Exposure

Chapter 5

The next morning, when I open my eyes, my head is throbbing and my vision is blurred. The sun streams through the window as I shade my eyes. I notice that Danny isn't by my side anymore. She's probably downstairs suffering from moms fast move forward. Does Danny even know about the mystery man? My stomach aches at the thought. I don't think she will be able to deal with all of this. Dads drunken rampage, and moms new guy.

As I support myself to get out of bed, my arms start to shake. I lift them up to still them, but they continue to shake. Great. A headache and shaking arms. Mom is going to think I'm hungover. Oh right, my drink was spiked. I am pretty much hungover. It could be worse though. I could be naked, in the middle of my neighbors lawn, making out with their cat...and wearing a sombrero on my head.

As soon as I open the door, the smell of bacon and vanilla hit me. My mouth starts to water. Bacon and white vanilla pancakes are my favorite. Mom knows that, and she never cooks. She's probably in a good mood from last night. I just feel sick from witnessing it.

"I heard about yesterday Ivy," mom says as I come down the stairs. I instantly freeze. Uh oh. She knows what happened at the party. The look on her face says it all. Danny and the mystery man stare at me too, with concern in their eyes. Who could of told her?! Not Danny. She wasn't even there. "Honey, you won't have to go through that again. I won't let him have custody over you guys." It all clicks into place and I let out a sigh of relief. She's talking about dad.

"Sarah, maybe we should report this." The man says to her.

"No!" I cry out. My dad may have made a serious mistake, but he doesn't need to go to jail. And I definitely don't want to live with mom.

"Yeah maybe that's not such a good idea," mom points in. "Another slip up like that...." She pauses. "And I'll go to the police and agency."

The whole morning this unwelcome man roamed around the house doing as he pleased. He even tried messing around with Danny. She knew better. Mom hasn't even tried to introduce us to him. As if he's just a guest staying for a night or two. Like a "guest" would grab my moms ass. The only good part of the morning is that the drug has for the most part, worn off...And the vanilla waffles and bacon. I had two servings of each, making sure not to leave any leftovers for mom or her boy toy.

"Ivy?" Danny stands in the middle of the door frame to my bedroom. Desperation fills her face. "You wanna get out of here?" Of course I do, but there's no where to go. I don't want to go to dads just yet, and Claire's house isn't an option either. She'll be hammering me with questions about last night, and I don't want Danny to know about that. The only place I can think of is Peter's house, but I just met him. I brush that off. Danny and I are both desperate. Besides, maybe I can get to know him better. All the times I've talked to him, I was either a bitch or needed something from him. Again, I'm asking for something, but I'll make it up to him.

As we drive through my neighborhood, I realize that I don't even know where Peter lives. Danny's head hangs out the passenger window. I imagine she's enjoying the weather. The sun is brightly lighting up the sky, and the wind creates a light breeze that is just too perfect. No need for air conditioning. Most of the neighbors are mowing the lawn or doing garden work. I've never seen so many people out at once. Yeah, it's a nice day, but hopefully there's not a storm later on.

After about ten minutes of awkwardly driving around my neighborhood, I finally spot what I was looking for. Peter is in his front yard, hitting a baseball at a net. His swings are swift and light, but hold a hard impact against the ball. The ball hits the net and bounces back off towards Peter. He picks it back up, analyzing it, and starts the cycle over again. I park just outside his driveway.

"Hey, Peter." The wind blows my hair around my face. I must look like a mess. I stare up at his house. It's nice. Almost cute looking. The roof angles down, covering the porch, and the siding reminds me of the beach shingles you see on the waterfront in Maine. His parents must take care of the outside. Beautiful plants and flower beds coat the yard and porch.

"Aye, the drink didn't mess you up too bad," Peter says with a wide smirk plastered on his face. Danny crosses her arms, eyebrows raised. Damn it Peter!

"You were drinking?" Danny asks in disbelief. Peter notices Danny's reaction and instantly jumps in.

"Actually, at a party yesterday, I created my own concoction and dared her to drink it. She pretty much had a vomit fest in the bathroom after that." I couldn't help myself but chuckle. That was pretty smooth, and by the look of Danny's face, she's buying it.

"Anyways, Peter, we really need somewhere to hang. Just for an hour or so." I can't hide the desperation in my voice. Peter looks at Danny and then back at me. He sighs and motions to the net.

"I really need to practice. If I don't make the team for this fall, I need to be on top of my game for a rebound." My throat starts to sting and I can feel a tear about to fall. I don't want Peter to see me cry, so I turn around and grab my cell phone from my back pocket. I'm hoping from his point of view it looks like I'm answering a private text. I need to get out of here, before he sees me cry.

"It-it's okay. We have to go anyways." My voice wavers as I speak. "Come on Danny." She hops into the passenger side, and I scurry around to the drivers seat. I think Peter yells something, but I'm too worked up to pay any attention to it. So much for making things up to him. Tears blur my eyes as I look at the gas meter. I think it's almost empty. We have no choice but to go to dads.

Even though dads was only a few houses down, the thoughts running through my head made it feel like a ten minute drive. If he's drunk again, I don't know what Danny and I are going to do. And even if he isn't drunk, Danny has bruises on her body. How am I supposed to act around him if he put them there, and if they weren't just an "accident"?

I open the door, anxiety making my hands shake. Danny looks fine when I glance down at her, but she's also a lot braver than me. Inside, the house looks clean, and smells of bleach. On the island counter are a few bottles. My heart sinks, and I can feel Danny squirming beside me. Are those vodka bottles? Before I can Identify them, dad steps down the stairs, his arm running on top of the railing. His face is red and sweaty. My fingers tremble as a stuffy feeling overwhelms me. We're stuck, and there is no running out now.

Sorry about the late chapter. I had soccer camp, and they were 3 a day practices. I just got back a couple days ago, so I will get a chapter in every Tuesday. Thanks guys :)