Unbreakable

Chapter Five

I hesitantly walked over to my dad. When he saw me he straightened off the truck but kept his arms folded. 

"How much money do you have on you?" He asked without any hesitation.

"I don't know. Maybe 40 dollars?"

"Give it to me." He said. "Now"

This isn't the first time hes asked for money, and no doubt it wouldn't be the last, but it was the first time hes asked for all my money. And its the first time he's ever shown up at my job. I walked over to my car and unlocked it. I pulled my wallet out of my book bag and walked back over to him.

I took the 40 dollars out and placed it into his open hand.

"This is all you have?" He asked counting the bills. I nodded my head.

"I don't believe you. Give me your wallet." He said, again sticking out his expectant hand. When I hesitated he stepped forward and grabbed the arm that held the wallet and twisted until I dropped it.

He picked it off the ground and began unzipping every pocket until he found my gas money stash.

"Yeah, I knew you was lying, this about another 50 dollars right here," he said as he threw my now empty wallet on the ground.

"I needed that for gas and stuff, I don't get paid until Friday and my tanks almost empty."

"Oh you don't need to worry about your tank." he said while he shoved the bills deep in his pocket.

"And why is that??"

"Because you won't be using your car. Give me your keys. NOW" He said sticking out his greedy hand a third time.

"But how will I get home?"

"Not my problem. This is your consequence for holding out on me. It'll teach you to lie to me again."

But I made no move to just hand over my keys. I held them behind my back in my clutched hand, not even caring that my car key was digging harshly into my palm. When he realized I wasn't gonna hand them over he stepped towards me, took me by my shoulders and shoved hard. I fell down and smacked the back of my head on the concrete. While I fell the keys loosened from my grip so he reached down and snatched them up.

"I'll decide when you get these back now." He said standing over me. He walked around to his truck and started it up. I had to roll out the way of his tires to keep from becoming road kill.

I got to my feet after the stars spinning in my head went away. I dusted off my butt and looked around. The parking lot was dark and mostly empty, just a few cars here or there.  

My house was way too far to walk from here but the only two people in the store were creepy Mitchell and West. So I started to walk anyways. I made it about 5 minutes into my walk and realized that even if I walked all the way home, I wouldn't be able to get to school until he gave me my keys back. I wouldn't be able to go anywhere at all. I would be stuck at home. I'd probably lose my job. I sat down on the sidewalk, wrapped my arms around me and just completely broke down.

A few minutes later I heard a car stop in front of me. At first I was afraid it was my dad, coming to finish the job. But it wasn't his truck. It was some old, beat up coupe. And it wasn't my dad.

It was West. 

He walked around the front of the car, the headlights illuminating his figure. He didn't speak to me, didn't even ask if I was okay, he just scooped me up, opened the passenger door and sat me in the seat. He even buckled the seat belt around me.

It dawned on me after he shut the door, that maybe I should be afraid. I don't even know this guy and here he was taking me away in his car, but honestly I didn't have enough strength in me to care. 

He got in and started his car, keeping the silence going between us. But it was like he was quiet, not because he didn't want to talk, but because he didn't need to. It was like he just already knew everything that had happened.

After about 30 minutes of driving in circles, I finally broke the silence.

"Why did you help me?" I asked turning slightly to see him. I had to admit, even in the dim lighting from his dashboard he was still hot. Even if he was a player. 

He glanced over at me and I felt uncomfortable under his stare. I probably looked like a nutcase.

"I don't know. I was going to leave and saw you walking along the sidewalk. I thought it was strange since your car was there. Then I saw you sit down on the sidewalk and, I just, I knew you needed help."

I nodded and tried to go back into the silence that was before but West had other plans.

"Um so why was you walking anyways?"

I just shook my head, I didn't have a good enough lie and if I tried to explain the truth to him, I'd just start crying.

"Oookkkkaaaaayyyy" He said drawing out the word slowly, "Do you want me to take you home?"

It was like he punched me in the gut. I couldn't stop the tears from falling because well, I didn't have a home. A home implied security...love...family. I didn't have no where like that. 

"Well then, I'll just take you to my house." He made a quick u-turn and before I knew it, or could even stop it, I was on my way to West's house.