Exposure

Chapter 3

My hands tighten on the steering wheel. I take a deep You breath. I need to calm down. I'm out of that house, and I won't be going back till I know dad is sober again. The light up ahead turns red. When I come to a stop, I search through my duffel in the back for my phone. No new messages. He must still be passed out. He wouldn't just wake up sober and not apologize. I mean, he threw a glass bottle at my head! I toss the phone back in the bag when the light turns green.

By the time I pull into the driveway, it's down pouring. The rain creates a light pitter patter on the roof of my car. The welcoming lights from inside the house glow in the windows, lighting up the gray wood siding on it. I can see the outline of Danny's body in the upper window. How did she get to mom's house? I didn't bring her, and dad was too drunk to do anything. She certainly couldn't have walked. I go up to the door and grab the key out from under the mat. I stick it in the door and it opens up easily. The first place I go is Danny's room. If she saw dad when he was in that condition, she could be a wreck. When I open the door, she stares out of the window of her room, with her head phones plugged into her ears. I stare in the door frame smiling. I never notice how pretty Danny is unless I'm staring at her. She turns her head and takes her head phones out.

"What are you doing here?" she asks.

"I wanted to come see you. How did you get here?" I sit next to her on the bed. She fiddles with her fingers.

"A friend dropped me off on their way into town. Is dad mad at me?" She looks at me terrified. I shake my head no. A tear drops down from her face. "I didn't see him, but I heard banging in his room. He was crying and yelling." She wipes the tear away. "That really scared me. I don't think I want to go back there." I take her into my arms and tighten them around her. Her sobs violently shake my body.

"Danny, it's okay. He was drunk. This will never happen again." It can't happen again. I got rid of all the bottles anyway. If he bought more, then Danny and I would have no choice but to live with mom anyways. She winces suddenly and I let her body go. "What's wrong?" She shakes her head slowly and quickly glances at her arm. When I look over, I see it. A medium size bruise. About the size of a golf ball is covering part of her forearm.

"Please don't tell mom," she pleads frantically. I look at her, eyebrows scrunched.

"What happened?" She looks down at the floor. She grabs her iPod off the bed and puts the ear buds in her ears.

"It was only an accident Ivy." She hugs me lightly. "Thanks for coming to check on me." I smile slightly. I'm definitely not convinced she's okay. Not at all. Where did this bruise come from? Did dad put it there? He wouldn't. I feel my lungs get heavy, and I know I'm having another stress episode. I need time to clear my head. I know exactly where to go.

Her dark brown eyes greet me at the door. Her hair is tightly held in rollers.

"Ivy!" She yells as if I weren't three feet in front of her. She smiles brightly and grabs my bags.

"Hey Claire," I say exhausted. She instantly sees the look on my face and leads me upstairs. "Where are your parents?" I ask.

"They're out. Dad has a promotion party." We walk down the brown wooded hallway to the last room.

"Remind me to tell him congratulations." She laughs as she puts my stuff down on her bed.

"I'm not going to need to. Mom will be all over that shit for days." I lay down on her bed with my arms and legs spread out. "You having divorce problems again?" she asks.

"Yeah." She obviously knew already. Claire has been my best friend since the 6th grade. I've told her every little secret, and she's told me hers. I can come to her about anything, and that's also why I love her as if she is my second sister. "Dad got drunk. Really drunk. He threw a bottle at me." Claire's eyebrows scrunch as her eyes widen.