Ribs

Ribs: Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"When I was young I watched my father cry, and curse in the wind. He broke his own heart and I watched as he tried to reassemble it." - "The Only Exception" by Paramore

Home is the last place I want to be. Daddy's already drunk, his ugliness a mask that stares at me with glazed-over eyes. I quickly retreat to my room, but I'm not fast enough.

"Babe," He says, grabbing my wrist right as I'm about to walk into my room. It stops me dead in my tracks. I turn to stare at him, his eyes are no longer recognizable.

"Not today." I whisper, trying to slowly tug away my hand. He tightens his grip, his bulk hands looking huge around my slim wrist.

"You look just like your momma." He bobs his head up and down a few times, before looking at me again. His beauty is so frightening, how handsome my father is, but he's just so ugly at the same time. But yet so beautiful.

"I'm not mom." I cry as he holds my chin. Daddy kisses me forehead as my breath turns shallow. He hugs me to his chest. "No." I shake my head. "No, no, no." I repeat it over and over again in my head as Daddy tries to kiss me on the lips, the smell of liquior prevading from his breath. "No!" I push his chest away, run into my room, and lock the door. My breathing is shallow as Daddy pounds on the door, telling me to let him in.

"Be a good girl!" He calls to me. "You used to be such a good girl!" His voice is growing quieter.

My heart pounds as I hear dad slump against the door, giving up. I look into my mirror across the room, staring at my face, the unusual cheekbones that are in a position that you would find looking almost painful; deep, deep brown hair, a small wave creasing it, and my eyes, dark as a starless night with hints of blue everywhere. Just like mom.

When I was younger, maybe seven, that weird age you never seem to be able to remember, I was sitting with my mom watching TV. It was a calm Sunday morning, Daddy was still asleep and I was curled in the crook of mom's arm. Mindless cartoons were playing on the screen, but I was smiling up at my mom, my left front tooth missing. She smiled and then turned back to the TV.

I turned to look at the TV, too. It was Coca-Cola commercial. Honestly, Coke has always seemed a lot like gasoline to me. Dark and brown, with bubbles. Not really looking very tasty. I never have been able to drink the stuff, even back then.

There was a girl on the commercial, one with the strangest, most horrifying, but most beautiful face I'd ever seen. Her eyes were silver, and her hair was back in a tight ponytail. She was smiling at me, I knew it, and her face was just so scary to me. I don't know why, but I think it was her eyes. They shimmered and glittered as she talked about Coke. I thought for a moment about my old Barbie dolls sitting in my room, and a shiver ran through me.

I had nightmares about her for weeks.

The phone rings, a shattering end to my dream. I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep. I curl by arms to my chest, trying to ignore the annoying ringing and wanting so badly to go back to sleep. The ringing finally stops, and my muscles relax and fall deeper into the comfort of my matress.

Then it starts ringing again, and, annoyed, I finally snatch it off of my nightstand and angrily say hello.

"Dawn!" Riley's voice laughs, and I hear a lot of noise in the background. There's a small muffled sound before Riley says, "I'm at a party that you need to be at."

"Why do I need to be there?" I reply, puzzled. I hold the phone between by cheek and my shoulder as I pull my hair up into a ponytail.

"Because-" She cuts off. "Stop it, John. I'm trying to talk to Dawn." She says angrily, and I know she's holding the phone away from her mouth. "Anyways, you need to get out more! Come on, I can even pick you up. You have to get over here!"

"I don't-"

"Dawn," Riley cuts me off. "Seriously. Please, for me?" She begs. I sigh heavily.

"Fine. Whatever." And then add, "But please tell me you aren't going to bring John with you to pick me up." Riley giggles.

"See you, babe!" Then she hangs up.