My Second Chance

Chapter One

I unlocked the front door and peered round it. I could hear Elliot's music blaring from the end of the corridor and his feet pounding on the floor. I sighed and pushed the door open. The people who lived underneath us would be complaining again later. I went into the first room on the left and entered the kitchen. I dumped my bag on the floor and opened the fridge. I found an uneaten sandwich behind the eggs and sat down on my favourite stool. It was finally the summer holidays! No college for another six weeks! I pulled my phone out of my pocket and sat there for a few minutes, checking my social media accounts. After a little while, when Elliot's music finally stop playing, I looked up and called through the apartment. "Dad?"

"Dad's not here," I heard Elliot's reply from his bedroom.

That's odd. He should have been home hours ago, I know he has set shifts for work and he never does any extra time. I wondered for a moment if he had gone out but if he had, he would have texted me or let me know somehow. I checked my phone again but there was nothing from him. I went out of the kitchen and checked in the other rooms briefly and after finding no trace of him, I knocked on Elliot's door and called into him if he had heard anything from Dad.

"No," he said bluntly.

"Can you check your phone?" I asked in an annoyed tone.

"No," Elliot answered.

"Why are you being so difficult?" I snapped suddenly

"Urgh, Amy, why do you always have to be so panicked when you find out when Dad isn't home before us?" he asked, herding me out and slamming his door behind me.

I stood outside his door for a few moments, thinking about his question. Why did I get so panicked? Why should I? He was a policeman so he would be out at any time. But I was still rather suspicious as to why he hadn't left so much as a message. I sighed and went into my room. What else was there to do?

Several hours must have gone by and I did nothing but read and listen to Elliot's awful music. I had been really getting into my book but I still kept my ear open for the front door.

At some point, I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, Elliot was pounding his fists at my door and calling my name. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I looked up at a little clock that perched on the wall opposite my bed. It was two-thirty! I jumped off of my bed and opened my door, only to crash into Elliot.

"Idiot," I snapped," What do you want, it's so late!"

"Someone's at the door," he whispered.

I snorted. I found it funny how he tried to act really rough and tough but when it came to opening the front door to a stranger, for some reason he was absolutely petrified.

"Amy, Dad isn't home yet," he said.

My sandwich summersaulted in my stomach as I walked down the corridor towards the door.
Dad should have been home a long time ago and he still hadn't sent me a message. I was beginning to get very scared myself and I swallowed as I opened the door. A big, burly policeman stood there, as well as my therapist, with a mixture of shock ad exhaustion on her face.

"What's going on?" I asked, fearing the worse.

"Amy, you and Elliot need to pack some clothes and come with us," she said, her voice shaking.

"Not until you tell us what's going on," I snapped.

She looked up at the big police officer and he nodded.

"May we come in?" she asked.

"Out with it!" I shouted, my temper getting the better of me.

She took an uneven breath and said," Your father was involved in an car accident earlier this evening. They rushed him to hospital, but he couldn't be saved. We've been trying to get ahold of you for hours, but we couldn't seem to reach you."