Beautifully Broken (in editing)

Chapter 4

When I finally decided to go home, it was pretty late. Around an hour before midnight or so. I was hoping the later I was, the less time Julie would spend waiting up on me. Bad decision. Wrong thing to do my friends.

I was already exhausted. All I'd done today was drive. Get some food, maybe some coffee, and then go drive to somewhere else. It was calming and it actually helped me get my thoughts together after my little mental breakdown, but I was a bit cranky and more than ready to go to bed.

I stumbled up the steps. The door was unlocked and faint lamp light glowed in the windows. Oh, Julie was awake alright, and she was waiting for me.

I didn't even bother trying to enter the house quietly. There was no point. I knew I was bound to get an ear full for breaking my cerfew and I was not in the mood for it either. I had no remorse at the moment.

"Delilah Raye Lane, don't you dare try and sneak past me." I heard the stern voice before I saw her and dropped my heavy bookbag in the doorway.

"Yeah, I wasn't trying to." I chuckled a little as she hurried into the room furiously, a ball of blonde hair and angry blue eyes, a few shades darker than my own. It was funny seeing her so frazzled while she was usually all calm, cool, and collected.

But right now, there was nothing calm, nor cool, and certaintly not collected about this Julie. She was royally pissed.

"Do you know what time it is? This is ridiculous! I got a call from the school today too. Why don't you tell me about that while you're actually here, huh?" She spat, giving me a hard stare. I shrugged, unconcerned.

It's hard to be afraid of someone so.....harmless, after what I'd been through.

"I have no idea what you are referring to." I replied, walking past her and into the kitchen. She followed me, stomping loudly on the hard wood floors. I snatched up a muffin out of the bowl from the morning and leaned against a counter, nibbling at it.

"You know exactly what I'm referring to! Why the hell didn't you go to school today? You think you can just skip? Do you want to have anything in life? Or would you rather be working at the bookstore until you're 40?!" She screeched.

She was starting to tick a nerve and I was feeling a little annoyed. I took a deep bite out of the muffin. Since when did she care? She'd seen the scars, heard my screams when I woke up, tormented by nightmares, and not once had she ever asked if I was okay. And sometimes I'm not okay.

"Whatever." I mumbled around a mouthful of muffin, starting to walk away again before she could say anymore. She let out a frustrated screech of impatience and pushed ahead of me, turning to face me and blocking my way.

I'd never seen Julie this mad before. Her face was the color of a strawberry and she was breathing heavily, her eyes narrowed on me, glaring. She looked completely terrifying for a split second and I paused, hesitating.

"You know how much I expect of you, Delilah! I just can't believe you would do this. For the years I have known you, I've never had trouble with you! What is happening? You know how important school is. I've seen your grades dropping. You, of all people, should know what happens when you have nothing to rely on but a shitty husband for financial support!" Her yells echoed down the empty hall and I stood, processing what I'd just heard.

And boom goes the dynamite. My muffin splattered against the wall inches from her head and her eyes widened. I'd finally snapped. Her eyes widened and the anger quickly melted off of her face.

"Don't. Don't you ever say another word about my Mother again, or I will break your jaw. You know nothing about me. You know nothing about what I've been through! I'm not another one of the foster home's 'troubled children' so get that out of your fucking head. I am not some pitiful little girl that needs to be sympathized with, and I sure as hell have more potential than you think. Don't you sit here and judge me. Watch someone die in your arms, then you can judge me and be all high and mighty."