Valentina lives a lie every day she steps out of her house. She has built her own world, where she can be anything, where every action of her life isn't controlled by her father. A world, where she can be an average teenager! But who is she kidding...
I'm hunched up against the couch waiting for him to come home. The room is dark, I haven't bothered to turn on the lights, change, or eat something. My stomach growls. It's been three hours and twenty minutes since they took Caleb, Alice and Jacob. I saw Caleb's parents leave in a hurry minutes after I got back home.
I tried calling my father, but he wouldn't pick up. I thought to go to the station but that would be of no help since I knew they wouldn't let me see any of them. So, I had no other option but to sit at home and wait for my father to come home.
The room fills with lights when his car comes to a halt outside. The door clicks and opens. I stand up and he notices me. He turns on the lights and places the beer carton and Chinese takeout on the coffee table.
"What do you want?" I ask. He looks at me like I didn't speak to him just now.
"For you to leave me alone so I can watch TV and have my dinner in peace." He walks around like he usually does, without a care in the world. "Care to join? I'm in a good mood today." He gives me a bright smile before he goes on to search for the bottle opener in the drawer.
"I can't believe you... I..." I run out of words; I purse my lips trying hard not to cry. "How can you stoop so low?" he looks at me daring me to continue, but I don't stop. "My friends are in the cell because of you. They..."
"Because of me?" he scoffs. "They are in there because of what they were doing. They deserved it." He is in too good a mood to react to any of my insults.
"No." I raise my voice, "It's because of you they are in there. It's because you can't see your daughter happy for once in her life. It's because you've made it your life's mission to make my life a living hell." I yell at him. He doesn't care to look at me. He keeps digging through the drawer.
"Yell all you want, that doesn't change a single thing. They are in there for dealing illegal drugs," he finds the opener and walks towards the table, "I'm going to file a charge on them the first thing in the morning."
"You have no evidence of it,"
"Of them dealing with drugs? It will only take a minute for me to prove they were doing it, plus I also have the footage from that night you wrecked my car."
"That proves nothing,"
"Yes, But I have other ways of proving all four of you were under the influence of drugs that night which led them to me."
"Why not arrest me then?"
"Because, my sweet Valentina, daughter of the chief sheriff of the town, who is always on top of her classes and never misses a class suddenly bunks school, gets drunk and wrecks her father's car. Doesn't ring a bell?" he narrows his brows, "because she was tricked into it, by the people she thought were her good friends." he clicks his tongue and shakes his head.
"That's bullshit. That isn't the truth."
"Sadly, that's the truth everyone will hear."
"NO!" I say, while he calmly takes a seat on the couch. "You can't do that. It will ruin their lives!"
"Yes, it will. Once they are on record, it will change everything for them. No college will take them in, if no degree then no job and their reputation... ruined forever." He opens the bottle and takes a sip.
My tears start streaming down my face when realization washed over me. It was no time for me to yell at him, It wouldn't reverse what I had brought upon them. I got them into this. It was because of me their futures were going to be stained forever. I knew what kind of power my father held. No one would ever question him. Everyone would think he was telling the truth. No one would believe a bunch of kids who got arrested for drug dealing.
"Please..." I beg walking towards him. He doesn't look at me. "Please... Don't let this happen."
"Too late," He purses his lips.
"Please," I fall to his feet and beg. "Please, don't do this. I'm sorry." I cry.
"You should've thought about it earlier."
"Please..."
"Stop whining and go to your room."
"Please... Please... Please... It will ruin them. They are my friends. Please... don't... do this." I sob at his feet, begging. My chest tightens, my throat swells, and no words leave my mouth. "Don't... please..., I will do anything. I will do whatever you say. Please... just... Please, Dad. I love him. Don't..."
"Ahhhh!" He grabs me by the hair and pulls onto it, I cry out loud. Every hair on my body stands straight.
"You should have thought about the consequences when you climbed into his bed."
"I... I didn't... ah..." He pulls harder.
"Stop talking, you bitch. Poor kids... I feel bad for them. They don't deserve this but..." he pushes me away from him. My hand hits the corner of the table. I cry, but I get back up.
"I'm sorry. I won't see them ever. Just don't file anything. Get them out of there. Please..." I wipe my tears when they pool around my eyes making it hard for me to see clearly. "I will do anything you say, please."
He sighs, "Fine." He throws his hands in the air and looks at me, "Fine, now wipe your tears and go back to your room. I'll get them out first thing in the morning."
"You will?"
"Do I have to repeat it?" he asks. I shake my head and wipe my tears ready to get up. He holds my wrist and squeezes it so hard that I cry out in pain. "You will never see them again." With every word that he says he applies more pressure to my wrist. He might break it. I nod crying. NO SEEING THEM! "You will stop all contact with them and that asshole next door." I nod. STOP ALL CONTACT. "If I catch you again..."
"I will not do any such thing..." I cry. "it's hurting..."
"I hope you have learned your lesson, Valentina."
"Please... It's hurting."
"I want you to remember tonight, forever." He says with gritted teeth. "I want you to know what happens if you raise your voice if you go against me if you do things behind my back and... if I hear Leia's name come out of your mouth again." He pushed me away with that.
Alice was a best friend, that I counted on for anything. Jacob was the sweetest friend I ever asked for and Caleb... well Caleb was my first love. A love that I could never forget in my entire life. That night Father won and I lost. He was successful in snatching away my friends from me, leaving me alone again. Alone, like I have been my whole life.
I had to stay away from them because being with them would only bring more misery into their lives. So, it was best for all of us, for me to stay out of their lives.
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