Dani, Dark, Destroy

3

It had been months since I had moved to Alarmance, Texas. I finally had friends.  My father had been getting drunk more often which means he doesn't do much so I work at the coffee shop as a waitress to support him.  Destany and Will don't know much about my life at home.  They believe that my father is extremely ill.

   It was the week before finals and Destany was freaking out.

   "There is no way I'm going to pass Anatomy!" Destany lamented.

   "Calm down," I replied.  "We will get by like we always have.  By cheating because Mr. Wilcox is an idiot."  We both continued to walk down the hallway walking and laughing. 

   "Dani! Des!" Will shouted.

   "Oohh," cooed Des. "Here comes your loooove,".

   "Shut up! I don't like Will!" I yelled.

   "Jeez break my heart why don't you, Dani," joked Will. "You guys going on the Wilderness trip with Ms. Harlow this weekend?"

   "Free 100 on a final of course I'll be there!" I answered.

   "Is your dad going to be okay at home by hisself?" Des asked with genuine worry her eyes. I wish I could tell them but I dont like pity. It only angers me.

   "Yeah, my grandmother is coming down for the weekend. He'll be fine." I lied smoothly.

   "Any update that your dad is getting better?" asked Will.  I looked up at him.  Again im lost in his eyes. Something so pure about them.  "Dani...??"

   "Uhmm no the doctor's are saying he isn't getting better but he isn't getting worse."

   We went through the rest of the school day, said our goodbyes and I began the walk home.  I had taken off the weekend in preparation for the wilderness trip.  I slowly opened the door to my house.

   "Danielle, is that you?" My father was slightly awake sitting in the recliner. On the floor next to him lay, what looked to be a whole 12-pack of beer.  The recliner creaked as he struggled to climb out of the recliner.  He wobbled over to me.

   "You're late," he slurred. I could smell the gallon of alcohol on his breath.  How is he still standing?

   "Bit slow on the walk home is all, " I said. He rose his hand and whipped it across my face. I turned my face to the wall.

   "You have people thinking I'm sick,  sending casseroles!" He yelled. I was shaking. I couldn't think straight. "What's wrong?  Are you going to cry?" I tried digging my nails into my hand again but it wasn't working. I couldn't control myself. I let out a scream that shook the whole house. I heard the TV fall off the stand and onto the floor. I felt my body vibrating with anger. I felt a white hot searing pain on the back of my head.

   I woke up in my bed in the middle of the night.  The back of my head was sore.  I crept out of bed slowly.  The world was spinning so hard I wasn't able to see straight.

   "It wasn't too bad,". I could hear my father on the kitchen phone. "Nobody noticed... She broke the Television. Nothing impressive...I hit her over the head with a beer bottle...Are you sure she is the one? ... You know I could do so much... Yeah prophecy I know... okay goodbye."

   What was he talking about? What prophecy? The back of my head still hurt and the world had slowed down to a more tolerable spinning.  Maybe I didn't hear right. I crawled back in bed and fell asleep.

   I woke to the sound of my alarm clock.  I opened my eyes slowly my head was still spinning.  I thought about what I had heard last night.  I'm just going to put it behind me.  My head was probably injured enough to create extreme scenarios.  I never got to pack last night so I opened up my duffel and packed my things into it.  It wasn't much but it was enough to get me through a weekend. I grabbed my duffel bag and walked out the door, passing my father passed out on the couch.  I thought once again about the anger I felt last night but again pushed it out of my mind.