Take One for the Team.

The Beginning,

I woke up this morning more hungry than any other day, after going to bed hungry I knew I wouldn't wake up to any food in the house. I got off the mattress that laid on the floor of my bedroom, and headed for the kitchen. I was shocked to see my dad sitting there with a McDonalds bag in his hand, I already knew what this meant. My father James had days where he decided he wanted to kick his bad habit, and be a good father and husband, that only lasted for a couple hours mostly because my mother Carla would tell him that it wasn't a good idea and threaten to leave him.
My parent were high school sweethearts; they had me very young, my mother was 17 and my dad was 19. Neither of their parents were supportive of their decision to keep me when they first found out Carla was pregnant, so they kicked them out forcing Carla and James to move in to a shelter. About three months after giving birth is when drugs became a part of their lives. A "friend" introduced my father to cocaine to help him deal with the stress of having a newborn baby and being homeless, he bought his addict home to my mother who would hardly sleep at night due to the stress she was experiencing. This was the beginning of my worst nightmare, at the age of two is when my parent had really become care free and extremely drug dependent. One night my mother was having extremely bad withdraw and she would do anything to get a hit, I wasn't "helping" make it better because I constantly cried due to hunger. She finally decided to feed me some oatmeal, as she heated the water on the stove my father returned home empty handed which caused my mother in to a rage, she began screaming and throwing things and she still was not satisfied, she suddenly picked up the pot and threw the water across the room, and a good amount landed on my back leaving me with a nasty scar across my lower back. The two weeks that I was in the hospital was the longest my father went being clean, as for my mother she stayed with me one day and had to head out to find her next hit.
It was time to get ready for school, I was in my Senior year of High School. Most people would think school was bad for me but it wasn't , I was number two in my class and I had amazing friends but my BESTFRIEND Paisli was incredible , she was the only one who knew of my home life. Every morning I would wake up an hour early, walk eight blocks to her house .. Shower, eat breakfast if I hadn't eaten at home, and she would give me clothes to wear.
"Hey daddy,"
"Hows daddy's favorite girl? I bought you breakfast"
"How sweet of you dad!"
"Anything for my baby girl, do you have a minute? I need to talk to you." He asked in such a sincere tone
"Yeah dad, anything for you. Wassup?"
He grabbed my hand and placed in between his, as he stared in to my dark green eyes.
"Daddy is sorry, I know I've put you through a lot. Both, your mother and I have, but I promise you .. I am going to do better, for you I am going to better myself because I need to live to see you graduate and become whatever it is you want to be. Your mother, she's not the women I married, the drugs have taken her away from me and I don't like that feeling so I can only imagine what it is like for you. I just want you to know that daddy never stopped loving you and I never will. Your beautiful baby girl and God is going to bless you with all that you deserve and I want to see you experience that and if I don't get off the path that I am going down , the drugs are going to kill me. So with that being said Daddy is going to rehab, not for himself, not for mommy, but for you , daddy's little angel. Can you please forgive me for the last 18 years? Daddy is sorry baby" he said as tears began to swell in his eyes
"I know daddy, I forgave you years ago and you never stopped being my daddy. I love you" wiping his tears
"I love you too baby"
"I have to go get ready for school, I'll see you soon"
"I'll only be gone a year baby, I have to do this"
"Ok dad," I gave him a hug, grabbed my food and left him at the kitchen table
I thought about all that my father said to me as I walked over to Paisli house, when my thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice yelling within a distance, I looked around to see where it was coming from. I continued to walk and suddenly stumbled upon my mother in an alley getting beaten up by some guy, I didn't take the time to get a look at his face before I ran to help her. I began beating the guy in the back with my fist, he gave me a strong shove, causing me to stumble and eventually hit the ground.
"Are you ok?" I asked Carla as I picked myself off the ground
"Why did you do that? I was fine, I didn't need your help bitch"
For a second I almost forgot she was my mother and was about ready to curse her out but then my fathers word ran across my mind "the drugs have taken your mother away from me" she wasn't in her right state of mind, it was obvious her judgment was impaired by the drugs. I just did what I thought was best, I just walked away.
I had finally arrived to Paisli's house. I was ready to step in to a hot shower, and prepare myself for the last week of school . I was so glad it was almost over, I had already began applying for summer jobs. I could never work doing school because I was so involved in many things such as the debate team, I ran track, and competed in a few math contest recommended by a few teachers.
"Are you ready Dakota?"
"Yeah," I responded as I walked in to the living room dressed in one of Li's summer dresses. It was tight fitted, showed off my curves that I typically tried to hide but failed, some white sandals, and a white & gold MK bag she let me borrow to set the outfit off .
"You look nice girl, you can keep that dress because it doesn't fit like that on me and im kind of jealous." Paisli laughed
Paisli was a gorgeous girl, mixed with Puerto Rican and black. She had bone straight hair that that reached just above her butt, which was very plump. Standing at 5'6 , she was what all the guys wanted. When we first met she said it was destined for us to be friends because pretty girls have to stick together, a lot of people said we looked like we could be sisters, but I didn't see it. I, Dakota btw, was mixed with Black and white, I resembled my father more than my mother with my green eyes and dimples. I was more caramel colored so I just looked like your typical Lightskin girl until you noticed my mid-length curly hair, and eyes of course. I was told I was "slim thick" because I always had hips, and my butt was a bit bigger, which was surprising due to all the meals I had been missing.
"Mike is going to get a hard on as soon as you walk in the door today." Li laughed
"Well he can keep that in his pants."
"You're such a prude, oh my god"
Mike was a guys that had been talking to for a while, I knew it wouldn't last long just like the other guys because I wouldn't allow anyone to get close to me due to the fact that I was trying to hide my lifestyle, most guys couldn't handle the wall I had built , they felt I was too secretive and couldn't be trusted so they would fall back , by now I'm used to it so I'm just waiting for Mike to be ready to leave.
"Are you ready?" I asked
"Yes, let's knock this last week out"
We headed out the door, and headed for school. I began telling Li what happened this morning with my father and dumb ass mom.
"I don't know why you just don't move with me, I told you my mom said it's ok. Even if she didn't she's never there to notice any way"
"Now that my father is leaving, I may as well. I can't stand being around my mom anymore."
"Besides we're going to the same college, so on the weekends we can drive down together and just stay at my house."
"You got accepted and didn't tell me?!!!!" I yelled ,
"I wanted to wait, but now you know. So are you in or out?!"
"Ugghh, you know I'm in !!!"
She hugged me and screamed, maybe this is what I needed along time ago. I only truly stuck around for my daddy but since he's gone, I may as well leave too. This is start of a new beginning