Break Away

Chapter 2

I've always liked Mondays, they mean I get to go back to school after two days of trying to avoid being home while attempting to get my homework done at the public library. I have exactly four weeks left before I officially graduate, I have enough credits to graduate but I can't risk getting in trouble for anything and having to go to summer school or worse be suspended and forced to repeat.

Quietly tugging on my denim skinny jeans and a black vest I grabbed my sneakers trying to get them on as quickly as possible, I want to leave before my dad wakes up. I heard Kennedy's friend drive up and fetch her ten minutes ago, she somehow convinced her friends that our father sleeps late and that's why they mustn't hoot when they drive up. The real reason is that we'd rather he didn't see us at all.

I grabbed my book bag from the hook next to my bedroom door, took a deep breath, Dashed down the steps and out the door just in time to hear a door open upstairs. Just made it.

My day went off the same as every other; walk to school, avoid all human contact, get through my classes and meet Kennedy for lunch. She sat at a table filled with her class mates, a single spot left empty next to her for me as usual. Ken was already eating a cheese sandwich, an appel lay on her tray along with a soda and a strawberry cupcake.

My tray was very different; a slice of pizza, bubblegum flavored milk and a chocolate bar. I gave her a small smile which was returned with a full toothy grin, her red hair bobbing against her shoulders. She takes after our mother when it comes to looks, pale with red hair and freckles. I got the black hair, green eyes and sporty build from our dad.

Lunch passed quickly as did the rest of the day and soon I was walking out of the building towards my neighborhood with my headphones blasting random music to drown out all the noise. Kennedy probably had a friend drop her off but the ten minute walk doesn't bother me it's just more time I get to spend out of the house. When I walked up the drive my father's car was gone thankfully and I walked in to find Kennedy lounging in front of the TV wearing grey sweatpants and a tank top, frizzy hair up in a tight pony tail.

"Hey, how was school?"

She looked up and smiled, "Great, let me guess you had a usually boring day filled with studying?"

"Bingo."

Around ten I heard the sound of my father's car pull up, I was out of bed and down the hall to Kennedy's room pulling open the door and waking my sister.

"He's home, lock the door and don't open it till morning okay?"

She nodded sleepily, "Is he-?"

"Yes, now lock it." I closed the door behind me and listened for the click.

My room doesn't lock which is why I made Kennedy move to the only bedroom with a lock, I'd rather she stay safely in there. The front door slammed closed and I heard the unmistakable sound of my drunk father stumble into the lounge, maybe he'll pass out down stairs... I really hope he does. About half an hour after I got back into bed I heard I loud knock on my bedroom door followed by my father pushing it open and stumbling in with a confused frown.

"Where's my beer?"

I stood up, "Fridge."

"Look at me when I talk!" He slurred and I braced, The back handed slap forced my head to swing sideways leaving a stinging in my cheek.

I kept quiet knowing he would get bored quicker if I didn't say anything, it usually works that way. His drunken mind has a short attention span.

"You deserve that! You deserve to be punished. I know what you think of me, you're just like your mother! You want to leave here just like she did!" I didn't see the punch coming but I gasped as his fist connected with my left eye. He didn't give me time to recover before his fingers dug into my lower arm and yanked so I ended up on the floor.

He seemed to forget his anger then and frowned like he didn't know why I was on the floor, turning and leaving my room without a word. I know it's the alcohol that does this to him, it's not really my father which makes it even harder to hate him for all the things he does yet I still know one thing. I have to protect Kennedy from it. I'm eighteen and I can handle this, when my mom left she didn't know our father would end up this way, that he would drink away his mind.

I've never resented my mother for leaving, she simply fell out of love with my father and he won custody of us. That was back when he was a high functioning business man with a great reputation, loving family and no problem staying sober. I still don't know how he manages to keep his job, probably his long service record.

I lifted myself of the floor and walked to the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror: bloody lip, swelling eye and my arm is throbbing. This is one of the bad ones. I put a warm cloth over my eye to help ease the swelling and washed the blood off my chin before going back to bed, I have school in the morning.