The Bad in Each Other

New School, New Rules

That afternoon, I got home from my first day feeling pretty happy. In fact, I hadn't felt that good for far too long.
Since my mum was out and I knew she would be for a long time, I grabbed some cash and made my way to my phone.
I called the taxi service and asked
for a cab, then headed to the door. I stepped out and wasn't waiting long until the eye-catching yellow car pulled up on the curb.
I climbed in and told the driver the address.
Moving here would be easier for me to see my dad, and I admired that it was just a simple 15 - 20 minute drive to his whereabouts. I glared out the window as the car moved and soon was lost in thoughts.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Guys look at this!! Anina's dad was arrested yesterday!!" I still remember the look on Bruce's face when he saw the newspaper. I already had bad records with the students at my school from my mums part, but this, this was the last straw.
I was turning 13 when my dad was sent to jail for robbing a bank. It was my first year of high school and more than anything I just wanted a smooth first year. But no.
My mum was extra drunk one night and she thought it would be a smart idea to drive my father's car into three houses in our street including our own. Around the same time, the company my dad worked for went out of business and closed down, making money a scarce resource for our family.
Because of my mum, we were in serious debt and although she had a job and worked, part time wasn't enough to cover our food, bills, the damage to the properties and her alcohol consumption.
One night my dad dad went out for a drive. And he never came back.
He bought a shooting rifle for hunting rabbits, but instead of using it to kill an animal for our dinner, he used it as a threat to anyone who challenged him in his thieving heist.
The bystanders told the police that he walked into the bank at 10:51 pm and warned everyone that if he didn't get some cash soon, he'd turn the place into a blood bath.
Havoc and mayem aroused in the air and everyone got down, including 4 out of 5 of the cashiers. The other was loading the sack with money.
But what my dad didn't realise was that the whole time he was waiting for money to be dashed out, the cops were already on their way.
One of the staff from the bank had pressed the emergency button, and immediately police were entering the building. In just seconds my dad was handcuffed and led out to the car.
I don't know why my dad was suddenly so vicious. Yes he was grumpy about the debt but he really loved my mother and he rarely fought with her. I don't know what clicked in him to suddenly do something like that.
I snapped back to reality as the cab drove to the jail where my dad was. He had been moved from Arizona jail last year so this was the first time I was going to see him this year.
I paid the driver then stepped out and ventured towards the door.
I told the person at the counter that Benjamin Rose was my father and that I was 15 years of age and legally I could see him. I was directed to a room where guards stood on either side of the door preventing criminals from escaping and I was told to wait there.
The room had only a table with 2 chairs, and I figured it was an interrogation room.
Soon my dad was ushered in, and his face lit up when he saw me.
"Anina! How's my little girl?"
"I'm good dad" I said smiling. My dad always made things better. He taught me more than anyone did, he was like a mother and father put together. "How are you?" I asked him.
He kind-of smiled and then told me he was doing okay.
I told him not to lie.
"You have 5 minutes left" a guard grunted.
"How's your mother?" My dad asked me, trying to talk to me as much as possible before I was told that my time was up.
"She's worse than ever" I said honestly. "She really needs you, we both do, I mean, she can't support us both and she's drunk from the minute she gets home from work. She thinks alcohol will fix everything but it's just making it worse for me. I can hardly look at her anymore."
My dad frowned at me and despite his criminal records, I knew he really cared. And I know he regrets what he did.
He wasn't sure what to say next, so instead he asked me how my new school was. I told him it's better and then I suddenly remembered that I was going to text Ebony when I got home from school.
At the same time, the police man came in and told me it was time to leave.
"I love you dad" I said truthfully.
"I love you too darlin" he smiled softly.
I sighed as I left the block and was glad I got to see him. How many years did he have left ? 3 ? I wasn't sure but I honestly couldn't wait for the day he's released.
As I suspected, I went to bed that night home alone. I had texted Ebony for about an hour before deciding I was too exhausted to keep going, and soon enough I was asleep in dreamy land.

"I hate my life ! I hate my school ! I hate everything that's ever happened to me ! I want to move and I want to move now ! I want dad back!! He knew how to look after us ! I'm sick of this ! All of it ! I'm sick of you never being there for me and I'm sick to death of the stupid shit that's always going on at school! You're always too drunk to ask me how my day was and you couldn't give two flying fucks whether I get home from school of not. I'm so over all the bitches and dickheads - I want to start somewhere new! We should move to Chicago. Dad will be there and I can see him again. I won't be leaving anything behind in this shit hole. No one cares about me except dad and I only get to see him every few years!"
The girl and her mother were crying their eyes out and in between sobs, the mother managed to whisper: "okay, we'll move to Chicago."
I awoke from my dream startled, realising that the crying girl was me and I was having another real-life nightmare.