Everlasting Blue (Currently undergoing editorial changes/adding)

Chapter 7: Mac & Cheese

I push through the door and listen, the T.V. is blaring but sure enough the snores are audible. 

I close the door quietly, avoiding the second, fourth, and seventh step as I climb up. 

I peak into the living room and there he is, still in his sitting position, mouth gapping open, an open beer sitting on the coffee table, an old football game blaring. 

I sneak into the kitchen and pull out two boxes of mac + cheese, a.k.a. dinner. I make it as quickly as possible sneaking down the hall way with all my things and my bowl leaving the rest on the stove for dad, the scent will get to him eventually and snap him out of his passed out state of mind. 

I close my door, now if only it had a lock, but no such luck. I sit on my bed dropping my bag on the floor. 

I stare out the window as I shovel the mac + cheese into my mouth, I hadn’t realized how hungry I really was, or that I was going to want seconds. 

I set the bowl down on my desk, my stomach growls wanting more but it’s not worth it. I reach down and go into my bag fishing out my homework for the night and I hear it: a loud crashed followed by swearing and then, 

“Lyla!” My dad still so obviously drunk,

“Get your lazy, good for nothing ass out here and pick up this shit!” I sigh and push myself up off my bed. I stick my head out of the door and sure enough he’s standing at the end of the hallway waiting for me. 

“What?” I walk down the hallway towards him. He grabs my upper arm and throws me into the kitchen. 

“Don’t you talk to me like that girl, now clean that shit up.” He burps and walks into the living room to finish watching the old football game. 

The idiot had knocked over the pan of Mac + Cheese and the trash can. I go to the small closet and get the broom out. I clean it all up, so much for my seconds. 

“You need anything else?” I ask the resentment clear in my voice, but he’s to drunk and stupid to notice. 

“Yeah, get me another beer.” I get him another one, it’s better to obey then to get the disobedience back ten fold. 

“And take that garbage out, it stinks.” He chugs half the beer down.

“I have homework to do and it’s almost 10.” He gives me a look and stands up.

“What?” He walks towards me. 

“I have homework, and it’s, it’s almost 10, I need to finish it for tomorrow.” I say again quieter. 

“Take the damn garbage out.” Before the ‘but’ can even leave my mouth a sharp backhand comes to my cheek and knocks me to the floor. 

“Take it out.” He says again and I get up quickly, grabbing the garbage and shoes and darting out the door as he sits back down on the couch. 

“Stupid,” I say to myself as I walk to the back of the building where the large dumpster was. 

“Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! should’ve just listened.” I chuck the large bad into the dumpster, I stand there for a second fuming. Before I can help myself I kick the dumpster and once I start I find it hard to stop. I kick the dumpster over and over and over and over again words that shouldn’t be repeated slipping out with every hard kick. 

“Ugh!” I yell finally ceasing my kicks, my breathing heavy. 

“Well, whatever that dumpster did I hope it deserved it, remind me never to get on your bad side.” I hear someone say with a laugh, I turn around and see a guy step out from the shadows holding a garbage bag of his own. 

“Uh, yeah I just had a bad day,” He nods tossing his bag in.

He was tall and well built, kind of tanned with hazel/green eyes, and medium strawberry blonde hair.

I can see his eyes assessing me, and I know I’m doing the same, but not for the same reasons. 

“Name’s Mason.” He sticks his hand out to me, I hesitate but take it in the end. 

“I’m Lyla.” He nods with a smile.

“You live round here?” he asks still staring at me, I realized that my sweat shirt was unzipped and falling off of me, I zip it back up but his eyes still linger. 

“Yeah, the apartments right there.” I jerk my head to the side and he nods, an odd look appearing on his face, but I don’t really care I want to get out of here as soon as I can. 

“I gotta go, bye.” I turn and walk away fast. 

“Bye,” I hear him say quietly and I’m back inside the apartment. 

I stop at the bottom of the stairs and listen intently, I hear no snores this time but I have no choice but to go up because if I didn’t he’d notice eventually. 

“Get me another drink, I want a whiskey.” He slurs from the couch seeing me. I go to the kitchen and pour him a drink just how I know he likes it. 

I hand it to him and head to my room, crossing my fingers that tonight he’ll stay on the couch, and for once it comes true, and he doesn’t appear at my door that night, not once.