Second Chance

The next few weeks went by slower than ever before. Ella hadn't shown up, or answered my messages and I was beginning to worry. My classes and lunch especially wasn't the same without her. People started rumors that she had been kidnapped, homeschooled, or she was skipping to get high with the druggies everyday. None of those could've happened, she would've told me, right?

"Hey dad, I'm getting really worried about Ella, have you talked to her dad lately?"

"......um no sweetie, I don't suppose so, I'm sorry..."

"That's alright. I think I'm going to go over to her house and ask what's wrong with h-"

"NO," dad interrupted, "um I mean why don't you stay here and we'll have some alone time, me and you. We haven't done that in a while, have we?"

After mom had left, dad tried to make sure that I was the happiest six year old alive for about a year and a half after she left. We'd watch disney movies all day in our pjs, do makeovers, and he'd even play dress up with me. One time I had a dance recital and it was a mother/daughter show, but I was the only girl there without a mom so my dad came and danced with me. The thing is, I didn't feel left out at all, I didn't feel like I was missing anything, because my dad was the king of the world, and I was his princess.

"That sounds fun." I giggled at him.

We ordered Chinese delivery and ended up sitting on the couch in our sweats watching the movie Lion King.

He threw some noodles at me with his chopsticks. "Hey!" I yelled at him. he gave me a cheesy grin as I threw my fortune cookie at him just missing his head as it hit the pillow. "Simba! How dare you! I am your father!"

"That's Star Wars dad." I laughed hysterically.

"Same thing." He replied. I just shook my head and laughed.

Even though dad made me feel like the happiest girl around when I was younger, I knew that he wasn't the happiest man in the world after mom had left him.

"Kaitlyn, go to your room now." Justin spoke quietly almost to a whisper but it was still firm and protective.

"Justin! I wanna see dad!" I spoke with my childish voice of only 9. I crossed my arms and stood in front of Justin with a glare to show that I wasn't moving an inch. But Justin being as stubborn as I was, won the fight of course. I mean, he was two years older.

"Kaitlyn, I mean it." He gave me the daring glare right back and spoke a little louder this time.

I huffed and climbed up the stairs to my overly pink room that I've almost outgrown. I heard loud talking and so I got curious. I walked down the stairs and there dad was with a woman that I've never seen before. He seemed different. He was holding a bottle of Budweiser, and seemed loopy. Justin was yelling at him telling him all this stuff that I didn't approve of. My dad is the best man alive and Justin was being a bully. "Dad, don't you understand? You can't do this to Kaitlyn and I!!" Justin looked more angry than I've ever seen him before, even more than that time that I cracked the screen on his Nintendo. Dad didn't seem to listen he just shrugged off Justin and he an the lady went to his bedroom. I was confused.

"LISTEN TO ME!" Justin screamed right before dad slammed the door in his face. Justin's eyes filled with tears, I had never seen him cry before. He was so brave... He protected me from everything. I bragged about him to my friends everyday at school (not that I would ever tell him that). How can someone that brave cry? I guess everybody cries every once in a while. Justin wiped away his tears with his sleeve and walked up the stairs.

"Kaitlyn? You heard that?" Justin spoke as his voice cracked from the crying. I nodded. A look of anger came over his face.

"I thought I told you to stay in your room?" He replied. I shrugged my shoulders too afraid to cross him after what had just happened. He sighed and started to walk away before I pulled him into a huge hug. "I love you bubba." I whispered looking up at him calling him the nickname that he hated so much. He looked down at me with shock, and more tears filled his eyes. "I love you too Kaitlyn." he said right before slamming his door. I could hear him sob through the door frame. I felt the urge to cry too, I don't know why. Justin just told me he loved me, shouldn't I be happy? No I have to be brave. Be strong, for Justin. But I couldn't help it, I guess everybody cried every once in a while.

After having a evening to remember with my dad, along with the rest of the Lion Kings (yes, 1 1/2, 2, and 3) I took a shower and thought back to when I was a little girl. Remembering that night when my "perfect" father was drunk and on who knows what, and my brother who was the bravest person in the world crying to my face. I thought about Ella who always pretended to be just fine and tried to find the best out of every situation, I thought of Annalise who didn't share anything that bothered her with anyone, I thought about Jake who had a different personality for everybody he was with, and I thought of Peyton who gets so jealous so easily, and maybe she's just looking for someone.

Soon I fell to sleep and had no dream at all, I was just waiting for a wake up call I guess. But, Isn't everyone?