Learning To Fall

Chapter Six

"Maya, you're not going anywhere tonight! You're staying here, and you're spending the fourth with this family!" Peter demanded as Maya slipped on her shoes and slipped on a light jacket, in case it got chilly tonight, ignoring Peter's drunken demands because he was in fact drunk.

Yes, he was an alcoholic. How charming. As said earlier, her mother really knew how to pick them. Maya hadn't really been around much to know all else Peter does, but she first noticed his layers when she first came home, and it was quite obvious he was drunk. He didn't physically hit her or her mother or anything - Maya made sure to check Katy for bruises - but it was as bad to where he spit rude comments about her mother's appearance, or about how she acted emotionally or physically. The sad thing? Katy stayed with him regardless, and often tried to wear things that were appealing or satisfying to him.

"You're not going to keep me from going out, Peter." Maya said. She was about the only one who spoke up to him lately, besides her grandmother because often she didn't pay mind to what was going on in the house and Peter seemed to have enough respect to not talk recklessly about her. "I'm going with the Matthews tonight, I'll see you tomorrow."

"You're going to fucking stop talking to me like I'm not an adult," Peter growled, standing up from his seat. He pointed at her, wavering slightly because he was stupidly drunk and probably standing up so fast wasn't well for him. It was amusing and Maya loved to test him. It might have been slightly dangerous because she'd never know when he'd explode, or if he might hit her so she started off small by laughing and shaking her head.

"You don't act like one." she answered back and his eyes narrowed to slits, his face reddening like a bull ready to strike. But he wouldn't because he was pathetic and never went through with any physical abuse. Though she was surprised when he made his way over towards her, bracing herself to smell the gross stench of alcohol on his breath.

"You're fucking stup-" Peter started.

Insulting her? That was new.

Before he could make his way over towards her, Katy appeared from the bathroom where she'd been taking a shower, surprised when she saw all the commotion going on in the course of the simple time that she'd been gone. She went over towards Peter, grabbing his arm. "Don't do this, just let her go. Were not going to be doing anything." Katy pleaded him.

Peter turned towards her and Maya couldn't see the look on his face, but then the next thing that happened next was completely new, as well and Maya did not like it, not at all. There was this sickening sound as Peter drew up his hand and slapped Katy - hard. She had starting suspicions on it happening but Peter made no move to do so until this moment and now Maya's new feeling for Peter was somewhere between being upset, because he put his hands on her mother, and feeling some new kind of intimidation for Peter that she hadn't ever before.

Katy fell to the ground, covering her face.

"Peter, stop I'll stay." Maya said, her voice faltering as she stared her mother. The one who seemed so big and strong but under Peter's intimidating light, she looked small. Like a bug against a mountain lion and it just seemed just like that, it didn't just work out.

Peter turned to her, catching his breath, a small smirk beginning to form on his lips and Maya felt her heart drop in her stomach - she had a feeling that she'd be next but it didn't matter, right? As long as she got to comfort her mother, the one that she stared at on the ground, the one who was crying. But then Katy suddenly removed her hands from her face, and Maya cringed at the redness of her cheek.

"Go... Maya." Katy demanded and Peter looked back at her, eyes narrowed. "Go have fun, sweetie."

"Mom, I'm staying." Maya murmured. "Let's spend time together as... as family." She had to force it out because Peter would never be family.