Roommates | Daniel Seavey

one

Friday | 11:32 p.m.

Renée's P. O. V.

"Haleigh?" I asked into the phone, my voice cracking from crying.

"Renée? What's wrong, what happened?" She asked.

"I-it's my dad again," I choked out.

"I'm coming to get you," she said.

"Th-thank you." I hung up and started to pack a bag.

I could hear my dad and his friends laughing and yelling downstairs. They were all totally wasted.

This wasn't abnormal for my dad. Every weekend, and sometimes weekdays, he'd invite friends over and get drunk, just for the hell of it. It's not that bad, except my dad gets verbally abusive when he's drunk.

Not only does he treat me like shit, but he bosses me around and acts like I'm his servant. His douchebag friends do the same. Tonight he went too far.

*

"Come on Renée, give us a show," one of his friends slurred with a wink.

"Yeah why don't you take a few layers off," another said.

I gave them a disgusted look and started to walk out of the kitchen, but my dad grabbed my wrist.

"You heard him Renée, show them those beautiful things your momma gave you."

I felt like I couldn't breathe. I couldn't believe he just said that to me. My throat tightened and I felt tears spilling out of my eyes. I quickly wiped them away and ran upstairs to call Haleigh.

"Awww come on Renée! Come back here!" Another one of his friends shouted.

*

I threw random clothes into my bag and anything else I'd need. Haleigh texted me, so I climbed out of my window and ran out to her car.

I sat in the passenger seat and broke down again.

"Hey, you're okay. Come here." Haleigh leaned across the seat and pulled me into a hug. She rubbed my back, letting me cry into her shoulder.

"Why does he get so drunk? It's been fifteen years," I said sniffling. I sat back in my seat and wiped my tears.

"He got addicted, Renée."

My mom left my dad and I when I was two. Her and my dad didn't work, so she left and became a famous author. As if I didn't even exist.

"God, I can't wait to get out of here."

"Just two more weeks, girl," Haleigh said. I nodded. "Ice cream?"

"Always."

She pulled off the curb and drove to our favorite ice cream parlor. She always took me our for ice cream when it got bad with my dad.

"Hey, what's up?" Mason asked. He was Haleigh's boyfriend, my only other friend. He worked the late shift every Friday night, so even if they were about to close he let us in.

"Hey babe." Haleigh leaned across the counter and kissed him.

"You okay?" He asked me.

"Just my dad." I shrugged.

"I'm sorry. Your usual?" He asked. Haleigh and I nodded. He scooped my Cookie Two-Step ice cream and Haleigh's Mint Chocolate Chip, then insisted on paying for it, as usual.