Bittersweet

v.

Val and Todd didn't have much to talk about at first, but after a while it seemed as if neither of them could stop talking. They laughed and joked and Todd was more than pleased to finally see Val do something other than frown at him like she usually would, especially when it was him causing it.

The sky began to grow darker and stormier as the night rolled on, and soon it was eight in the evening.

"It's getting late," Val hummed as she watched the clock tick on to 08:01. "My mum will be wondering where I am, and dad doesn't like it when I'm late..." Val trailed off, refusing to carry on speaking of her dad.

Todd gave her a look; a sort of look that she couldn't make out but knew it wasn't a good look. She knew it, the change in her tone of voice when her dad was brought in to conversation was vivid.

"You never told me about them," Todd said as he took a sip of his water. "Your parents, I mean."

"Well do you want me to?" Val chuckled.

"Yes, I do."

The girl cleared her throat before sitting up right. "Well, my mum is a very beautiful woman. She's seriously ginger and she's got these huge green eyes. She uh, she's quiet, shy, withdrawn and doesn't say much, but her mind... it's huge."

"And your dad?" Todd continued as he leaned forward to get a better listen.

"My dad," Val sighed, shaking her head. "He's a completely different story. He, uh... well, I don't really know what to say about my dad."

"Anything," Todd pushed, his interest growing along with Val's nerves.

"My dad is an ignorant man. He's always gotta be right, and things always need to go his way. He's... he's not the nicest, or the smartest. To be honest I've no clue how he ended up with a woman like my mum."

"You don't sound too fond of him." Todd's suspicion around Val's father only grew with every word she said.

"I'm not."

"And why's that?"

"I just told you."

"No." Todd stood from his seat, walking behind the chair just to lean his hands on it and stare at Val again. "You told me what he was like, you never said why you didn't like him."

"Well what do you expect me to say?" Val scoffed.

"Why you don't like him," Todd replied with a smile that only pushed Val's nerves more.

"He's a cunt."

"To you?"

"To everyone!" Val shouted. "Fucking hell, why do you always pull shit like this? It was the same back in the cafe that first day, you just always have something to say, don't ya?"

"I just don't like the fact that he's hitting you."

"Who ever said he fucking hit me?" Val was fuming now. Her cheeks grew red and her breathing sped up along with her heart beat. Todd did everything he could to stay calm.

"I know he hit you. He gave you that bruise."

Val scoffed, rolling her eyes. "He did not hit me. I fell, my face hit the counter top."

"Val, I'm a teacher, I know a thing or two. Your face would have had to been smashed against that counter top for a bruise like that to form."

It was final; Todd had left Val speechless. She turned away from him and stared out the back window in to the darkness of Todd's back garden, the only visible light being the moon in the night sky.