The Bet

Rachel Foster

Monday Morning

"Ugh" I groan as I rolled over to turn off the alarm clock on my phone, as a Kehlani song blared through the speakers.

6:30 my phone read. Mhm should I get up now or just sleep for ten more minutes, I thought to myself.

I didn't get a chance to ponder the thought as my phone buzzed indicating I had a text.

C'mon Rachel get up before you're late again. Mr Jefferson let you off easy last time already. So get up big head.

I love to hate my best friend, Vanessa, because she knows me so well, that it's scary at times.

Kk, I quickly text her, before ripping the nice warm comforter off my body.

It took me at least ten minutes to move a muscle. Once I was up I quickly hopped in the shower. Stayed in there for 20 minutes then brushed my teeth.

I ran to my walk-in closet looking for an outfit. Once I was ready, I went downstairs to go make breakfast for myself and my father.

However, on my way to the kitchen, I saw my dad was passed out with beer bottles around him and papers everywhere. I huffed in annoyance because I might be late, but this time because of my Dad.

I went to the kitchen first, popping a piece of bread in the toaster, while I started brewing some fresh coffee. When my toast was done, I put some strawberry jam on it, eating it, before going back to the living room, picking up all the beer bottles.

Once the beer bottles were cleaned up, I stacked his work papers in a nice and organize pile. Wasn't the first time I had to do this. In the midst of me organizing his papers, he started to wake up.

"Seriously Dad, again?" I say looking at him, as I finished the last paper stack.

When I turned to look at him fully, I saw he had another beer bottle in his hand.

How did I miss that? I thought to myself.

It didn't matter, because I snatched the beer bottle from him.

"Oh, come on," he says standing up from his chair. "It's only a little left, just give it back," he tells me reaching for it, but I moved it away from him just in time.

"No!" I tell him sternly moving it higher since he's shorter than me, because of my high heel boots. "It's too early for you to be doing this and it's bad for you"

"Rachel" he whined. "Just let me have it, if you let me have it now, then I won't be a pain in the ass today" he bargained.

"Dad, you're a pain in the ass every day. Beer or not" I chuckled. "But nice try"

"I hate you," he said flopping down back into the chair, putting his legs on the coffee table, crossing his arms.

"I love you too" I blew him a kiss. He caught it only to throw it on the floor to stomp on it. I gave him an offended look.

"I mean it, I hate you" he stubbornly stated again not looking at me. "You're not my daughter, you're nothing," he says to me.

"Wow, really dad?"

He only nodded his head. At times like this, my Dad acts like the biggest kid in the world, but I've grown used to it. However, at times it does bother me when he says things like that to me. I mean, after all, I am his flesh and blood. He's the only parent I have left and this is how he treats me.

"Well, I'm sorry for wanting to look after my dad," I say walking over towards him, kneeling. "Look I know things have been a little rough since mom died 2 months ago, but Dad, you can't let your feelings get the best of you, and we can't dwell in the past like that"