Who Says |.l.t.|

~Chapter 2~

Lexi’s POV.

I was sat in front of my parents at the kitchen table, with a sheet of paper in front of me. Uh oh, this can’t be good.

“Why did we receive a call from the office to say you did not attend school today?” Dad asked me, his face contorted with anger. I gulped- my Dad was the scariest person I knew, and he knew it. Mum shook her head, knowing there was no way she could stop what was coming, and turned to the sink, where there was a towering pile of dishes. Dad’s fist came down on the table, making me and mum jump.

“ANSWER ME!” he snarled, shoving his face into mine, forcing me to look him in the eye. His eyes. Cold, dead looking, grey, with no emotion but anger; no care, no loving thought for his only daughter; just anger. “Um… I- I don’t know.” I whispered, looking down at my lap. I felt dad’s breath on my face as he started breathing heavier and heavier. “Pathetic.” He spat, shoving the table into me, making m wince as I felt my ribs crack under the force of the wood. Immediately, dad was once again in my face. “Please.. No..”I trailed off, my words nothing more than a whisper. I squeezed my eyes shut as dad lifted his hand. I knew what was coming.

Ding dong.

Never has the phrase ‘saved by the bell’ meant so much to me. Dad moved back and corrected the table, before pointing to the stairs. “Room. Now.”

I moved as quick as I could, trying not to show the pain as I hurried up the stairs and straight to my room. Clumsily moving my hand around my bedside table, I found the familiar feeling of the paracetamol and shoved it in my mouth. Coughing it down, I lay back on my bed, hoping to be left in peace. Ha.

“LEXI!”

I breathed out, and tried to wipe away the tears that were subconsciously falling as I got up to see what my mother was wanting. By the sound of it seconds later, dad had left the house out the back way, slamming the door behind him. I got off my bed, praying to no one in particular that the pain would subside, and walked slowly to the hallway. There was a man, with red-ish hair that was half up in a sort of quiff, and wearing a purple zip up hoodie, a grey t-shirt, skinny sagging jeans and toms. I thought he looked familiar, but due to his dark, enormous shades, I was unable to put a name to the face. He looked up and smiled at me, causing my mum to look up too.

“Lexi, this gentleman here has come by to see you and you’re father’s gone to the pub so- you have the time.” She added, making sure I caught her meaning. I nodded, and she sidled back to the kitchen, leaving me alone with the mysterious man. He smiled again at me, and waved. “Hello love.” He said, and I gasped.

“Louis what the hell are you doing in my house?