They're Not That Bad

Prolouge

 Prologue

“Please Dad. It will take two minutes. Please, please, pleaseeeee.” I begged as my hands clasped to my face with my best puppy dog eyes on show.

 “Okay, okay. Just don’t tell your mother that I’m letting you get ice cream because you know she’ll give me a lecture about how it’ll spoil your dinner and so on. This is just a treat. So don’t think we’re going to do this on a regular basis.” He finished smiling.

 I faked a yawn and said “You do realise I tuned you out after you said ‘okay’, right?”

 He chuckled as we turned into the parking lot of a small service station quite far from town. “Don’t push it Belle. I also could use some food; it’ll be long drive back.” I smiled at the fact I was about get some delicious ice cream. Could you get ice cream deprived? After five seconds debating, I concluded that you could.

 We both got out of the car and walked towards the store. It was a small box, like one that you’d find near a gas station. The place was giving off a creepy vibe; in fact the whole area was kind of eerie and I wasn’t the only one who thought so.

 “Stay close Belle. This isn’t the best neighbourhood to be in but we have to get some grub in our tums. So we’ll be very quick.” I giggled at his choice of words but still obeyed his warning. It was pretty late at night and I wanted to get home as soon as possible.

 We entered the store and found it to empty except from a young man behind the counter who had way too many piercings and tattoos. He barely acknowledged us and went back to reading a battered up magazine. I zoomed straight to the freezer section, leaving my dad to get food for the journey back. Hmm decisions, decisions. What flavour to go for? I was about to reach from the handle on the freezer when I heard shouting from the paying area.

 Because it was such a small store I could see a perfect view of what was going on from where I was near the back of the store. The man with loads of piercing and tattoos was arguing with a man who must have entered the store after us. This new guy was dressed in baggy black jeans with a black hoodie which was also too big for him. Neither item of clothing was particular clean.

I looked closer at his facial features. He had a crooked nose that had possibly seen way too many fists, his face was gaunt and dead looking like he hadn’t slept in days and his hair was an incredibly deep black that was spiked in all the wrong directions making it look like he’s been dragged through a bush backwards. To wrap it all up he looked like a rough guy. The words of what my dad had said earlier replayed in my mind ‘Isn’t the best neighbourhood’

 My legs walked closer to hear what they were arguing about. I was still hidden but now had a much better view.

 “Listen man I don’t have your money but I can give it to you as soon as possible. Don’t worry about it mate.” The tattoo man said trying to act calm but I was good at reading people and I could tell he was scared as hell of the guy in front of him.

 Black hoodie guy took a step closer to counter and grabbed onto the collar of tattoo man. “You listen here ‘man’,” Tattoo guy tried to escape but his grip was too firm. “I’m going to get that money off you some way or another. Even if I have to break every single bone in that body of yours, I will get that money. I supplied you with what you needed and I want my payment.”

 His voice was scratchy and horrible that I was recoiling at every word he said. Tattoo guy was freaking out and I could tell he was praying for a miracle. Unfortunately, that miracle had to be my dad.

 He walked towards them with two glass bottles of Pepsi in his hands. “I think you should let him go, son.” My dad was always hated violence and always stopped things before they got out of hand. He was just a nice guy. But he was being nice to the wrong kind of guy.