Storm Clouds

Chapter Two

I sighed and peered down at my growing bump. I was four months in and my parents still paid me no mind-I'm sure they just believed Kellin was feeding me better than they ever would. I sighed audibly as I rested a hand on my boy/girl, as I knew it was time to break the news to them. Them, the people I were to call parents, the people who currently walked around like zombies as I spoke, as they were heavily intoxicated. Great, I thought, with hope. This could work out, I thought with great hope. Seeing that my parents were drunk as usual, it may be easier to tell them the news. I took in a deep breath, as I was about confess to my parents of my unplanned deed. I wasn't as nervous as I was when I told Connie; then again, she wasn't drunk and was capable of doing just a little more than what my parents could do now. When my parents were finally seated, I opened my mouth, prepared to talk, only to be interrupted by mom.

"Hiiiiiiii, Malllloryyy," she began, her breath reeking Hennessy and clearly slurring. "Kellin must be a rrrrreealll gooddd cook," she said as she examined my curvy frame. I stood up in front of them and hugged myself. Time for the moment of truth.

"That's just the thing, mom," I started. I bit my lip thinking of how to word my thoughts. "He cheated on me and I'm pregnant." They just stared at me blankly. I looked at them expectantly, but they still said nothing. "With Kellin's baby." My dad got up abruptly, knocking the chair over.

"What," he said. His voice held so much of a bite it was practically biting me. He inched slowly over to me watched me. "You know very well we can't support the two of you as is and you go and bring this mess in the house?" Spit hotter than boiling water landed on my face and I resisted the urge to wipe it off. He raised a hand and before I knew it, he'd slapped me with the back his hand, tossing my head sideways. "You disgust me," he said spitting more on my face. I whimpered as I held my cheek. I didn't get why he was so upset. I was of legal age and I had to work two jobs to support the entire family. They used their own money to buy their poison; but hey, it wasn't my liver now was it. I was sick of this mess. It was as if our existence caused their suffering. It was as if we were the reasons they were fired from any jobs like clockwork. They were the ones who disgusted me, they were the ones who caused my suffering, and they were the reasons I'd been fired from a couple of jobs myself. They didn't want any police showing up, as it would be 'bad for business.' Suddenly, an odd feeling arose in my gut, and I knew it wasn't the baby.

"As do you," I said boldly as he turned away. He stopped dead in my tracks, the back of his gross, torn wife beater staring at me.

"What did you just say, bitch?" The feeling that I'd come to realize as courage instantly disappeared. It had never reached the extent to where they had reached to such animosity.

"A-as do you," I said a little louder. On the inside I was a scared little girl who wanted her daddy, but on the outside, I stood tall and proud. I had the rights to this damn house. I cooked, I cleaned, and I cared for these two idiots like it was my damn well duty, and I was not going to let such an insult affect me the way it should've. "You disgust me." My hands clenched into fists as I stood my ground. My mother had fallen asleep as my father's blood began to boil. She was never awake when she was drunken anyways. My father whirled around and looked me right in the eye.

"Repeat that one more time." He walked closer, allowing me to observe how the redness on his face spread from his nose outwards. Allowing me to observe the figurative steam pouring from his ears and puffing out of his nose. I gulped and did as he told.

"You disgust me." I said slowly, spelling out every syllable. Even if I still got hurt in all of this, even if they both forget and I'll need a repeat of this, I just want to get what I have to say out; and that I did.