Sweetness

Happiest Place on Earth

I've become so numb I can't feel you there
I've become so tired so much more aware
I'm becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you

"Rose? Rose, honey? Mavis-Rose!"
"What Dominic?" I ask drearily
"It's Helena, sweetie. Dom left at least half an hour ago and so did Tonia when you fell asleep. She stayed for a little while but took Rosie home with her. Second, Transformers is a great movie and has a great soundtrack but just run me through what happened today before your father gets home" I turn down the music Totti left blaring for me and face Helena's smooth and calm voice. If it weren't for Helena I don't think either Dad or myself would have made it through the last couple of years.

"Some arsehole decided my locker needed a shave and ruined all my books, left their stupid ring at the scene of the crime and took my photo"
"And the ring belongs to who?"
"Not Jackery Beaune fucking Townes, who I thought was the owner"
"And you know that because you barged in on him in a fit of rage?"
"Yes...wait, what? I haven't said anything about that. Not even to Dom. How do you know that?" I have a feeling that the social media has something to do with this
"It's all over the internet Mavis. 'Killiner in for the kill,' Girl goes off at ex,' Weirdo gets weirder.' The list is endless. All with names and all have been sent to your father..."
Oh shit
"How does he know already?" I'm in so much trouble

As Helena opens his mouth, the front door flies open and there he is; my loving Father. Fuck.

"Mavis-Rose Alexandria Seraphine Killiner! What did you think you were doing, being so close to that bloody Townes boy! And then raising your fist at him, seriously Mavis-Rose, I thought I taught you better than to pick your fights with people, especially Jackery fucking Townes!" he's out of breath and he hasn't even started yet. He's rounded the corner and meets the fearful eyes of his wife and the defiant eyes of mine.

He stops in his tracks and leans against the crisp white wall that divides the study to the kitchen, living and dining room with his arms crossed over his chest. I'm too tired to even argue. After having Dad blast Dominic, Dom terrorising me about my legs, the episode in assembly, my locker being cemented in shaving cream, and now all of this crap. I faced the television with my arms folded over my chest, I'm not going to put up with his shit of a mood because I was defending myself.
Helena places a warm, thin hand on my knee and stands up to talk to her husband who is now fuming and sounds like a bull ready to charge. She forcefully leads him to the kitchen to fix him a drink and explain what has happened but he won't have a bar of it.

Helena is trying to keep her voice in a hushed whisper but Dad isn't making it easy for her to stay calm and focused

"It was in self-defence, David! Do you think Rose wanted to have her locker become part of a practical joke? She acted out the exact way you act out at Dom every Sunday morning when they come home from the football club –"
"I wouldn't have wasted my time on that insolent boy after everything he put her through without any evidence!"
"But Rose had a ring with the same insignia. The only thing was, when she confronted him he had his ring on him. The ring wasn't his David"

I've had enough of this, I get up to leave but am stopped by a forced grip on my wrist. Dad's eyes are staring right at me only inches away and Helena is holding his other arm back with all she has, I struggle to get my hand free but nothing works, he is dead set on not letting me go anywhere this time. His eyes are beginning to crystallise again and Helena's face is written with fear.

"You are not to see that boy again! –"
"It's a bit hard seeing we go to the same school!" I say through gritted teeth but the grip only gets tighter "He is no good for you and you will be grounded for the rest of the school year! Nothing will change what you did, you cannot make up for it either. His father is going to make me work longer hours and do more work with nothing in return. You don't know what you've done to this family and will suffer the consequences that follow!" he is still strangling my wrist. I can feel the blood stopping at the base of his hand, this isn't fair and I haven't been able to tell my side of events, instead, my wrist and forearm become bread crumbs