Tex (Dallas Winston)

Chapter Sixteen

Oh, how Talia wished her happiness could've last just a bit longer.

Mr. and Mrs. Fieldman had gotten wind of Talia's return, and were less than pleased. The angry couple, now out of the hospital and back at home, called Buck's and asked Talia to come and talk to them.

Talia knew how this 'talk' would go, and it wouldn't be a lot of 'talking', but rather 'yelling'.

There she stood, at the corner of her street, dressed in her nicest clothes, hoping that her good appearance (rather than her regular greaser drab) would ease their discipline.

She dreaded moving forward along the sidewalk, adn as much, her feet were stuck to the concrete like they were glued down, as her fear manifested itself physically.

Disappointment. That would be their main emotion. They sent her up to New York for a reason. For a 'better life' away from the 'violence' in Tulsa.

Admit your guilt. Let them yell. Take responsibility. Talia repeated those three phrases to herself as she gathered the strength to move her feet along the sidewalk, inching closer and closer to her house.

Eventually, she made it onto the porch of her parent's house. The only thing she needed to do now was knock on the door, but as her heart raced and her hands grew numb with anxiety, she found herself unable to.

As she raised her hand to finally knock on the door, she was surprised to see it swing open with great force, exposing her two very angry looking parents.

"Talia Fieldman, how dare you?" Her mother screeched as her father grabbed her arm, pulling Talia into the house. The door shut loudly behind them as Talia was ushered into the living room.

"Well, I-"

"She clearly wasn't thinking, that's for sure." Mr. Fieldman scolded.

Talia sat down in the armchair, across from her two parents taking a seat on the couch. She felt isolated; alone. She was definitely living one of her worst nightmares.

"I'm trying to be more independent. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you." Talia said calmly, trying to stand her ground and muster up as much confidence as she could.

Just a month ago, her father was in the hospital, too mentally ill to take care of himself, but here he stood before her, questioning her life decisions.

"Independent? You're only seventeen, you don't need to be independent yet!" Her mother yelled.

"You know," Her father started, pausing to laugh slightly, "We could send you to jail for this, little Miss Runaway."

Talia sighed. It was obvious her father wasn't completely better from his trip to the hospital.

"I kindly ask that you don't press any kind of charges against me. It seems a little unfair to me."

Her mother scoffed. "Unfair to you? How do you think we felt when we got the call from your aunt that you had packed up all of your things and just left? We didn't know where you were, or if you were safe!"

Talia sighed. "You don't know what the living situation was like up there. NOBODY tried to stop me as I was leaving! I'm surprised they even cared enough to call you!"

Stinging sensation. Talia had just finished her sentence when her father raised his hand and slapped her right on her cheek.

"How dare you say that. Your aunt took you in out of the kindness of her heart, and that was how you repaid her? By running away and then talking about her home as if it were some personal hell for you?"