You Ruin Me

Chapter 1

I walk into the kitchen and see my dad seated at the table. He's looking down at a picture of something. Someone? There's something wrong.
"Daddy? What's wrong?" My voice is small and gentle.
"It's just... nothing Juls" he responds. His voice is scratchy and cracks while saying my nickname. That's when I notice my mom is not present.
"Daddy, where's mommy?"
"She's not coming back baby." My dad sobs.
I begin to cry. I don't understand. Where's my mom and why isn't she coming back?

I sit up in bed in a sweat and panting. That horrible nightmare returns every night, expanding further every time I witness it. I was only seven when my mom died, or left. I don't know, my dad refuses to talk to me about it.
There's a knock at the door which snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Time to get up, Juls" my dad reminds me with a smile. I peel the covers off of my sweating body and sit up.

"Yeah... yeah I'm coming." I reply, but far shakier and quiet than I intended. His expression immediately changes to one of sympathy and pain, even.

"Oh. Did it happen again?" He asks gently.

"Uh, yeah I'm okay though." I need to be okay. It's my first day of my new high school. I'm only sixteen, and have changed schools four times. It's hard, but I manage.

"Are you sure?" My loving father questions me. I nod and offer him a small smile, all I can work up.

"I'll be ready for breakfast in 10 minutes." I tell him and he just nods and exits the room.
I gather my clothes for the day, slightly overthinking my choices, and get changed.
As I'm about to leave my little room the smell of delicious pancakes fills my nose. I follow the scent to the kitchen where my dad has made me a stack and set a bottle of syrup next to it.

"It smells so good dad, thank you." I comment as I shove a forkful of pancake into my mouth. He smiles as he piles a few on his plate and sits down across from me.

"Of course, sugar, I love you."

"I love you too, dad." I smile. After I'm done I put my dishes into the sink and head into the living room until I have to leave.

"Hey dad, have you seen my book?" I ask him. I have seemed to misplaced it. 

"Is this it?" He says and hands me an old book. It's not. But I do know what it is. It's my mom's favorite book, she gave it to me when I was little. I smile a little and just nod.

"I actually think I'm going to walk today. It's nice out and not too far" I tell my dad. He looks at me strangely and then replies with a simple, "Okay".

I head out the door, ready to start my new school. Completely unaware of what and who will come next.