Turning Tables, With Harry Styles

Chapter Three

Had I cursed myself? There lay my dad on the slabbed pavement, his eyes closed and blood trickling down his head. 

I did nothing, I didn't scream, I didn't cry, I just stared.

"Is he dead?" I spoke, my own voice coming as a shock to me as it was the first noise made after the silence.

"I told you stay in there" Mum spoke through gritted teeth, as my dad's girlfriend lingered about down the bottom of the garden behind her, stressed wailing sounds coming from her mouth.

"Answer my question" I spat back, my fists clenched tightly. How could she be so inconsiderate? Phoning me up in a tone, and then ignoring me when I actually get here?

"He still has a pulse" She muttered. "I've just called the ambulance"

"What happened" I asked, falling onto a chair and staring at my father's limp, lifeless body.

"He was fixing the guttering on the roof" Mandy muttered, although nobody had noticed she had came back up. Mandy was my dad's girlfriend, and my mum hadn't necessarily liked her.

"And you weren't aiding him?" Mum snapped.

"Oh shut up" I spat at her again. "This is no time to be arguing."

Both women looked shocked, but were obviously too motionless to say anything. That's the thing, why were we motionless? Why were we all calm? Why was nobody screaming? My dad could be dead for gods sakes, lay there on his own, bleeding as we spoke.

Before I could let my mind continue to roam there was a soft knock on the door, and Mandy went to answer it. Two paramedics appeared with a stretcher and a bag full of whatever.

"Oh dear" One said softly. "John, check his pulse"

The woman gave me a soft smile as she passed me, and I returned it. She set down the stretcher by dad and the man instantly rushed to his side, checking his pulse as he'd been ordered.

"He's still got a pulse, thank god" The man breathed, looking rather relieved.

The next few minutes passed silently, as the paramedic people did what they needed to dad, and we all soaked it in.

"We'll need the police to question you all and look into this further to see what actually happened with your dad" The woman announced quietly.

"Why?" I questioned, frowning. "Like Mandy said, he fell off the ladder." I nodded toward the ladder laying across the garden.

The woman sighed. "That's probably the answer love, but it's just a procedure"

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, as long as he get's better."

"He will, we'll take him to the hospital as soon as possible, and when he wakes up we'll let you know so you can come and visit him, okay?" She smiled softly.

I sighed and nodded, looking down at my lap.

"You're so brave you know" She said to me, before she went to John's aid and helped carry dad into the back of the ambulance. Mum asked me if I wanted to go with her and Mandy but I declined, I had homework to do and all I wanted to was sleep before any of this kicked in and I started to feel the real emotion of it all. I don't want to be dealing with that right now.  

"No" I groaned, pulling myself out of my bed and throwing myself over to the mirror. With no type of joy or happiness whatsoever I threw on my disgusting uniform and styled my hair again, applying the same makeup and sliding into my shoes. 

"Bye mum" I shouted, but quickly realised she was still at the hospital.

With my dad, injured and still fast asleep.

I sighed; something I did regularly, and threw my bag on. It was a dull morning but there was no rain so I didn't need my umbrella and I didn't need to worry about my hair flattening. Connor wasn't here as he had to drive his brother to school this morning, but he promised he'd wait for me at the gates.

I hadn't told him about my dad, but I will.

Stepping outside I began my treck to school, surrounded by other kids attending the same one. I found my iPod in my pocket and placed the buds of my earplugs in my ears, pressing play and letting it run through.

"I like her hair, proper looks like she's been dragged backwards through a bush or something" I overheard, passing through a group of girls in my year. The "popular" ones.

Surprising the girl; I turned round and thanked her for her failed insult.

"Why thank you, that's the effect I try and give, you know?" I spoke, smiling sincerely as her face morphed into something I couldn't even explain.

"Freak" I heard as I continued walking, but smiling the whole way. These girls made me laugh, thinking everybody loved them when really everybody hated them.

It's like a more classier version of the plastics, except they had no class at all. They just think they're brilliant because boys fancy them, or just want to use them for a quick bang and then move onto the next whore willing to throw themselves at them. It's so blunt and forward, but it's the way it is.