It's Time to Grow Up

My dad was my role model, and he was always the person I could go to when I needed something or just wanted to hang out. He would always help me with whatever I needed, of course though, I was his little princess. He would always get up for work at four in the morning after having a hard night of sleep weather he was sick or not. Even when he was tired because his asthma made it hard to breath while he slept. He had lots of friends and was known by his boss and coworkers as a hardworking man, and even though he was big and scary looking, I knew that he was like a lovable teddy bear. Soon he was going out of state for his job, so he could make more money, and he would come back for the weekends. The last time he went to Utah, nothing was the same when he left, things were unlively and boring. Nobody really hung out much, we all just did our own things. December 6th, 2013, it was a cold icy day; snow began to fall gentle down to the ground, and 5th period was dragging on and on. I hoped and begged to myself that it would be over soon, that my mom would need me home for something and I'd get called to go home, then suddenly as the intercom crackled, I knew it was for me. "Logan Glatfelter please come to the front office with all your things, your brother is here to pick you up." Dread filled me as I gathered my things, trying to play cool as all the other kids told me I was "lucky". No. I'm not lucky, because everything changed dramatically after that fateful day, and nothing would be the same, nothing. I am not lucky.
As I got in the truck with my two eldest brothers, I was still kind of giddy and excited to be out of school early. I was so talkative and bubbly when my brother David looked at me and said in a surn voice. "This is no time to be having fun." I looked at him confused "why?" I asked concerned, he ignored me. After we picked up my brother Lukas from his school, me and him joked around, and were being silly. Again my brother turned around and said in a surn voice "This is no time to be having fun." Me and Lukas looked at each other confused. A minute later David said in a serious tone "Dads been in a car accident, he's heading up to the hospital now." Everybody got quiet. Jeremiah who was driving, looked back for a second, he looked like somebody that had never laughed in his life, he always was laughing and making jokes. The dread was growing, my head was blank. I was dreading every second. David's phone rang and he answered quietly and with one look at Jeremiah he seemed to be silently sharing what he just found out. Me and Lukas couldn't tell what was going on, but my dread kept on growing.
When we finally walked into my house filled with screaming sobs of sorrow making their way down the hallway to fill my confused ears. I knew at that point, but yet I didn't know. As my mother's hoarse voice stuck me with the blow I felt nothing for a moment, heard and saw absolutely nothing. Why am I not crying yet? Tears were flowing out of everyone's eyes, yet I had to force it out. Days merged and time was none existent. Nothing mattered. Then suddenly it wasn't real, suddenly we had to see it. They didn't know that it wasn't him. They don't know his face. Then it was time; time to meet everyone and put the roses in the deserving hands of the person that I thought as invincible. I thought nothing would happen, but I was wrong.
People from both sides came to see if he was truly there. Everything was fine at first, we shared good memories of good times, trying to ignore the sad eyes of the only person laying in the room. We even began to smile a little, even if we felt guilty, even though we knew things were not alright. Then they came in with the smell of alcohol on their breath and perfume to cover it up. The drunks were crying; they hugged everyone except a few. The few were the enemies, and they attacked the enemy. Soon we were kicked out and nobody talked to the other side for a long time.
I wished and hoped it was all a dream, but in the end all I knew it was real. My dad was gone, and he'd be never coming back. There would be no more new memories anymore, and I would never get to hug him anymore, even though that's what I desperately needed and wanted. The man who I thought was invincible and never would leave me was gone forever. I never thought that I would have to charash all my friends, family, and all the good times; until they started to slip away from me. I never knew that I would have to be so strong, because I had to be the shoulder to cry on as I broke down inside. I had to be the strength holding the last bits of my heart and family together. I thought that my childhood would be always happy and would last a long time, but little did I know that it would have to stop and I'd have to grow up.
Now I know that I need to be strong like my father when things get tough. Now I know I need to cherish everything like it won't be there tomorrow, because for all I know it won't.