Strictly Forbidden

Strictly Forbidden (4)

Chapter 4

All I can feel is pain. My head splits at every small sound and my eyes hurt as well as my feet and legs. I try with all my might to open my eyes, but some unknown force prohibits their movement.

"Emma, you had a meeting with you father at 9:00. You do know it is now 12:13!" My mother's curd voice rings through the door and I moan at the pain it causes in my head.

Then what she says sinks into my brain. I had missed my meeting with father. Someone may as well stick a fork in me because Lord knows my life is over. "Oh, tell him I'll be there after a shower.... Um, I just don't feel well this morning..."

"Do you need my help, dear?" I almost say yes, but I knew better. I am the golden child, not a child that is hung-over after a night that I can hardly remember.

"No, I'm fine." With much effort, I pull myself from my bed and make my way to the shower.

The steam wakes me up a bit, as I scrub the make-up off my face and become the plain-Jane that I am. With every scrub I find myself more relaxed, until a pain shoots through my left breast as I rub the sponge over it.

I let out a shriek as my eyes land on a little silver ring poking out from my nipple. "Oh, no... Oh, no.... Oh God, no!" I whisper as my eyes trail to its matching pair. What did I do? I examine the small ring again. I had, I gulp, pierced my... nipple. Oh Lord, my life is so over.

I shakily dress and head to the kitchen for some coffee, only to find Sam sitting at the table smiling up at me. I groan and pour myself a cup, needing the sweet bitterness to calm my traumatized nerves.

"So... How does it feel? Painful isn't it?" She chuckles to herself and I suppress the urge to punch her. I have never been violent.

"Do you know what I did last night?" I nearly scream at her causing my head to erupt in pain. She only nods. "Father is going to kill me!" She gives me a blank look. She hates my father, so she could care less how he feels about it.

"You deserve a life, Emma. I am sick of seeing you unhappy. You need to do things for yourself, not for him." The tight set of her jaw tells me she is angry, but, for once, I am angry too.

"What happened last night was not me! I don't do those things, and I don't like it. I hated it! I never want to drink or party or dance again!" That is the truth for sure. I don't like a thing about it, and I never will.

"Oh please, I have never seen you so happy." I sigh, and turn to leave.

"Oh and Sam, How do I get these things out?" I point to my very tender breasts. A plush creeps up form a neck and I try to hide it.

"You are not taking them out. You made me pinky promise to not let you last night..." She chuckles remembering something I must have said.

"Why would I tell you that?"

"You said it was the one thing that made you feel free and that no one but me ever had to know about. It made you happy to have a little wild side." She isn't lying, and that's a good thing, I hate lying.

"I'll talk to you later about it. I have a headache and I have to talk to father... wish me luck." I feel so defeated and almost enough to run away.

Father's office is always perfect. Everything has its place and is not moved from that spot. I used to love it as a child, I would once spend hours in here helping father put books and pens in the right place. But, that was back when he used to care about my happiness. Back when he had less power, back when he loved me.

"Your mother told me you aren't feeling well. You could have at least let me know so that I could arrange some new meeting times." I could not bring myself to even look at him; I am so ashamed of myself. And, it's easy to tell he is working on keeping himself calm.

"Sorry..." What am I to say? 'Hey father, I went out and got drunk last night?' I think not.

"Well, we have something we need to talk about. But first, is there anything you would like to tell me?" My breath caught and I nearly chocked. He knew. My head shakes abruptly from side to side and I work on breathing.

"So these pictures... They are nothing?" I shrink back into the chair, afraid to even make eye contact with him. Father could see me visibly shake, and I say nothing. "I am so disappointed in you. You run away from your own birthday party to go to a club! I have given you everything you have ever wanted and needed, and this is how you repay me? You ungrateful brat." He throws the pictures at me and I flinch into myself not sure if I should run away or stand here and take it.

"It won't happen again." My voice is weak and empty compared to his strong and overpowering one.

"You're right it won't," he says.

Nodding I look up at him, "I promise and I'm so-"

"Just, Get out of my house." Rage thick in his voice, his fists shake.

Shock sets into my deepest corners. I don't know what to do. "Don't bother getting your stuff. It's not yours anymore."

"What?" My weak voice cracks, and wetness lines the corners of my eyes.

"You heard me! I don't stand for disrespect. You have done the worst thing imaginable and I don't want to see your disgrace of a face any longer. You cost me not only a vote but my reputation, and I can't have that on my good name."

Tears threaten to spill over, but I refuse to cry in front of him. I haven't cried since the day he ran over my cat Lingo, killing it. I remember his words to this day. 'Death is a part of life, Emma. Crying over anything is simply ridiculous.'

I stand without a word and walk to the door. "I just want you to know that I love you, daddy." I whisper.

This is the last time I will walk these halls, the last time I will ever have a place to call home, and the last time I will feel completely safe. As of this second I am an orphan, but I cannot even bare that name. I am an adult now. Not really knowing how to feel, I take deep breaths. Thinks will go back to normal, they have to.

"What did he say?" Sam asks, as I enter the kitchen. I needed another cup of coffee.

I say nothing and she looks me over, worry creased over her brow. I turn pouring myself a steaming black cup.

"Emma, you're scarring me..." Still, I say nothing, and just take a sip of the dark liquid. I relax as it glides down my throat. "Emma, tell me this instant!"

Without meeting her eyes, "He found out."

Realization washed over her face. "About last night. Oh Emma, what did he do? What did he say?" She takes me into a hug and I resist the urge to cry again.

"He kicked me out." Even I could hear emptiness in my voice. Samantha froze in shock.

"Okay, I'll pack my stuff and we will find a new place together. Who needs this job? I can find a new one. Maybe we can work together." Panic hit me flat on.

"No," I nearly scream. "No, no, no. You need this job. You have a free room here, and you need to save up for school. I will be fine. It's just a night or two. I still have daddies credit card, and I am sure he will come around soon." I reassure her, knowing it's a lie.

"No, I got you into this..."

"Sam, what if he cools down and I am back in the morning? Then you will be out of a job and I will be out of a friend." I smile weakly at her.

"I never wanted this." She sighs, pulling me into another hug.

"I didn't either." After a moment, my curiosity gets the best of me. "Who's idea was it to get my nipples pierced?"

She chuckles, "Yours. Afterwards, you jumped around screaming it to the world. You loved them, and kept pulling your shirt up to look at them." My face turns red. "Then you made me promise to never let you take them out."

I sigh, strangely growing to like the wild me form last night. "Don't forget to clean them twice a day. Don't want them getting nasty." My face turns red again.

Rick and Tyson make their way behind Samantha, and I know father has sent them to shoo me away. This morning's events hit me again, and my hands begin to shake. "It's time for you to go now." I nod, forcing my tears back. The two burly men look at me in pity, and I give them a weak smile.

I walk out of the doors of my home of eighteen years, leaving behind memories.