His Princess

Chapter One

Chapter One

One Month Later

I shoved my books and laptop into my backpack with some unneeded force before zipping it up and hauling it out of my bedroom behind me like it was dead weight. It could’ve fooled me. I really didn't want to go back to school today.

I put on my thick jumper to cover myself from the windy day outside. Since Autumn had started, the weather had turned extremely colder dramatically to no one’s joy. I reached inside my drawers for a scarf, and suddenly remembered that I had given it away a month ago and never got to buy myself a new one.

I grumbled to myself for my ignorance even if it had been a month ago and told myself to buy one today at the nearest store possibly. Considering the weather, I’d surely need it.

Nobody could blame me for not getting one sooner though; my month had been completely tiresome and withdrawing from my own life and I barely had time to remember to button up my shirt. I'd barely had time for myself through the month; I had to take care of my dad.

None of us had expected something like this would ever happen to him because there had no signs beforehand and we'd already had so much bad luck with my mother abandoning us all, but the universe was a cruel place and we weren't the ones making the decisions here. I guess, I was holding onto a broken prayer.

I remember when my dad had first collapsed, it was out of nowhere. It had been at his bar, Arrow and I was upstairs typing away with my writing because after months of waiting, I got inspiration when suddenly I heard a crash from downstairs and some people shouting for an ambulance, well at least the ones that were still sober. I ran down and thought it was just another drunk guy who got into a fight until I saw that it was my dad on the floor.

He was rushed to hospital where the doctor had told me what he had inside him. When he finally woke up, I completely bombarded him with questions which he replied all too calmly for my liking. It had gotten me so frustrated, but he still stayed as calm as ever and eventually I stopped with my rampage and just sat there with him with tears that wouldn't stop falling.

Callie, my older sister had returned from going to university in Washington for a couple of days to help around and make sure everything was alright, but had to leave eventually as well - she couldn't just leave school completely in the middle of the term. I promised her that I'd take care of things here anyway, and I intended to keep that promise.

I made my way down the stairs quite loudly and then turned to go into the kitchen expecting to be alone.

My dad was sitting on the table like he used to with his cup of tea and his classic novel which he was reading and was also covering his face. He didn't usually wake up before I did anymore because he was usually tired and needed extra sleep, but I was glad when he was there. At least, I didn't go back to school today without seeing someone beforehand.

I grabbed an apple from the basket on the table and took a bite of it. "Dad, I'm going to leave soon. Your medicine is in the cabinet as always, I'll be back this afternoon; don't you dare miss your dosages," I informed him, trying to use a lighter tone.

He shook his head with a laugh and looked up at me through his glasses. "Goodness, how many times do I have to reassure you that it'll all be fine? Just go to university and actually enjoy it. I'd expect myself to be the adult around here," he joked, as he continued to drink his tea.

My dad didn't like tea at all and every time it touched his taste buds, he had contained a look of distaste. He couldn't have any coffee, so he had to make do with tea. I had either thrown out the coffee we had at home or given it to our neighbors when he was first diagnosed, so tea was the closest he'd get to caffeine.