Keeping up with... Kamryn?

Chapter One.

"Kammmmmron!" My dad yelled across the apartment.

I came out of my room in my black pants and white button up shirt, the uniform required for Cherüge, scrambling to find my green waist apron for work.

"What?" I responded to my dad, who was lying on the couch, half conscious, reaching for a bottle of whiskey.

"Can.. can you give me a hand?" He mumbled.

I stopped and looked at him pathetically. "Dad... aren't you supposed to be at work? School ended 20 minutes ago."

I knew this because as soon as I get home from school I go straight to work. Someone has to pay the bills - and it sure wont be my dad.

"Well... they sent me home." He half chuckled.

"What do you mean they sent you home? What did you do now?" I huffed.

"Me? I didn't do anything. It's them. Alllllllll them." He drunkedly said dramatically. "They um.. They fired me."

"Fired?" I gasped. "D-dad.... H-how...? What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to lay here, what's it look like I'm doing, Kamron?" He spat, as if I was the stupid one.

"Or you could start looking for... I don't know.. a job??" I suggested with a hint of sarcasm.

"Shut up!" He yelled angrily. "I'm sick of the voices... all of them. Yours too. Just leave already!" He slurred.

"My pleasure." I spat back at him as I spotted my green apron, grabbed it along with my purse and phone, and walked out, slamming the door as hard as I could on my way out.

As much as I should love my dad no matter what - it seems impossible. He is a sorry excuse for a father, obviously. I should be studying for my history test tomorrow, but instead I am working my ass off to pay for a fairly decent apartment that my dad junks up with empty bottles and old cigarettes.

Every day I wish I had my mom here. I don't know who she is or where she is, but apparently she didn't want me, according to my dad.

But I don't know if I should even believe a word that comes out of his whiskey breathed mouth. I have asked time and time again about my mom... what she looked like, how she talked, how she acted... but all I get from my dad is "she didn't want you."

I have no grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins to ask - that I know of. All I have is my dad, unfortunately.

After I walked about a block and a half, I reached the restaurant and walked in. It was a busy Friday night.

After serving table after table, I saw a few familiar faces walk in. My friends Aaron, Rebecca, and Sarah all walked in and were at one of my booths shortly.

I smiled as I walked towards them to get their order. They were my only friends at school. We weren't the "popular clique" but we all understood each other and we accepted each other. I would take them over my dad any day.

"Hey guys." I smiled.

"Hey Kam." Aaron smiled back.

No one really knows what the status is with me and Aaron. We flirt, quite a bit to be honest, and we've been out a few times for coffee or frozen yogurt... but neither of us has made a move yet, and he hasn't asked me to be his girlfriend... yet.

I would definitely say yes. He is one of my best friends. But I also don't want to jeopardize the great friendship we have now. I don't want to risk losing that.

Rebecca said, snapping me out of my thoughts, "I heard about your dad, I'm so sorry..."

"How did you hear about it? I just found out about an hour ago." I asked.

"Well their was someone else cleaning during his shift, and I asked where Geroge was, and he told me he was taking his place." She replied.

"Oh. Okay." I said, a frown forming on my face. "Never mind about that. I don't want to think about it anymore. Can I get you all some drinks?"

They all ordered water and I brought it out to them. You would think it would be weird serving your best friends, but it was just the opposite. Sarah serves me coffee at her parent's coffee shop every Saturday. That's what I love about my friends - it never gets weird or awkward.

The rest of the night was busy and I was constantly serving and taking orders. People can be very demanding at five star restaurants. I had to serve Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom one time and she has the most complicated order I have ever taken.

Lamar, on the other hand, was simpler.

On the bright side, she left a fantastic tip.

When 8:30 arrived I was glad, but sad at the same time. I was happy to be off work but even more disappointed that I had to go home to my dad, who was probably drunk on the couch watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians as usual. He had a strange liking for that show that I have never understood.

I took the elevator up to the apartment and was humming to the song "Roar" when I unlocked the apartment door.

I walked in and the tv was on as I had suspected. All the lights were off and I didn't pay any attention to it. My dad usually fell asleep on the couch around this time.

It was mid-March, so it was still a little chilly, so I hung my coat up and walked straight to the hallway to adjust the thermostat. I didn't pay any attention to what was around me.

"Dad? Are you awake?" I called into the living room without looking. I took off my apron and tossed it on my bed. "Dad?"

No answer. Complete silence. Usually I get a grunt or a moan from him in response, but there was nothing.

It was unusual. Even when he falls asleep he wakes up when I come in and he will make me fix him some thing to eat.

I walked out of my room down the hallway and walked in the living room. He wasn't on the couch.

I observed the room a little closer and turned on the overhead light. When I flicked it on, the light spread to the corner of the room.

My eyes widened and I gasped, with a blood-curdling scream following short after.

In the corner of the room, by the table, was my father's body... slumped over with a needle in his arm and an empty bottle of whiskey in his opposite hand.

In front of his body was a bottle of pills spilt all over the floor.

My trembling hands picked up the phone to call 911, but I was shaking so bad I couldn't dial the number. I finally got it together and called for an ambulance, even though I knew... my father was dead.