Road Trip

Friday, September 7th, 2001 9:03pm

"Poppy," she heard her father's slurred voice calling her from the hall. Quickly, she turned off all her lights and crawled under the covers, pretending to be asleep.

"Poppy," she heard a second time, this time louder and more impatient. She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped and prayed that whatever he was calling her for wasn't so important he'd have to come inside her room and wake her up.

"Poppy!" he barked. "For goodness sake!" she heard him finally give in and stomp over to her bedroom. Her father didn't even bother knocking when he threw the door open and marched over to her supposedly sleeping body.

Poppy could smell the heavy stench of liquor on his breath before he even opened his mouth to say anything.

Instead of words however, her father smacked her head to wake her. She shot up, rubbing her head where he hit her. It was hard enough that she'd have a sore spot for the next few days.

She looked over at him without a word, her eyes seething with hatred, but he was too drunk and it was too dark for him to notice.

"Poppy! I've called you three times now!" he slurred, raising his voice at her and slapped her face again for good measure. It stung like a million baby needles being pressed into her skin at once, but it barely fazed her at this point.

"I need you to drive me to the bar," he said and started leaving the room, stumbling over her school bag that was left in the corner of her too small room. He glared at it and it looked like he was going to blow a fuse, but instead he just stumbled out the door. Poppy released a breath she didn't know she was holding in.

"Get dressed. And fast," he called from the hall.

Her eyes wide with surprise, Poppy hopped out of bed and quickly threw on a pair of jeans she had hanging on the back of her chair. I'm just twelve... She thought to herself. I don't know how to drive...

"NOW, Poppy!" she heard her father's voice yell violently from the front door.

"Coming!" she called timidly and headed down to find her father dangling the car keys out at her. Poppy stood there for a moment in disbelief, then took the keys, heading out the front door. Despite the circumstances, she couldn't help but grin slightly to herself. She was going to drive. She was a little scared, but this was going to be her way out.