Stripped

Chapter 2

   Every light in my house was on when Jake's dad, Tom, pulled up in front of the brightly lit structure. The front door hanging open was extremely unusual as my dad always made sure the place was locked up.  Ellen cast a worried look back at me from the passenger's seat. "Honey would you like us to come in with you?"

I knew she was only asking as a formality since there was no way that Jake was going to let me go in there on my own. I nodded my head, "Yeah he's probably passed out and his friends had left the place torn up. It wouldn't surprise me," I sighed, "Let's get this over with."

The four of us climbed out of the car and approached the house carefully, almost as if we were waiting for someone to burst through the open portal. But there was no one, we took the steps on the porch one person at a time. If we could avoid waking Eric up it would probably be for the best. I put a finger up to my lips to remind everyone to be impossibly quiet. Then we stepped inside.

Nothing could prepare me for what lay beyond the doors of my home, liquor bottles, beer cans, and probably needles littered the floor. I knew he didn't have money to buy any of this stuff. My thoughts automatically went to my hiding place upstairs, "NO!" I said and flew up the flight of stairs to my room. I could hear Jake calling for me and following me to my room. Sure enough, the door of my bedroom was hanging wide open and everything in my dresser had been thrown about as if someone had been looking for something. They found it. By the closet, the shoe box where I had kept my money hidden lay open on the floor and only had a small collection of coins in the bottom. "Fuck!" I screamed, throwing the box across the room. "He fucking took it!" Jake was about to say something when I heard Tom's voice calling us from downstairs.

Still seething with rage, I stomped down the stairs, no longer caring if I woke Eric up. "Where the fuck is he?" I demanded, but Ellen stood in the doorway of the living room effectively blocking off my view of the room.

"Layla, honey," Ellen began but I was too furious to listen and I shoved past her. On the floor, my father was sprawled out on his stomach, completely unmoving.

Butterflies in my stomach fluttered around and I knelt down beside him, taking his shoulder and rolling him onto his back. Blank eyes stared back at me and a thick dusting of the familiar white powder coated his upper lip. "Dad?" I said, shaking him none-too-gently. "Dad!" I called again, this time realizing what was actually happening. Tom was already on the phone with 911 and Jake had kneeled next to me and was running his hand along my spine. "He's dead," I told Jake in a monotone voice. I felt nothing, no pain, no sadness. Just nothing.

Everything was a blur once the paramedics arrived, followed shortly by a police officer by the name of Officer Mills. She had a stern face and had her black hair pulled back into a tight ponytail at the nape of her neck. She paid me no mind and began to talk to Tom and Ellen. I sat on the couch staring at my father, who they had covered with a sheet. I was alone now. No matter how terribly Eric had treated me, I couldn't help but feel the loss of the man who had loved my mother and for a short time had taken care of me. "I'm an orphan." I said to Jake who had been by my side the entire time.

Jake's hand went to mind and squeezed it reassuringly, "You're parents are gone yes. But baby, you're far from an orphan. You have three people in this room right now who love you and would do anything for you. Family isn't just blood Layla."

I took some comfort in his words, at least tonight when we went back to Jake's house I would have a house full of people who would help me in any way that I needed. I decided that now was as good a time as any to go to my room and collect some things to take with me. I filled my backpack with clothes and my favorite stuffed bear, then made sure to get the framed photo of my mother that sat on my dresser. Eric hadn't destroyed that, he still loved Anna way too much to ruin a precious photo of her. Downstairs I could hear some yelling, it was muffled but I could have sworn I heard, "What do you mean she can't come with us?!" My heart plummeted to my stomach and I hurried down the stairs.

Tom was arguing with Officer Mills, his face red and his eyes filled with worry. "I'm sorry sir," the officer explained, "You are not her legal guardians, nor are you family. As a minor the girl will go to the state."

I stared at the woman as if she had three heads, "I'm not going anywhere with you!" I shouted. They couldn't take me away. I had nobody. Jake was the only person in this world that gave a damn about me and I wasn't going anywhere without him. The officer rolled her eyes, "Yes you will, you have no choice." With her blunt words she turned on her heel and went to talk to the coroner who was wheeling my dad outside.

Jake wrapped his arm around my shoulders, "I'm not going with her." I told him stubbornly, "She can't make me."

Tom and Ellen exchanged glances, "I don't think there's anything we can do." Ellen said, looking as though she was about to cry. Tom rubbed her back and said something about talking to the officer one more time, then followed behind the woman.

"I need some air," I said stomping my way out of the house and into the cool night. I breathed the fresh air deeply into my lungs and instantly it calmed me. Though my stomach felt like it was going to regurgitate everything I had eaten for dinner. Jake followed me, I was quickly joined by Tom and Ellen. Both of the adults looked at me hopelessly, wanting desperately to help but not knowing what to do.

Officer Mills came and told me to come with her, I didn't budge. Roughly, she grabbed my arm and started to drag me toward her cruiser. "NO!" I cried wrenching my arm from her grip and running back to Jake who caught me in his arms. "Don't let her take me! Please, I can't go without you!" Tears soaked Jake's shirt as he held me close, whispering in my ear just like he always did to calm me down.

"I've got you," he repeated over and over rocking me back and forth as I bawled into his shoulder. "Don't worry baby. I'm going to get you back. I promise." Then he pulled away for a moment and lifted the chain from around his neck gently placing it around mine. I cried even harder when he told me, "You keep this. I'll get it back from you soon. Okay?"

I felt around my throat for the necklace and realized it was his grandfather's ring that dangled from the chain. Jake leaned his forehead against mine. Then he did something he had never done before. His lips brushed mine so lightly it was almost as if I imagined it, then placed a tender kiss on the corner of my mouth. "I'll see you soon," he said but his eyes said differently. He looked at me as if this was the last time he would ever lay eyes on me.

Officer Mills grabbed my arm again but I fought her every step of the way calling for Jake in a voice that didn't sound like my own. She wrestled me into the back of her squad car and managed to close the door before I could escape again. I pressed my hands to the window and wailed as she climbed into the front seat.

   Jake waved at me from a distance, no longer trying to hold back his own tears. I screamed and pounded the glass with my hands until the car turned the corner, taking me out of sight of Jake, his parents, and the happy life I could have had with them.