Breaking Her Walls

Chapter 1

I stand on the porch out the front of the house ... well, mansion really, fighting in my head as to whether or not I should knock on the door. I decide against myself and raise my hand in a fist.  

I squeeze my eyes shut as I knock on the door and wait for someone to answer. Panic hits me in the stomach and I am in the middle of spinning around to leave when the door opens; and standing before me in the doorway is the one man I thought I'd never see again, and yet probably my last hope, which I almost smirk at because of how very dramatic that sounds.

"Hi dad"

He looks stunned. Well, that's understandable; he hasn't seen me in what, almost 7 years?

"Wha- what are you doing here Harley?" His eyes run over me, trying to take in all that has changed about me; like the vibrant blue of my hair, the piercings that crowd my mouth, the hardness behind my eyes from years and years of let downs.    

"I need a place to crash for a while."

"Where? Here?" 

"No, Washington, of cause here stupid." I roll my eyes, I hate it when people play stupid.

"Where's your mum Harley?" He sounds deflated, like he already know the answer.

"Jail" I reply bluntly.

"What's she done this time?" He sighs, he's probably not surprised.

"She stole a car and had a high speed car chase with the police for around 10 minutes, it was actually pretty cool" I leave out that that feeling of pretty cool was quickly replaced by terror as she swerved off the road, too high on whatever the heck she had taken to handle a speeding car, and crashed head first into a tree. She walked away relatively unharmed, I on the other hand have a couple of giant bruises on my arms from holding them over my head to protect myself. But still, better my arm then my head. 

"How long is she in jail for? Does she need bail?"

"A couple months, no big deal, but I don't want to go back living with her once she's out." He frowns at this, but behind it is sadness.

"You were the one who choose to live with her in the first place. I gave you a choice, an you choose her. You knew these things would happen, they've continued to happen throughout your life from what I've heard, so whats changed?"

"Hey! I was 10... 10! You told me to choose between my mummy and daddy when i was only 10" I growl at him and put on a mockingly sweet voice when I say mummy and daddy.

"You still choose her." He looks hurt, but all I do is glare. Breathing heavily through my teeth I say to him

"She was abusive, she was neglecting ... she was a down right bad mother. But you weren't a father, and you know it! I didn't even know you, you were gone most of the time, and when you were around I always knew you were uncomfortable with me" He sighs, relenting, realising i'm right.

"OK, I know I know. But I could have learned, I did learn when given the chance. All I ever wanted from you was a chance." He looks deflated, then adds with a sense of embarrassment "But um, I'm a father now." I scoff, he's worried that I don't know about his happy happy new family. 

"Dad, I am aware you haven't been living under a rock for the last 7 years"

"Oh. Well I didn't mean that, well I mean that is true, but I didn't mean it that way, well not the way your th-"

"Dad" He stops, then sighs.

"Harley I don't know. I'm not sure I could handle you"

"Handle me? I'm 17! I don't need anything, just a roof, maybe some food." I look him dead in the eyes, knowing this is really my only hope of getting away from home and the horrors that await me there.