Turning Tables

Chapter 13

~Erika~

I will be the first to admit it. I was slowly slipping away from my sanity. My mother doesn't smile and we haven't had a complete conversation since the telegram. She's dying inside and it kills me that I cant help her. The fire that was always lit in my mother was gone and I didn't know when it would come back. If it would even come back at all.

"I'm going to school, Mom." I called from the front entrance.

"Okay." That's all she would say. Okay, sure and sometimes fine.

I looked behind the corner at her one last time just to see if I could understand her through glance. Losing a father was hard, but I can't possibly imagine what it would be like to lose a soulmate of 25 years.

Yes, she has it much worse.

"Erika?" I jumped at the sound of my name and saw both Stacey and Katie staring at me in worry. "I was just wondering if you could help me with this problem."

"O-oh right." I snapped out of my coma and worked with her with Stacey's equation. "I need to use the restroom." I stood up and quickly made my escape out of the classroom. I checked in the stalls to see I was completely alone. I rested my hands on  the sink and just hung my head down as tears began to fall.

"Daddy, do you really have to go?"

"I have to go, but I will be back very soon for you, my princess."  He picked her up and twirled  her up in the air.

I fall to my knees while letting out a loud sob.

"Mommy! You have to stop him!"  Little Erika sobbed.

Her mother wiped away her tears, leaving her own alone. "He must go, Erika."

"But I don't want him to go!" She sobbed harder, hugging her mothers neck.

That time, I got to see him when he came back and I ran into his open arms like I always did, I got to see my mother smile and kiss him lovingly like he was the only man in the world and he was. Always in her world. I hug my knees to my chest and sob harder.

"I have a surprise for you, Ttal, but you can't look." He would tell her and out of excitement she'd close her eyes super tight and each time would be a new snow globe, one of every country he would visit.

"Wow! Germany, daddy? You went to Germany?" 

Germany...the last place he went to. The last snow globe I had ever got. I would ever get...forever. The weeping never subsided as all the memories came rushing in my mind.

"Dad! Make sure you get me one from Russia, okay!"

"Russia? I thought you were getting to old for my snow globes now that you're in 7th grade, Ttal." He laughed.

"I will never be to old for your snow globes. Besides, Russia has always been my favorite country and you know that."

After a good cry I decided I had to get out of here, so I made my way out of the back doors.

~Derrick~

I noticed it at first hand. Erika wasn't at school in the afternoon though she was here in the morning which wouldn't bother me if she was the ditching type, but that isn't the case. She never ditches even if she hated the subject.

"Derrick, what is it?" Rico asked me, but I couldn't shake off the bad feeling that crawled under my skin.

"Hey, man, I'll see you in a later. I just remembered something at home that needs to be done." I quickly dashed away before he started to ask questions. I ran all the way to Erika's house and like usual climbed in her window only to find her bedroom empty. I walked down the hall to come across light behind the bathroom door. "Erika?" With a rush, my instincts took over and I yanked the door open.