Off Planet (Asterism Chronicles Volume One)

"Dad"

"Reaseline?" My father spoke again. "What are you doing here?"

"I think you know, Dad." I said coldly.

"This is your dad?" Jack asked looking at the scruffy man sitting before us.

"Who's this?" My father asked meanly. "Kyle said he didn't see you for weeks. We're you with him? This outcast!"

"Your one to talk. Kyle told me about you. About your drugs."

"What? Kyle said he hadn't seen you, and he's in jail now. When did you see him? Did he lie to me?"

"Kyle helped us." Jack said as my dad darted up.

"You be quiet. It's all your fault! Look what you did to her, she's so dirty, and skinny. Have you been eating?"

"Dont yell at him. You left me again. Its not his fault, its yours."

"Mine?" He laughed walking towards us. "Did I tell you to go run around with this trash? Did I tell you to run away from home? No, it was all because of his influence."

"Trash?" I said standing up, walking towards the door. Jack did the same. "He's not trash, Dad, you are."

As I went to open the door I heard my dad, anger in his voice, yell. He has never yelled before, his true self was showing through. "How dare you! You turned my own daughter against me!"

I turned around as he charged forward, right before he got to Jack I jumped in between them. My dad looked at me with fury in his eyes. He grabbed my arm forcefully and threw me to the ground, starting towards Jack again. I hit the ground and felt my stitches tear. I yelped as I grabbed my side laying there. My dad heard me and turned around, leaving Jack standing there with fear on his face.

"What's wrong?" He asked as I slowly sat up.

"She's hurt." Jack cut in, trying to emphasize the fact.

"Stay out of this!" He looked to my side as I slowly lifted my shirt. The gauze was slowly turning red again as the stitches tore. "What happened?"

"Cops were at the house, probably looking for you, and they shot me."

"I'm so sorry." His voice calmed to the one I grew up with.

Jack stood there looking at us as I sat there. My dad slowly stood up and turned to him. His eyes had fire in them again. "This would never had happend, if it hadn't been for you!" He punched Jack in the face, throwing him to the ground with the force. While jack was on the ground my dad started kicking him. Jack didn't fight back, he took it. The anger in my dad's face and the pain in Jack's brought me to tears.

"Please stop!" I yelled standing up. "Please dont!"

"He brainwashed you!" He said between kicks. "You said you loved the drug smuggler in those star movies! That's what I am!"

I lunged at him and pulled his arm back. He spun around and looked at me pure fury in his gaze. He grabbed my face forcefully and looked into my sad, red eyes. This is not the man who raised me. "Go home. I have business to take care of." He released me.

"I can't, they're looking for me." I said with tears running down my face.

"Why?! Is it because of this scum?" He pointed to Jack's beaten, unconscious body.

"No, I went after you. I stole a bike to find you and got caught, I was gone for weeks because I was in prison, because of you. Jack got me out of the jail, he took care of me, never left me. When I was hurt he spent his own money to get me fixed. I almost died twice while you were gone. The doctor said i did die! How long have you been here? Have you been home yet?"

He shook his head, his anger still there but trying to hold back.

"Of course not. If you had, you'd of known I was leaving. I left a note for you, but you didn't even go to check on me." My words stung him, he knew the truth was he cared more about the drugs than me.

He looked at me and turned away. He left the room still speaking to me. "Everything I did was for you." The door closed as I ran to Jack.

Half his face was bruised, and he was breathing weirdly. I placed him on his back and lifted his shirt. The skin above his ribs were turning purple, what do I do? As I thought that he slowly opened his eyes. He looked up to my tears and placed his hand on my cheek.

"I'm sorry" his voice was weak, full of pain.

"It's not your fault. I'm sorry he did that. That is not the man I know."

"Looks like we're even." He joked through the pain as he slowly sat up. I helped him lean against the door as his breathing came out in gasps. When his breathing slowly returned to the strange winded sound he tried to stand.

"Hold on." I told him as I helped him as he had when I was hurt. I placed my arm around his waist with his arm around my shoulders and supported him as we slowly made our way to the exit.