Dragon's Tail

Chapter 1: Secrets Never Last

As Mark went to get the mail, he glanced around worriedly. It was only an early 3 A.M, but he still needed to be cautious. Seeing nothing but the familiar mowed lawn and the house still seemingly slumbering, he breathed a silent sigh of relief. He ran a hand through his black curly hair. Not because it was messy, but because he was nervous. Today might be the day, and he would need to be stealthy. He crept down the driveway, his crimson robe barely touching the ground behind him.

When he finally reached the mailbox, he paused. Anxious, he shuffled his feet in little circles. He realized he hadn't felt this awful for years, and as a full grown adult, only his daughter could do this to him. And indeed she had. He let out what felt like the thousandth sigh for that night, and opened the mailbox. Too dark to see within, he took a deep breath and reached his hand inside, almost looking away, not wanting to see the contents of the lone letter he groped at. Trembling, he closed his hand around the paper. Shifting his hand, his heart sank. In big bold letters, it read "GreenWood Collage". Tearing into the envelope, he squinted his eyes to read the smaller print in the fading lights of the streetlights. He only had to read the first sentence to drop to his knees, scraping them on the pavement. She had been accepted, she was leaving him forever. At that last thought, he knew what he was going to do. He would hide the letter. she would be devastated, sure, but he could comfort her. This was going to be serious. This was a new school and perfect for her, plus in Wisconsin, and she wants to live there anyway. He stuffed the letter in his robe pocket and shuffled inside, careful not to make any noise. He would dispose of the letter later, he thought.

####

I woke from my slumber, suddenly alert. My face furrows, little worries dancing lines across my features. Tilting my head towards a simple black analog clock, I take in the time. 9:07 seems to be early enough to be awake as an unemployed freeloader. Heaving a breath, I tumble out of bed, onto piles of dirty clothes. "ow..." mumbling, I pick myself off the ground, then let myself drop back onto it. "what's the point. I have nothing to do. Even I would like to go to school at this point." A quiet knock interrupts me from my moping monologue.

"Dragon? can I come in?" I hear my Dad on the other side of the door, and grunt in reply. Taking that as an invitation, he opens the door and slinks inside. "Dragon, you said you-" he cuts off when he sees what state I'm in. Good, maybe he will leave me alone. My hopes are dashed as he starts a new sentence. "what are you doing?"

"I have no idea. leave me here to clean up" His brow furrows at my response, then replies.

"I've heard that before. Whats It going to take to get you to clean your room? Have a little self-preservation, for goodness sake! Here, I'll help." He starts by picking me up and throwing me on my bed with a *thump*, something that would normally make me laugh or at least smile. It does no such thing today.

He proceeds to grab my dirty clothes and put my laundry basket to good use. "Come on!" he says with a humph, looking like a little kid who didn't get their way. "You said you'd clean up!"

"I never said now," I state matter of factly. If there is one thing I will always do better, It's my word choice in diplomacy. He crosses his arms at this clearly annoyed.

"I want you to take care of yourself, not be a bum for the rest of your life! what will it take to get you to care?"

"Nothing short of an army. Give up Dad, my life is already over." I roll back onto my face as if to prove my point.

"You know what I came in here today for?" He taps his foot angrily. "I came because you said you would water the plants in the front. I came because you said you would clean the fridge. I came because everything you promised you would do, you didn't."

"I NEVER promised anything," I growl into the mattress, getting angry myself. I hate making promises and would never over some silly yardwork. I turn to face him, and struggle to keep my lid on. "and they all got done, didn't they? I also never said" raising a hand to silence whatever remark I knew he was about to make. "I also never said I would do them. I said they would get done. And they got done, just by some of my friends." I spat the last part but hardly cared. I was a walking ball of depressed tension these past few weeks, and he had set me off.

"Do you know how much I do for you? I pay the bills, I do the rest of the yard work, I keep this house working, I do your laundry, I do everything, and I can't rely on you for a simple task of taking out the trash!" He was on a rant now, and nothing could stop him. I doubt he knew I was even here still. "I keep you from doing anything rash, I TRY to keep you in line, I keep you from leaving to go to that stupid school, I-" He goes silent, realizing what he has said, and nothing could take it back.

"What did you say?"

So, I am dedicating this book to my best friends. Lulu, Claudia, Katie, and others. this is also for my pets, I love them all.