The Stranger I Met

Family Feuds

* Picture of Tyler*

" Miss?" Martha, our house maid enters my room." Yes Martha." I say half asleep.

" Mr Welsky has called you in the living room." God this can't be good.

" Dad, why--this early--I have not even brushed." I am already fully awake and panicking." I don't know miss, he wants to see you. He specifically told me to ask you to come instantly." She warns me from her expressions to follow that order immediately.

Half brushed and in messy pony tail, I walk down the stairs towards the living room. Dad is reading newspaper and drinking juice at the dinning table." Good morning dad." I greet him huskily. He doesn't reply neither does he look up." You wanted to see me?" I try to get his attention again.

" When did you come home last night?" He shoots his question at me, still not looking away from his paper. Shit! this is about last night's party.

I was feeling so content after the rehearsals that I had decided to throw a party at ' The Hideout' . It was about me and Tyler for getting the main lead.

" I asked you something, Aurora." His booming voice makes me recoil." I- I think at around 10." I actually came home at 2 am.

Mom had let me sneak in quietly even though she wanted to scold me but thought better of it considering dad was home.

He looks up directly at me and folds his paper. My insides start churning with fear." I already know the whole story. Just want to see you admit it. So don't lie." He says the last three words bitterly.

" I came home at 2." I say with my head low. " That's more like it, and may I ask what took you so long." He continues his interrogation.

" A party." I whisper.

" I didn't hear that." He says spitting every word." I had gone to a party." I increase a few decibels in my voice.

" Wrong." He growls.

" You had thrown a party at that stupid café, hadn't you?" Instantly my mom comes in the living room wearing a worried expression. She knew what was going to happen. So did I.

" That decides it all," He says calmly." From tomorrow, you are going to be working." My head shoots up. This movement in me pokes him in the wrong way.

" Don't look at me like that." He gets back to scolding." Here I am working my ass off to earn money-" He is almost shouting by now,"- And my good-for-nothing daughter is wasting it on some of her dumb accomplices just to show them what a foolish rich brat she is. This indiscipline of yours will not be accepted in my house young lady." He takes a deep breath.

" So," he continues," -from tomorrow, you will be working at the Vernacular movie hall. I'll talk to the manager."

" Dad, I can't work like other teen-agers." The words leave my mouth before I can stop them. He suddenly gets up from his chair and comes towards me with a hostile gait.

I try to get away by moving back but end up with my back against the wall. He stops a foot away from me towering over me. I can feel the anger radiating from his body.

" This topic is not up for discussion." he seethes," You have showed that you clearly have no respect for the money I earn so from now on, I am only paying for your basic necessities, you'll buy everything else from the cash you earn."

He turns around. Being the idiot I was, I still try to talk to him." But dad - " He turns around and raises his hand to slap me. I screw my eyes shut and turn my face away in reflex, obviously not prepared for what was coming.