Summer

The Disaster Before The Storm

"I just can't believe it." Her mother was sobbing in an armchair in the corner that Summer's father had dragged in from the top of the wobbling tower of furniture against the wall in the living room after her mom had proclaimed she felt faint. Her Dad, who was now wearing down the polished wooden floors with his pacing (well, they were polished under the layer of grime and alcohol) had forcefully ended the party by storming over the the fuse box and cutting off all the power, leaving the house silent, in complete darkness and eventually empty as it dawned on people that they were no longer welcome. He stopped slowly in his tracks and turned to face Summer, fixing her with a look like nothing she had ever seen on his face before. Or anywhere else for that matter. Her blood seemed to drop a degree or two in temperature as a cold shiver ran down her spine. She hated it when her parents were mad at her. Which was unfortunate, really, as it was a fairly regular occurrence.

"Do you have anything to say to your Mother and I?" He questioned, gesturing towards Summer's mom who had her face in her hands, elbows resting on her knees, back hunched over. It was her classic Mom-in-despair pose, one that Summer felt a flood of guilt every time she saw, mainly because she caused it every single time. Or at least it felt that way. She opened her mouth - to say what she didn't know - but he carried on, swept up on his own tirade of anger.

"After all we've been through, Summer. After the lies and the shoplifting and all that trouble you've gotten into this past year in school? Maybe it's our own fault. Maybe we should have punished you more, made you properly learned your lesson. Or maybe we should've just realised it's hopeless." His gaze chilled Summer to the core, making her shiver as unwanted tears sprung to her eyes which rolled down her face unchecked.

"You have such great plans for your future, Summer," he continued. "Travelling the world, getting a good job somewhere..that's never happening if you continue this way, continue being this lying, selfish being with no thought for anyone but herself. Get out of my sight. I just don't want to know anymore. Do whatever the hell you want." He stared at her for one more long, loaded second before shaking his head ever so slightly and turning on his heel to stride out of the room, her mother close behind him with a look of pure disappointment on her face. The door slammed shut behind them.

Summer looked around silently at the mess that was her house, her relationship with her parents, her life. What her Dad had said broke her heart, not because of the brutality of the words, but because of the truth behind them. She never tried to mess anything in her life up, which was worse in its own way as she managed to do it without even trying. Whether it was her personality, her choices, or just a flaw deep within she, she just didn't know. She felt trapped, like she couldn't breathe as her thoughts threatened to drown her in their overflowing tirade, much like her dad's.

She felt her future loom before her, as though she could physically see the decisions she would make in the future, one bad choice after another. When would the trouble she constantly caused for herslef end? Would it ever? Oh god.. She rose uncertainly to her feet from the floor where she had been slumped since her parents had left. There was an odd finality to their departure but she shook it off, needing the feel of fresh air on her face before she could think anymore. She stumbled to the window, slipping out of the rough wooden frame landing onto the damp pillow of grass with a soft thump below.

She sat there, losing track of the hours flying past as she watched the sun rise slowly, thinking how strange it was that in 17 years of life and after hearing so much about it she had never actually stopped to watch the sun rise, ever. How strange.. She suddenly wished with a passion that she was somewhere else in the world, somewhere completely different, with it's own set of problems and difficulties and challenges. Anything to get out of here, away from the sense of worthlessness that clouded her every move, every breath. Her dad's words seemed to ring quietly in her ears.

"Get out of my sight... Do whatever the hell you want.." There was nothing holding her here. The words hit her like a slap in the face. Painful, but necessary and awakening. She had no reason to stay, all real ties to friends and family had been cleanly severed one by own over the past few years, finally ending tonight, with her parents. She could just...go. A slow smile spread across her face just as the sun fought it's way through a final lingering cloud to illuminate the horizon before her.