Kate

Chapter 1

Red and blue lights through the curtains and a honk of a horn. I peer out the window. It's a patrol wagon. Dads home.
No, he's not a police officer. He's drunk. This happens on a weekly basis.
"Cheers boys" and laughs and waves as they drive off.
Stumbling up the drive way. With each step, the crunch of the gravel gets louder and my heart starts to pound. Blood rushing to my head, I feel my face getting hot.
I take a deep breath and take a step back from the windows and closing the gap between the dust covered curtains.
'Oh no, the washing' I think.
Pacing it the the back yard, I rip the clothes from the washing line chucking them into basket.

As I make her way down the narrow hallway the the front of the house, my feet peeling against the linoleum with each step from too much cleaner, I hear Dad yell "did you just step over that?!" Looking me dead in the eye grabbing my shirt, lift me off the ground and throwing back up the hallway. Taking the smell of the alcohol on his breath with me.

Hitting the floor I don't even have time to think 'what the hell', with my heart feeling like it was going to jump out of my chest, wanting to just cry. I glance up at him for a moment. Still beaming his eyes at me.
I look back down the basket off washing sprawled over the floor.

"If you see something pick it up, you don't just leave it there! What, are you fucking stupid or just plain fucking lazy, Kate?!"
It was a peg that must have fallen from the washing basket.
I couldn't help but let out a gasp of cry.
"Oh here we fucking go, no one for fuck sake. Stop feeling sorry for yourself " As he leans over me shadowing the only light coming through the hall. I lower my gaze.

"Sorry" I apologise. Still sitting on the hallway floor I stayed there frozen, too afraid to move.
I try and take a slow deep breath without being heard. Hurting as the lump in my throat grows.

He walks past me to use the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
I finally take a deep breathe and quickly gather the sprawled out clothes..and peg.

I rush to my room quietly closing the door just enough so he can't see the bed as he walks past.
Because heaven forbid I have it shut. Who knows what I might be getting up to or who may be hiding in the cupboard.

Folding the clothes I can't help not keep back tears any longer, how long does this have to go on. Can't I be old enough already?! Wish I was aloud a job so I could get the hell out of here! Even if I could, who wants to hire a 15 year old. And that that pays and even if it did I'm not old enough to to have my name on a lease.