One Love

Chapter 12

Peter drove faster than I wanted him too, but he didn’t care and I wasn’t about to speak up.

            “Let’s go explore,” Peter said, a smirk on his face. Is he crazy?

            “Peter, no, let’s go home.” He laughed, but something about him was different. I wanted Ronnie, she would know what to do.

            “Oh come on, it’ll be fun,” he smirked and I started to cry as it began to rain. This wasn’t happening. I just wanted to go home.

            “PETER! Take me home!” I screamed while he stopped at a red light. He looked over at me, completely serious now. He leaned over and wiped my tears. I whimpered and he ran his thumb over my bottom lip while it quivered. “Please take me home,” I whispered. A car honked behind us and he let me go, heading towards our houses. He stopped in front of mine and I knew he wasn’t going to stay or go home. He was leaving, I was nothing to him. I knew this was bound to happen, he may be sweet, but only when he was bored. I moved to get out but he pulled me back, resting his hands on both sides of my face.

            “I’m sorry,” he said, eyeing my mouth. I could feel his breath and I wanted to kiss him so bad. “Kiss me Hayden.” My eyes snapped to his. He rested his forehead against mine while I thought about kissing him. I shouldn’t. I can’t.

            “Not today Peter,” I said, pulling away. “I need to go, I’m sorry,” I apologized, getting out and running up the lawn. I slammed the door and started to cry against it.

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I sat in my room while it poured outside. The front door slamming shut took me out of my quietness. I opened my door carefully and padded down the hall. My parents stood in the kitchen, wet from outside. My mother looked out of place. Her clothes were wrinkly and her hair was a mess while my dad was in his police uniform.

        “Are you going to tell the kids?” He asked quietly, I barely heard him. She looked at him and eyed him down.

        “You make it sound like it’s my fault!” She said, louder than she meant.

        “It is your fault Karen! I didn’t go out all night,  you’re doing this to us.” My dad snapped. What was he talking about? I thought they were at a hotel together?

        “Don’t even John, you know that if you hadn’t gone and-” I shifted my feet, causing the floor to creak and my parents eyes to snap up to me. “Hayden, we told your brother you were to go to school,” she said, not nicely and too formal. My mother was the kindest person I know, clearly I don’t know her very well. I walked down the stairs and met them in the kitchen.

        “Yeah, well there’s tornado warnings out and they cancelled school for the day. To be with your family in case anything happened.” I said, making sure I emphasized the word family. My mother laughed.

        “Oh please, it was just a warning, you’re fine. Go to school please, you’ve only missed two classes.” She glanced at her watch.

        “Where were you guys?” I asked, ignoring what she said.

        “At a friends,” my mom said, at the same time my dad said “at a hotel.” At least one of them was telling me the truth.

        “Is something going on?” I asked them. My dad gave me a look of sympathy and I could tell he wanted to tell me what was happening to our perfect family. Our perfectly imperfect family. My mom gave me a look of disgust.