The Rink of Time

Chapter Three

Family isn't just blood or law bound, family is who showed up and was there, it's love.

EMILY SOLARIS

I can't believe I'm doing this.

On the bright side, I can take photos to add to my scrap book. I search my drawers for my digital camera, I had it hidden away for safety purposes.

3 more days

And then...

'Dare Devil'

I can already see the title staring at me, I can finally feel like me again, between fencing class and working to pay for my classes after my father pulled me out, I haven't done anything daring for so long.

I mean, this isn't much, but it is a start, right? It's the start of a much-needed change.

Squeals!

I know camping isn't the most daring thing to do but it is for me, in a normal situation I wouldn't even think of doing this.

"Lily!" I flinch at the name being yelled from downstairs.

"Lily!" The name is yelled again.

I am so not doing this right now, I'm finally finding myself in a good mood, the last thing I will do is to subject myself to feeling otherwise. I grab my phone and my overnight bag which is always packed, simply because I choose peace and happiness.

I open my window and climb out of it, quietly landing on the back porch roof, carefully I climb down the ladder which I make sure to leave there at all times and I run.

I switch my phone on and immediately call Skai, I always go to the Ladiston house when I don't want to face my problems at home.

She doesn't answer the phone but I know she'll be home, it's Wednesday, she doesn't have practice on Wednesdays.

Four years ago, my older brother Callum died, and since then my life has been a living hell.

We were at the beach, the waves took me away and Callum came in to save me, I saw him jump in, but that was the last thing I saw before I lost consciousness, when I woke up, I was laying on the beach and my parents were shaking me frantically asking for Callum.

His body was never found and they blamed me for it, sometimes I do too.

After that my parents never treated me like their child, they would fight every waking moment of everyday for two years till they finally decided to get a divorce, to say I was relieved at the time would be an understatement, little did I know life would only become worse for me after that day. Now I live with my alcoholic and abusive excuse of a father and as for my mom I don't really know where she is.

My father always calls me Lily when he is drunk, some sort of mockery, that's when I know to steer clear, he gets really aggressive under the influence, notably worse than when he's sober.

I know what you're thinking, I should just report him to the police right? Well, he is the police, Chief police. It's safe to say I'm stuck with him till I graduate.

I arrive at the Ladiston home after a 27minute journey and ring the doorbell.

River opens the door, as usual and welcomes me in, if you catch Skai opening the door pigs might as well be flying that day.

"You staying the night?" he asks his eyes darting to my duffel bag.

"Yeah" I smile and he understands almost immediately.

"Great timing, we're about to watch a movie" he smirks walking over the couch, probably to put the movie on.

"Skai!" he yells up the stairs "Emily's here!"

"I'm going to grab a glass of water" I tell River and drop my duffel next to him walking into the kitchen

"Emily?" I hear her run down the stairs and she appears in the kitchen with a towel wrapped her and a bonnet covering her hair.

"Thank God you're here!" she shrieks "We were just about to watch the invasion of Arakis"

Then I hear a beep come from the microwave.

"Skai, take the popcorn out!" River yells from the living room.

Skai walks over to the microwave and does as her brother says.

"Just choose your snacks, I'm gonna get dressed" she tells me acknowledging the fact that I don't like popcorn as usual and scurries away, handing the bowl of popcorn to her brother.

I love the Ladiston home, it actually feels like home.

I rummage through the cabinets for Takis, my favorite!