Afraid to Feel

Chapter 2: A father's hopes and dreams

She heard a very suspicious sound.

Elina was in her room, lying in bed as a mess of pillows, dark sheets, and hair. She'd woken up minutes ago because of the steady rhythm of her father's stride back and forth on the wooden floor of the hallway. However that was to be expected. It was Monday, Elina's father had to work. Early as it was, Elina laid in bed groggily staring at the poster on the walls. Being so used to them, some days she passed in front of them without actually seeing them.

Agh, it was Monday. Elina had to go shopping for Christmas presents, for she was terribly late. She looked around, searching for the clock in her nightstand. Seven more minutes and her alarm would go off at eight. At ten, Tommy would to pick her up, which she was looking forward to.

Then, another quite different, yet as suspicious as the first, sound invaded her ears, and Elina jumped from her bed. For a long moment she struggled with the bed sheet, and the mess her hair was over her eyes, but when that was cleared she took a menacing breath.

"No way in hell!" She muttered, running to her door and opening it. She dashed out.

~@~

As Elina had thought, her father was eating breakfast; Cereal as a matter of fact, as he read the newspaper intently in the kitchen. He had magnificent dark auburn hair, as well as gray eyes, and was a tiny bit over weight. In his early forties, Jeff Anderson was a sticking man that could have any woman he wished.

"Ah-ha! Caught you, you dirty old man!"

"I did nothing! You cold blooded snake." He shouted back, knowing that she would not fall for any of his tricks, so he rather have fun with it. That they had in common. If people didn't believe you, have fun then.

Many people through time had wondered what kind of twisted upbringing Elina had in her childhood for her to be so terrible; the truth is that it wasn't that bad. Jeff Anderson had raised her well on his own, considering that his wife had left him weeks after giving birth to Elina. He raised Elina to be a great girl with good grades, manners and sweetness to life, and all human beings.

Elina's change in attitude came when she was eleven, when her mother returned. At first Jeff had denied that woman to see Elina, but he could not deny it to Elina. Soon afterwards, Elina warmed up to her mother. However the woman left without a word later on, leaving a broken little girl. The only refuge Elina found was solitude, and soon became an outcast until she allowed Lucy back into her life, but she too began to change from how she was. They began to hang out with the dark serious rebelled boys and the silent vicious girls from school. Still, the Elina Jeff raised was inside of her, and used to let her out whenever she was with her father. That now changed, for she let her out with Tommy too.

"You are a Master Chef, the best of your class and generation, the most fucking famous!" She said, dramatically waiving her arms upwards as she walked around the kitchen. "Yet you sit here, eating my Honey Nut Cheerios!"

"Is not my fault they're delicious."

Elina sighed exasperated, but nodded in agreement for it was the undoubted truth. Annoyed she began searching in the cupboards, she found a plate suitable for cereal, and a spoon. She sat on the opposing chair from her father, and poured herself some milk and cereal. Then she began to eat.

"You got home late last night." Jeff commented as he always did the mornings after Elina went out.

Elina shrugged looking down to her bowl of food unimpressed. "Tomas and Hanna were being unseasonable."

"How so?"

"They want the damned bridesmaids' dresses to be black, but I want them black and red. Tomas says the colors would be off season by the time of the wedding." Elina said growing annoyed as she spoke. "And Hanna thinks she is a designer, saying stuff like that wouldn't fit with any kind of decorations and whatnot. I know they are paying, but it's my wedding." Stated Elina, and shoved a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.