Punk Princess (completed) (being edited)

Chapter 10

"You got grounded for even longer?" Lacey asks, swallowing a bite of pizza and wrapping a blanket around her. I don't blame her -- it's freezing out here. 

"Yeah," I say. "For a month. My dad kind of came home a little while after I did today, and... that's how that went. After he grounded me, he yelled at me until he almost lost his voice." 

"Sorry," she says. "At least your dad cares enough to yell at you, you know." 

"No, he just likes yelling, actually," I say, rolling my eyes and taking another bite of pizza. 

"No, you're from a stupid, preppy, rich kid family. Your dad cares, trust me. He might want to disown you now that you're being yourself, but he loves you. My dad doesn't give a crap." 

"How?" I ask, knowing it's too much, but that it's late and that we'll both probably say things between deep and stupid until we go to bed. "Like, how doesn't he care?" 

"He's just... mean. He kicked me out when I was fourteen. I've been living with West for most of that time, but then I met Alec and I've been living with him and his dad for quite a while." 

"Fourteen? Holy crap," I say, taking the last bite of one piece of pizza. I pick up another, asking, "Why did he kick you out?" 

"I... he used to... do stuff to me. Usually, he would just hit me with a belt or something, but... yeah. It never actually got to... you know, taking my virginity or anything, but... yeah. I threatened to call the cops on him one day while my mom was home, and he kicked me out and they got a divorce. I've heard from my mom a few times, but somehow, he was supposed to have custody of me because she can't really work, and... yeah. But it's not a big deal, alright? I haven't even seen him besides that one time I had a fight with Alec in about two years, and I've heard he's gone to rehab at some point, but I still don't trust him." 

I don't say anything. Honestly, I'm completely speechless. That's terrible. I can't believe a parent would do that to their child. A loving parent wouldn't.

"You're right," I say. "My dad does care. I mean... he just doesn't accept people, you know? Like, my sister. She had a boyfriend who had an earring, and my dad acted so crazy that he broke up with her. He's kind of terrible. I think he has good intentions, but he goes overboard. My mother doesn't necessarily support him all the time, but she doesn't go against him either. I think she's afraid of him." 

"It's alright, Cait," Lacey says. "We're all screwed up and screwed over, and there's not much that can change it at all. We're stuck with the lives we've got, and that's just how it's going to go." 

"Yeah, I know," I say. "I can't wait until college." 

"Me either. Actually, I don't know if I'm going, but I want to become a psychologist for kids if I do." 

"I thought you hated little kids." 

"When they're brats. I want to specialize in divorce and abuse situations. I want to help kids like that, you know?" 

"Yeah, I get it," I say. "I do too, but I kind of suck at empathy with other people. I always have. I'll probably end up being a lawyer or medical coder or something -- something high class, more because my parents will disown me if I don't. I don't know yet, really. I mean, music's cool, but my parents would laugh and tell me it's a stupid phase." 

"That sucks," Lacey says. "I mean, my mom and my brother are pretty open to whatever, career-wise. As long as I love it and can make a living off of it."

"I wish I had them as a mom and a brother, then," I say, laying down on the roof. "I mean, seriously. My whole life... I hate to make the Pretty Little Liars reference, but I feel like Spencer, you know? Minus the dead friend and over-competitive nature, anyway. But yeah. I've always been the not as smart and not as good little sister, and it sucks."