"Little Girl" - lrh

06

I wake up on account of a few different things: I had another dream about Jessica, my phone is ringing off the hook with texts from Alyssa, and there's more than one voice coming from Alice's room just across from me. Usually, I wouldn't mind visitors over, but not at 2 o'clock in the morning on a Friday when I need to be up in three hours and Alice has to be up in four.

I silence my phone before getting up from my bed that seemed to have gotten warmer just as I woke up, and peeked my head out the door.

"I don't understand why you would pick him over me," I recognize that voice.

"I never said I picked him," Alice answers.

"Yeah, but I know you do," Calum? What's he doing over here? They haven't spoken to each other in awhile.

"I thought you wanted to apologize?"

"I was going to."

"What stopped you?" It's quiet now, and I wanna know what they're talking about but it's late (early?) and Alice needs to go to sleep. I start walking into the hall as quietly as I can when Calum speaks again.

"Because I don't want you here with him. He's a creep."

"No, he isn't," she sighs, as if this is a repetitive thing and she's quite tired of hearing it.

"Yes, he is. Ali, do you not see how he looks at you?"

"I look just like my mom, of course he's gonna stare at me."

"You don't look like your mom."

"Yes, I do! And you can't say I look like my real dad because no one knows who he is!" I stop in my tracks and feel my heart twist. Real dad. Man, that hurts.

"Hush!" Calum whispers harshly. "You're gonna wake him up."

"Good, then he can make you leave."

"You want me to go?" His voice softened to one of hurt.

"You're being so mean to me and Luke, and I'm sick of it."

"Fine. I'll leave, but when he tries to have sex with you, don't come crying to me saying I was right because I won't care."

"Fuck you, Calum."

"Last time I checked, you didn't want to," hearing that, I push the door open and they both jump.

"Get out of my house," I growl. Calum cowers then makes his way to the opened window. "use the damn door." He pauses, glances at Alice, then starts out the door. I wait, listening to the front door slamming shut before speaking again; But Alice beats me to it.

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough," she nods, playing with her shirt. "I don't think I want you seeing him for awhile."

"Okay, Daddy," Alice sits down in her desk chair, keeping her gaze on the floor. "I'm sorry for what he said, if you heard the last part."

"I did," I wince, thinking about how she mentioned her real dad.

"He's been a jerk lately. I don't know what to do."

"Just stay away until he's calmed down," I demand more than suggest. "you need to go to bed. You have school soon."

"Can I please stay home?" Alice looks up at me and I see her makeup is smeared more than usual.

"Baby, have you been crying?" I walk over and try to clean up her blackened face.

"Yeah," she shrugs. "it's not a big deal."

"Little girl," I cup her face and look in her dull eyes. "don't you ever think crying isn't a big deal. Especially when you cry."