Chapter One-"The Fight"
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"Shut up!" I heard her voice yell, echoing through the house.
"Amy, you've got to understand," he said, his voice calm with a slight waver.
I couldn't stand them fighting. My hands found themselves at my ears, trying to block out the screaming. I curled up in the corner of my bedroom, sweat raining down my skin. I began to hum the melody my mother would always sing to me at night when I was young, and I was oddly comforted.
"No, why don't you understand? You're such a lying idiot!"
Her words stuck in my head, making me dizzy. The world was spinning out of control and every part of my body was throbbing in pain. Their yelling vibrated throughout our house, the wails from my mother loud enough to damage my ears.
"I swear I didn't, I would never hurt you," my father said, his slow footsteps moving towards my mother.
"Back away from me," she hissed, each word slow and through clenched teeth.
"Amy! Just listen!" he roared.
But I couldn't stand their fights anymore. I didn't bother waiting for another insult from my mother. Instead I barged in there, my lips beginning to form a dangerous sentence before I could think.
"She doesn't love you, don't you get that?"
He paused, and locked his blue eyes with me. "What?"
"You heard me, she doesn't love you. Why do you keep bothering her? Why do you think she's acting like this? Why, for goodness sake, are you hurting and cheating on her to hurt her even more?" I whimper.
My knees give way and I sink to the ground, my heart thumping so quick it just might explode. I close my eyes and try to imagine a beautiful place where fighting didn't exist, where only peace and happiness rested upon us all.
"I didn't cheat," he said, spitting the word out as if it was venomous. His jaw was tight and I knew he was lying.
"Yes, you did. We saw it with our own eyes," I say softly, my mind wandering back to the imaginary place.
"Stop!" he commanded, turning away from my mother and I.
My mother was slumped against the wall, sobs racking her body. Her face was buried in her tear-wet hands, her hair falling onto her shoulders in a series of knots. I badly wanted to crawl next to her and offer my comfort, but I stood my ground.
"I never meant to hurt her," my father finally said quietly.
"But you did," I spat back.
He was silent, my mother's sobs the only noise filling the room. I broke it by saying, "Just leave us. Please."
His eyes peeked up at mine, his expression depressed and confused. "What?"
"Leave us. Maybe we can move away from you for a bit. Daddy, we just need a little bit of space," I pleaded.
"I-I can't leave you," he managed.
Pity shot through my body, a tornado gone wild. But I shook it off and gave a small, "Please."
"Please, Estelle, don't do this. We can definitely talk this out with your mother and no one is going to have to leave," his voice barely above a whisper.
"I agree with your daughter," my mother's voice piped up.
My father sighs sadly for a moment, as if the whole world had collapsed on his shoulders. A lonely tear strolled down his cheek, a second one quickly following.
"Daddy, please," I tried again.
But he didn't answer after that. He headed someplace, and there were loud crashing noises escaping from the room he was in. I ignored them and threw my head against the wall, asking God why my family had to fall apart, why was everything so miserable?
My head sank in between my knees, my muffled sobs turning into hiccups. I felt my mother's small body snuggle in next to me, her arm automatically going around my shoulders.
"Mommy, when is everything gonna be okay?" I whisper, my knees shaking.
"Shh. Soon, Estelle, soon."
We hang on to each other, our crying filling the silence. After a few minutes, my father came out, two suitcases beside him.
"I'm leaving, I can't take you both anymore, I can't!" was all he said.
Then he yanked the bags, and crossed over to the door, and disappeared. No goodbye, no I love you directed at me.
My mother shakily rose up from the floor, turning to me slowly. Her eyes were red enough to make me think they were about to explode.
"He's gone," she offered a tiny smile, which I saw was more like a smirk.
I nod, then clutch onto her hand she offered to me. She pulls me up, and wipes away the last of her tears. "The old brute is finally gone!"
I nod again, no words able to escape. My father, once a kind gentleman, gone.
"Well, we better get to cleaning out the remains of his room," she says, clapping her hands together.
"No, thanks. I think I'm just going to go out. To Starbucks, I guess," I say uneasily.
She nods. "Go do whatever you want to do, sweetheart!"
I stumble off to the washroom first, wanting to clean up. I slam the door once I'm inside, and sink to ground slowly. I wipe the beads of sweat off my forehead and cross my arms over my chest. Everything was not fair, nothing was fair.
I ignored this, and rose to my feet, clutching the bathroom counter for balance. I grabbed my brush and combed through the tangles, pieces of hair falling out and onto the ground. I set the brush down, and turned the sink on full-blast. Water was pouring rapidly out, which I splashed across my face happily. The coolness felt nice on my skin, after all the sweat I felt drip out today. I press a towel to my face and look at my reflection in the mirror, glad to see my face appearing pure and flawless.
I exit the washroom after tossing the towel aside. I grab my car keys and purse, yelling a, "Bye!" to my mother.
I plop down into the seat of my bright red convertible, the sun shining down on me gracefully. The breeze was tickling me, which made me squirm in delight.
I drove to Starbucks, and swung the doors open. The heels of my boots clicked on the tile floor. I stepped up in the line and glanced around the room. People were filing in and out of the place, steaming coffees in their hands. I heard conversations being held at the tables, and orders being taken at the counter.
"Welcome to Starbucks, may I take your order?"
I looked up to see a red-haired woman waiting for my answer. I snap back into reality and mumble, "Just a coffee, please."
She nods and loudly pops the bubble gum she was chewing. I smell the coffee brewing, so I tune back into the customers, but nothing's changed. Everyone's still as busy as usual.
"Here ya go," the lady says, sliding the coffee towards me.
I catch it and raise my eyebrows at the girl, who just shrugs and smacks her lips. I sigh and turn on my heel, ready to head back to my car.
My heeled boots are clicking furiously against the floor, as I hurry to my car. I fumble for my sunglasses and slip them on, taking a sip of my bitter coffee. I'm about to push the doors open when I crash straight into a male's muscular chest.
Our bodies slam into each other uncomfortably, and I groan in frustration. I feel my coffee falling out of my hands and onto the floor, the contents spilling out all over us. There's a burning sensation from the heat, but it cools down after.
"Ugh," I moan.
The man falls to the ground uncontrollably, an I land on too of him, slicked with hot coffee. I groan again and stare into his apologetic green eyes.
"I am so sorry!"
