn't do that," I heard a voice say. It was Ashley's. She was by my dad rubbing his back. He was about to melt down. I knew he wanted to say something, but holding back tears and speaking wasn't in anyone's capabilities. Everyone's eyes shot to her. "I did that. We went to kickboxing classes today, and I got a little over excited. I was imagining I was kicking the crap out of my ex-boyfriend. Mr. Reed didn't do that. I did, and I am sorry."

Wow, she actually lied for me.

"Even if he didn't... legally you're mine," she whispered into my ear so no one else could hear. My eye snapped open and I pushed her away from me. The heels of her pumps caught onto the carpet of the stairs and she slipped backward. The only reason she didn't fall and bust her head was that her Max was right behind her and caught her.

"I'm seventeen; I should have the choice. I'm not seven years old. I know what's right from wrong, and Ellen you are so wrong. I hate you. You've caused me so much pain. Just stop it already." I said softly, but everyone could hear. For a flash of a second, I saw her eyes liquefied with hurt. Her blues were as deep as the ocean. Once Max had his arm around her and whispered something in her ear they stiffened into anger. The anger wasn't towards him it was towards me.