Keeping up with... Kamryn?

Chapter Two.

The EMTs arrived shortly with a stretcher and a first aid bag.

"You won't need it." I said coldly as I sat on one of the bar stools at the counter. "He's dead."

"Check for a pulse." One guy said to the other.

I watched the guy's face as his fingers rested on my dad's neck. He looked up at his partner and shook his head, confirming what I said. "I told you... he's dead as a door nail." I said with no compassion.

"I'm sorry ma'am..." The man began.

"Don't be." I grinned. "I wasn't exactly a daddy's girl." I laughed at myself.

Apparently I surprised the paramedics, they just nodded and made a few calls by the door. Everyone expected me to be in pieces because of what I discovered when I came home, and in the fact alone that my only known parent was dead. But they didn't know the whole story about who he really was.

A part of me is relieved. He was not exactly kind to me. I am relieved that I don't have to come home every day to a drunk father whining that I don't bring him the right kind of alchohol. No one else will understand that.

But the other part of me is anxious. Where do I go? Social services are on their way to take me. I am under 18 and not a legal adult, even though they are unaware that I was the one paying the bills to this place. The last place I want to go is an orphanage.

I blinked and all the sudden my dad was in a black body bag and being transported out the door. It was really happening... my dad is gone for good.

I scanned over the corner where I found his body. The investigators bagged up the needle, bottle, and pills for evidence. There wasn't really anything left. But I can still picture his cold, pale body. His eye open and staring ahead. The needle left hanging in his swollen vein.

All I can think is "I am so glad I didn't turn out like him."

All the sudden a woman in a skirt and high heels came walking in. "Hi, I'm Debbie from Social Services. Would you like to come with me?"

"No. But I guess I have to." I said plainly. I've always been a straight forward, tell it how it is kind of person. Maybe I get that from my mothers side of the family.

"I am so very sorry about your dad... I know it must be hard, losing him., because your mother isn't around either."

"Having my mother not around is hard. But losing him? Not so much." I shrugged. "He didn't care about me so I'm not going to care about him. He doesn't deserve it."

Debbie's eye were wide with shock. "Oh. How terrible! I am so sorry, dear! Lets talk some more in my car..."

She led me out the door and police took our places in the apartment, probably looking for more drugs or alchohol, and I'm sure they will have no problem finding either.

Debbie led me down to her fancy, black, shiny car and I got in. "Where are you taking me?" I asked nervously.

"Right now I am taking you back to my office. You can wait there for now. There is a lounge there you can sleep in tonight, if that's alright?" She said.

"Better than an orphanage." I shrugged.

Debbie looked at me and slowly nodded. We reached her office and I went straight to the couch in the lounge. I looked at the clock and it was 11:58 p.m.

If it was a normal night, which it obviously isn't, I would be in my room right now getting ready to go somewhere. I could slap my dad silly and he would be too drunk or tired to notice, so I usually just left and he never heard me. I meet my friends out places, especially on Friday nights.

But tonight I am on Debbie's stupid couch. I laid on my phone for about 2 hours before falling asleep.

__________________________

"Rise and shine!" I woke up to Debbie's voice chanting as she opened the shades in the room, allowing the sunlight to pierce my eyes.

I squinted and sat up, rubbing my eyes. Debbie was fixing coffee, and I slowly got up and bent over at the counter, resting my head on my hands.

"So, what's the plan for today? I go home and pack for the orphanage?"

She looked at me with get bright green eyes that complimented her red hair perfectly, and said, "Not exactly. Did you know your father had a will?"

I stood up. "A will? No..."

"Well, he had a safety deposit box in the bank. We found out about it and found the key, and we opened it." She began.

"And....?" I pressed for more information.

"And we found some things you might want to take a look at."