Another Day in Paradise

Chapter 23

I KNOW PRESENT TO YOU, CHAPTER 23! I AM SOOOO EXCITED FOR YOU PEOPLES TO READ THIS NOOOW(: Enjoy!! *hint**hint* Best part is not till the very end. Bestest part? Last line ;D

Chapter 23

Dakoda

"Let's ditch today." Marc looked to me, a hopeful glint in his eye. I glanced in the direction I usually walked to school in. I didn't want to go. My dad had beaten me again on Saturday, because of what Marc had said to him. He had told me how I shouldn't associate with 'cocky bastards' like Marc. He told me that I could never see Marc again. He told me that I was a bigger whore than my mother. He told me I wasn't going to be successful enough to be anything else.

I think I was starting to believe him.

My dad had bruised, and possibly broken, some of my ribs. It hurt to breath too much, to sneeze, even to laugh. I hated my dad so much. I didn't feel like dealing with any one today, especially not the people at school. But if I ditched, would that really be a good idea? I'd be running away from my problems, even if it was only for a day, but still… Avoiding them wouldn't solve them. Then again, I wasn't really doing anything to solve them myself.

"Hey! Dakoda? You all right?" Marc waved his hand in front of my face to catch my attention. "We don't have too…" He frowned, speaking slowly as if I would zone out again. I shrugged, than winced when pain pricked my torso.

"No I... I want to." Not that he needed to know the reasons why. "I could use a day off." I forced a half-smile, wrapping my arms around my torso to try and help my pain go away. Marc's pleasure and concern spiked the air, but I pushed it away.  He grinned back at me, striding back across the street without bothering to look. I rolled my eyes. Moron. I was still waiting on the car that was going to hit him. My eyes darted left and right before I followed suit. I followed him to his house, while he strode in, dropping his back pack on the floor. I put my own pack next to his, not really knowing where else to put it.

"Mom, I'm home!" He called into the house. His mom poked her head out of the living room with a frown. I had met her once already and she seemed nice enough, but at the same time she seemed sad and defeated. She seemed more of the sit-back-and-watch type, rather than a leader or even a follower.

"Already? But why- oh. Hello Dakoda. Don't you have to be at school?" She asked, eyes narrowing at Marc. "You're not going to let his bad habits rub off on you, are you?" Marc shrugged and I ducked my head, feeling my face heat up. Great. We were busted already.

"We're ditching." Marc responded to his mom casually, opening up the fridge and sticking his head inside as he reached into the back. Did he do this often? Figures.

"Is that what the kids call it these days?" His mom's voice was flat, causing me to blush harder. What was wrong with parents these days? Always assuming the worst possible outcome.

"Mom!" He yelped, banging his head on the fridge in the process of whirling around. He was glaring daggers in her direction, but her face was innocent.

"It's not like that Mrs. Czarnecki." I muttered, staring at the ground and wishing desperately that I was tanner so they couldn't see my red face.

"Isn't it?" She spared Marc a look, than picked up a suitcase I had failed to notice earlier. Wait, what? What did she mean by that?! "I have a business trip I have to go on. Behave." She warned Marc, and he rolled his eyes. She was lying though. What was she really doing?

"Always do." He muttered in a way that made it seem like he was a goody-two shoes, turning back to the fridge and grabbing two cans of soda. His mother didn't seem too concerned, and she picked up her suitcase with ease, making her way in the direction on the door. Tossing a can of Sprite in my direction, I caught it, wincing at the painful movement as the muscles stretched in my abdomen. Marc noticed my action, causing a frown to appear on his face. His concern and suspicion wafted towards me. The door closed as his mother left the house.