Just in Need of a Friend

Chapter Three

Before the sun was even up, I was; having my shower, getting dressed, and packing my school bag as silently as possible. When I crept down the stairs into the kitchen, I saw a steaming coffee cup on the counter. I slowly walked over to it, slightly confused as to why it was there. My father’s bedroom door was shut, and that usually means he’s asleep, but there is no one else living in this house to have made.

My eyes watched the mug, for several moments while I wondered at how it came to be there. I had been such deep thought that I didn’t register a hand reach in front of me and snatch the cup away. When I did realize that I was no longer the only one in the kitchen, I became startled, and instantly looked at whose hand I had seen. It was my father.

“Wha-?” I blurted out.

“Yes, I am awake. Why? Because I have to go to work early. Bet you didn’t expect that,” my father spoke harshly.

“Oh, I… umm,” I couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Why are you up this early?” he narrowed his eyes.

I stared at him with a blank face. “Would he be mad that I was leaving extra early?” I wondered. He usually sees me leave when he normally gets up, but this was over an hour earlier.

He sipped his coffee and shrugged, “stubborn. As usually, no response. You always were too rude to give me a straight answer. I don’t care what you’re off to do, I’m just proving that you still don’t have any respect for me by not answering my questions.”

I clenched my jaw. “It’s not like he has any respect for me either.”

“I’ve got to go out of town for a couple days, so you’re on your own.”

I held back from rolling my eyes, but spoke under my breath, “that’s nothing new.”

My father had been taking a sip of his coffee when I had spoken, but he set it down as I finished speaking. “What did you say?” he growled at me.

“Nothing,” I muttered.

His eyes were glaring at me, so I turned and took out a nearly empty bottle of juice from the fridge. I heard him take a deep breath before he spoke. “I’ll take that answer for my next question as well then.”

“And what would your next question be?” I tried not to sound too impolite as I poured myself a glass of the juice, emptying the container.

There was a moment of silence as I threw the empty container of juice into the garbage.

“If you need money for anything,” he replied cruelly.

I turned sharply, and shouted, “Seriously?”

He stared at me and a big grin on his face grew. “Maybe it’ll teach you some manners.”