Faith In You

Chapter 1

I wake up to the sound of my ringer going off on my phone. I read a good morning text from my best friend Elayah. "Good morning bestfriend! FIRST DAY OF SUMMER! WOOHOOO !! i'll be over in 30 ;) GIRLZ DAY <3" the text reads. I reply with a simple "Can't wait! See you soon :)"

I set my phone down on my nightstand and have the stretch of a lifetime. My favorite feeling in the world was my first morning stretch after just rolling out of bed. I walk over to my mirror and wipe the smeared mascara from under my eyes revealing the bruise my father had left from the night before, and pull my hair up into a high pony tail. My dog cooper comes running into my room with his rope in his mouth. It's only 8:30 in the morning and he is already full of energy. "Okay okay. Come on boy!" I say patting my knees, whistling.

My mom is standing at the stove just starting to put bacon in the frying pan along with some eggs. The smell catches coopers attention but i continue whistling and open the sliding glass door. I run out with cooper and throw the rope back and fourth a couple of times before my mom comes out to tell me breakfast is ready.

"Elayah is coming over soon and we are gonna have a girls day. Wanna come along? I know Rick won't be home today and even if he does come home, i'm sure you don't want to be here." I tell my mom, causing a weak smile escaping her lips. She to, had bruises from last night. She had one on her cheek, and on her arm. She catches me glancing down at the purple finger shaped marks on her arm and she pulls her robe sleeve down over it.

"You know liz, you really shouldn't call your father by his first name. He may not be the best role model for his child, but he is still your father." her eyes full of concern. She knows how i feel about calling him dad. We have had this conversation one too many times.

"I am not calling him 'dad'. A dad is someone who is always there for his children and are there to watch them grow up, and pick them up when they fall and get a bump. Not cause the bumps on their body." My eyes begin to fill with tears and a couple escape and fall down my cheek onto the table. I had barley touched my food. I lost my appetite. No matter how many times we have this discussion, my mother just doesn't understand what the word 'dad' means to me. That word will never come out of my mouth talking about the man that beats his wife and kid.

"I know and i'm sorry you feel that way. But he is trying. He really is. I have seen a difference in him. He wasn't as angry when he came home last night." She stands up clearing the table. Leave it to Shannon Donavan to protect that horrible excuse of a man.

I storm off to my room in a 5 year old
child like way. I needed to get ready before Eli got here. It was already ten to 9. She would be here in about 10 minutes or so.

After getting dressed, i still had a couple minutes to spare. i ran the straightener over my hair one more time and applied some
concealer to the bruise under my eye. It didn't cover it completely but it would
have to do for now. I hear Eli honking the car horn outside. "I'm here love!" my phone buzzes. "Be out in just a sec" I respond, dropping my phone in my back jean pocket.

I was wearing a black and white stripped crop
top, with high waisted ripped jeans and my white converse. Not my usual go-to outfit but it looked decent.

I walk outside, yelling goodbye to my mom and cooper. There sits Eli in her Navy blue Camaro her grandma got her for her 16th birthday. "You ready for the best girls day you have ever experienced in the history of girls day?" She gives me a bright smile as i open the car door and slam it shut. "So friggin ready" I say ex tactically.

She chuckles as she pulls out of my driveway and onto the street. I was looking forward to getting out of the house. I just hope Rick didn't come home drunk again while my mom was there alone. She can handle herself. but not when it comes to, him.

"So" Eli starts. "Are we gonna talk about your terrible makeup covering skills? I can see the bruise under your eye. Have i taught you nothing about covering hickeys?" She laughs.

"But seriously though. what happened?" The tone in her voice changed drastically.

"He just came home drunk.... again. He said how he's had a 'long day at work' and he wanted to relieve some stress." I say using air quotes. "Isn't that what he said last time? And the time before that? And the time before that?" she sarcastically remarks.

"Ha, yea." I dryly respond.

The rest of the drive to the mall is pretty quiet. Other than the radio playing. And the soft sound of Eli tapping her fingertips against the steering wheel going along with the rhythm of the music. It was quite a peaceful sound actually.

"Here we are!" she exclaims as we pull into the Rikesville Valley Mall. It is a huge mall with every store you could think of. From high end like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada all the way to stores like Children's place, Old navy, and Buckle. It was a wide variety of all
classes of people. Quite clever actually.

Of course, Eli being Eli, we walk straight past Gucci, and Prada, into old navy. Not like i had money to spend in those types of stores but it was always just fun to walk around in them and stare at the prices that cost more than my house payment.

"What do you think about this shirt?" Eli asks me holding a plain baby pink shirt with a pineapple on it up to her chest. It was actually pretty cute.

"I think it screams the name Elayah" We both laugh. "Good! Cause it's only 5 bucks" she says tossing the shirt into the cart.

After about spending an hour and a half in old navy, we head to the food court. McDonald's is the first choice like always.

This day has actually been tolerable unlike every other day for the past 10 years. Life was just always better when i was with Elayah. She made me happy and always knew how to cheer me up. She was the only one who knew about Rick and the way he is. She's the only one who understands. She was just the best person i could ever ask for as a best friend.