Dimensions

Chapter 2

I missed Delaware already. Dad drove us onto the highway and the salty sea air was gone almost immediately. The traffic was horrendous and I could already feel the impending doom of the city of Columbus approaching.

I'd lived in Dewey Beach all my life. I grew up by the ocean and knowing all my neighbours. Plus my school was over in Lewes so I knew most people over there too. Sally lived over in Ohio, a place I'd never been, never wanted to go to, and knew nothing about. Emancipation was starting to look like a good idea. I'm sure I could have gone to live with Kevin Richardson, the local fisherman. There were worse people in Dewey.

The trip from Dewey Beach to Columbus was an 8 hour drive. Dad had tried to listen to the radio for the first hour but gave up after Taylor Swift had been played three times. He plugged in his iPod and let it shuffle through various 80's rock anthems, drumming his hands on the steering wheel when we got stuck in traffic. I kept my head down, scribbling in my notebook. When we made stops to pee and get lunch, I tried my hardest to not interact with him and just pick at my hot dog.

It was dark before he finally tried to make an effort with me.

"You're going to have to talk to me at some point, Charlie."

I stabbed my page with the pencil, making a thick black line.

He sighed. "We'll be getting there soon. Sally hasn't set your room up yet so you'll have to sleep on the couch for tonight. Is that okay?"

I yanked the zip on my pencil case back furiously and grabbed a big black marker.

"I promise I'll get it all set up first thing tomorrow."

I stabbed the marker into the page and began scribbling all over the drawing I'd spent the whole drive slaving over; it was a caricature of Sally as a dragon tearing my head off, and Dad beside her, staring up with big puppy dog eyes.

Dad flicked on the blinker and started drifting over to the right of the highway.

"Whoa, Dad, you cannot pull over here!"

With the car stopped, he switched off the blinker and turned to me. "Ah, so that's what I need to do to get your attention then?"

"This is an emergency lane, and this is not an emergency."

"My 15 year old daughter has sat in silence next to me for 7 hours. I think that is an emergency."

I folded my arms and turned to look out the window. "I don't have anything to say."

"C'mon, Charlie, I know you're mad at me but this is for the best. For all of us!"

"I just sat hunched over in a lumpy old Ford for the past 7 hours and you just told me that I will be sleeping on a couch tonight? That sure sounds like the best – the best for my chiropractic needs!"

Dad lifted a fist to his head and pressed it firmly in between his eyebrows. "You know Sally wasn't able to put your furniture together by herself. And there's no way we could get in any earlier."

"We could have flown."

"Yeah, and what about the car?"

"Sell it and buy a new one!" I yelled, throwing my hands up. "Preferably one that doesn't smell like pot!"

"You watch your attitude right now, Charlie. I will not tolerate this behaviour."

"Then you shouldn't have taken me away from my home."

"I am the parent!" Dad suddenly raised his voice louder than I'd ever heard. "I know you're mad, and I'm sorry! But once we get there, you're going to realise that this was the right move for us! Now pretend you like me for the next hour while we get through this trip, please! I'd like to greet my girlfriend with a smile."

He threw the blinker back on and merged recklessly into traffic, narrowly avoiding a potentially fatal crash. I was too scared to tell him off for it that time.