They Belong To Me

Chapter Two

10:00 pm

I need to calm down.

12:00 am 

Maybe I need to take some melatonin, I need to calm down.

1:00 am

Okay I think my mom keeps the wine in the cabinet under the stairs.

3:00 am

I need to calm down.

5:00 am

I should sleep now.

I woke up with the worst hangover of my life, I am not a heavy drinker, and usually at parties (When I say parties I mean having one friend over because that's a lot of social interaction for me) I'm the one who refuses to drink. However, last night I was in such a state of shock and awe I didn't care that I was breaking my own rules. After standing in a cold shower for thirty minutes (don't ask me how I did it I have no idea) and drinking three bottles of power aid I was finally in some state of consciousness where I didn't scream every time I opened my eyes. This is very important when the issue of talking to parents comes into play. Obviously they have been keeping something from me that I wasn't aware of. I made my way downstairs, hugging the railing. I knocked exactly three times before the thin wooden door opened and my father stood in front of me in a much worse hangover then myself (It was obvious.) 

"What do you want kid?" He asked. His voice was a mixture between compassion and annoyance, a very confusing tone. 

"I need to talk to you and mom." I leaned on the door frame

"She found the drugs, Daryl. We need to hide the drugs again." My mom's sleepy voice came from within the dark cave of their large bedroom. 

"No, actually-" I began to reply, my head cocking to the side ever so slightly.

"Our daughter is in need of something more then drugs Jackie. Pull your head out of your voluptuous ass." Dad scoffed, turning his head to my mom with a wince. 

"Who's Dan?" I asked, my curiosity had taken ahold of my common sense leaving me as a struggling victim with nothing left to live for. Quite like the guy who pinwheeled to his death in Titanic.

"Oh." Both my parents said in unison. I bit my tongue not to say "Jinx" because it was highly inappropriate for the moment. 

"Honey, give me a few minutes, I'll talk to you in your room." My mom coughed, her voice resonating off the walls. I nodded, this resulted in my father shutting the door. These 'few minutes' were the longest in my life. Nothing had ever been less then perfect for me, but I could feel my home life crumbling and slipping away as I waited. And waited

And waited

And waited.

My room is a holding cell, and my door (while ajar) was a roadblock keeping me from information I just had to know. 

"Hun?" My mom stepped in with one hand rubbing her eye, she sat down on my bed. "We need to talk."

"I'll say." I retorted, sitting down next to her. my legs hurt because I had been pacing around my room for nearly an hour waiting on her to tell me what was going on. 

"How do you know about Daniel?" Imagine the voice of a 65 year old woman in the 1940's who spent her youth smoking. Now picture that voice on a beautiful 35 year old blonde woman who has subtle lines of aging and sad grey eyes. That is my mother. She set her hand on my knee.

"He called me last night. I hung up on him." 

"How old is he now?" 

"Somebody's curious, He's twenty three."

My mother looked nostalgic for a moment.

"Tell me who he is." I pressed on. "Or- better yet- why have I never heard of him until now?"

Mom took a deep sigh, and rubbed her thumb along my pointer finger. I felt as if it was to tell herself that I was here, rather then to comfort me. "You arn't my daughter."

I pulled my hand away and stood up in a much calmer manner then I felt. "What?"

"You're adopted... We could have taken in Daniel as well, but we only wanted one child." She wouldn't look at me. That was good, If I saw her sad grey eyes I would have broken down.

"That's extremely selfish." I swallowed.

"I'm sorry. We can help you connect with him-"

"No. I- I don't want to live here." I looked at her. My eyes wern't even watering. I don't think that I wanted to leave out of anger as much as I wanted to leave out of curiosity and sense of adventure. I needed to make it seem as if I were furious though, so I could leave. I was 16 now and can opt for some sense of leave through the government. 

"But- Alice. You're being irrational darling." She stood, trying to take my hand. 

"No." I wouldst look at her. Again, if I did I would never get my adventure. I would break down knowing the pain I was causing her.

"Fine." Mom snapped. "Pack up. I'm taking you to the airport and you can figure out what you are going to do there." She stormed out. I didn't even comprehend how illegal that was. 

As if by some miracle, My phone rang. It was a private number, but I knew it was Dan.

"Hello?"

"Alice?"

"Dan! Thank God its you."

"You believe me? What happened?"

"Ummm... Where do you live?"

"That's not important, are you okay? You sound shaken."

"I think I just got kicked out of my house."

"Oh fuck."

"Right."

"I live in London. I'm guessing you know where that is."

"I'm packing."

"Wait- what?"

"Packing. You say that in ye old England right?"

"You're coming here?" 

"Mom said -Oh wait she's not my mom."

"Continue, vent later."

"The lady bird-"

"Lady-"

"Shh. The lady bird said to pack she's taking me to the airport."

"Isn't that illegal?"

"yes."

"Never mind. I'll help. Get a plane to London and Alice?"

"Yeah?"

"If you're anything like me please do not say anything to anyone on the plane you will fuck up."

I nodded but realized he couldn't hear me nodding. "Right. Okay."

"I'm going to text you with my real number. Just-don't give it out- OK?"

"Um.. Okay?"

I was confused but not shocked. Dan hung up this time, and my adoptive mom yelled upstairs "FIVE MINUTES."

I quickly grabbed a suitcase and threw in as much stuff as I could including my favorite clothes (Five shirts and three jeans) some extra shoes a beanie, some hair ties, all my makeup, money, a blanket I had made, a Hoodie, socks,deodorant,perfume, My phone charger, my laptop, and its charger, all my jewelry, my three favorite books, two movies, feminine stuff  and once that was all packed,  my alpaca pillow pet. I tucked my phone in my pocket along with some gum,my passport and my ear buds. I rushed downstairs. my father only glared at me.

The car ride to the airport was long and awkward. No words were exchanged, only money. 

I text Dan as soon as I stepped onto the plane. 

"On my way big bro, make way."

Dan- ":) see u soon k"