Down The Hall

Chapter Two

Rich wasn't an overstatement.

Stepping out of the car and onto the paved driveway my eyes jumped from one thing to another. The balcony on the front, the two-door garages connecting to the side of the house, the sizes of the windows ranging from enormously large to regularly normal. The white exterior stood out from the blue window shutters, blue door, and blue outdoor rocking chairs on the front porch. Everything seemed extra but at the same time put in place for a house that overlooked a beautiful deep blue ocean.

My dad had already made his way up to the front of the house where his friend stood holding two beers in hand. He put one out in front of him and my dad jumped up the stairs to take it, giving him one of those manly hugs.

I've only heard stories and seen pictures of my dad and Bradly together when they were in high school and some later on in life, but I never imagined them to be this close. It was weird to see Dad be so joyous in the company of someone who wasn't Jennifer Aniston, an actress he's only seen on TV.

Walking to the back of our dark green Hyundai, not the good kind but the kind you see old people driving in to go pick up their prescription medicine, I took out my bags and slowly dragged my legs up to the house. The sun was just setting which illuminated a bright glow that traced the house. Along with it came a cool sea breeze that brought the smell of salt water from far out in the ocean. It made my head turn with how clean and cozy this place had already felt.

"And this is your daughter," Bradly said leaning against a porch pillar taking another swig of his beer.

"Yeah, this is Lucy. Lucy-," my dad made a back-and-forth hand gesture from me to Bradly. I dropped the bags in my hand and reached out to shake his hand.

"Hi Mr...," I hesitated for a moment, realizing I never got his last name. God, this is the worst. We are his guests and I don't even know his last name.

He shook my hand back, "Bradly is fine. Thank you for trying though, most kids don't even know how to shake a hand these days." He let out a husky laugh.

I released my grasp from him, subconsciously wiping my hand on my jeans as I leaned down to pick up my bags.

"I can imagine," I said laughing back and continued, "but dad's much worse."

Bradly chuckled under his beer breath, "Oh, I know." Once settled he began again, pointing to the door, "You can go ahead and make your way inside so I can talk to your dad for a bit. Kendall should be in the kitchen cooking dinner, it's on the right through the dining room."

"Thanks," I smiled at him and trudged the rest of the way up the stairs. I could hear the two men's conversation already starting.

"This really means a lot that you're letting us stay for a few months while we get settled, if you hadn't helped me get this new job and-," their voices cut off from the door closing behind me.

***

"Or that one time when you had to present in front of the class and you couldn't be serious, so the teacher sent you out, and when you came back in 15 minutes later STILL laughing the teacher took off 20 points," my dad reminisced, throwing his hand over his stomach.

"I ended up getting like a 40 on that presentation, which tanked my grade. Damn, I miss being that young."

"Bradly!" Kendall squealed, shooting her head up from her plate with a smile on her lips.

"Oooo, daddy said a bad word," Ella and Eli giggled from either side of me, racing their heads back and forth from their mom to their dad.

Looking at their family from the outside they seemed perfect. The six-year-old twins are both a mix of their parents. Dirty blonde hair and friendliness from their mom, wide expressive chocolate eyes, and humor from their dad. I sunk into my chair a little, feeling uncomfortable from the cheerful loving mood of the table. They made me and Dad look like total strangers.

"Speaking of," Kendall paused for a moment taking a sip of her red wine, "Lucy, how are you feeling about school tomorrow?"

I hovered my hand over my mouth and quickly swallowed all the food inside. "Yeah, I'm feeling okay about it."

With everyone forever holding their peace after my answer, I took it as a form of waiting for me to say more, so I did.

"I mean yeah it will be different and I'm nervous, but I can handle it. Thanks for asking." I smiled at Kendall then filled my mouth with food to signify that I was done talking.

"Of course you can, sweetie." She returned the smile and got back to eating just as I did.

Her "sweetie" pricked at my skin, feeling like an unknown sense of comfort. I pressed my lips together and kept my head down at the dinner plate.

"Lucky, you're going to school with my brother," Eli pouted as he crossed his arms. Kendall nor Bradly haven't mentioned once having another son.

Now when I take my eyes off the gigantic chandelier hanging above the dinner table, the kitchen island, and the double staircase on either side of the wall when you enter the house, I see it. The small things like the empty chairs sitting on the other side of the table with Dad. The picture frames consist of a blonde young boy playing in the yard or one of him hugging his mother with a Superman costume on. And the extra spaghetti sitting in the pot on the stove waiting for someone to eat it.

"Yeah, Henry will help you out if you need it," Bradly said.

"Is he not here?" My dad asked, seeming genuinely curious.

"We told him to be here for dinner." Bradly lifts his fork out of annoyance, "He always does this. Goes out and then comes back late, even when we tell him not to."

"You know, teenagers," Kendall said trying to sound calm but anyone could hear the break in her voice.

"Mh," was all dad could say. It's exactly what I said to myself as well.

My dad would never let me get away with things of that sort. Not that I ever tried to anyway. I've had to ask his permission for everything since I was growing up, whether that was to go somewhere or if I could get a snack from the kitchen. If the answer was no then it was a no. A part of me hates it so much but another part doesn't blame him. I'm his only child. His only daughter. How can you not be strict on the only person you have?

The rest of the night Bradly and Dad reminisced on memories while Kendall tried to find some common interests between me and the twins. She paid attention and maintained eye contact while I was talking, making sure I felt comfortable around her and her children. Warm was one of the many things I felt around her and to my surprise, I couldn't get myself to enjoy it.