A Private Life

Part 5

"Was that your brother?" Daisy's mother's voice cut across the kitchen as Daisy placed her phone back on the counter beside her. Daisy nodded. It had been her brother, asking her for money and to borrow her car once agains. "What did he want?"

"He wanted a ride," Daisy said. She left out the money part, not wanting the to know that she occasionally gave her older brother money so he could buy 'gas'. She knew it was never for gas, that he would going running to his dealer the second she crumbled.

"Don't drag Daisy into this," her father said, his eyes glued to the pot of pasta her was standing in front of. Daisy's dad was always on her side. He was always sticking up for her when she fought with her mom. Daisy's mother loved to force her to do things. She was always telling her she had to be better, that she should be a leader and not a follower. Her dad was always there, helping the ease the pressure her mom put on her, telling her that is she didn't like something she could just quite. Daisy never did though. She knew the look her mom would get, she knew that even bringing it up would lead to a huge fight. One where Daisy would lose her cool.

"I just wanted to know if he said anything about us," her mother pressed, glancing between her and her dad. Daisy shrugged. He hadn't said anything new. It was always the same. That "Mom and Dad were terrible parents", "they don't care about us", "they are lying to us" about what Daisy didn't know. Between her brother trying to get her to agree with him and her mom always pressing her to talk about what he had told her, she had started to feel stressed. She was constantly anxious, and there was no one to talk to. Daisy's friends were dealing with real crises. Their lives were falling apart. Her problems weren't that bad. She had grown up learning to hide from the screaming matches that took place in the living room. She didn't feel anything when her mom's voice would pitch to a new level, or when her brother called her a bitch.

"No. He just said he missed me." It wasn't really a lie. He had said he missed her, but Daisy just left out a few other things he said. She hated being dragged in the middle, but it seemed to be where Daisy was meant to be. Even with her friends she was being dragged into the middle of things, trying to play the peacekeeper.

* * *

"Ella?" Daisy said, knitting her eyebrows together and glancing at her friend. Ella gave a small wave from her seat on the cafeteria table.

"Hey, D," she drawled, slining her arm over Daisy's shoulders and smiling.

"Are you okay El?" Monica asked, giving Ella a nervous look. Ella smiled and held up her hand, marking the OK sign.

"Just peachy darlin'," Ella said, smiling and slipping off the table.

"Are you high?" Daisy gasped looking into Ella's eyes and noticing her pupils were dilated. Ella smiled and sniffed with a nod. "At school Ella? I thought we weren't doing it at school anymore."

"Yes at school. I did it last night and I couldn't sleep," Ella responded with a small pout at Daisy's tone. "I did it to stay awake at school Daisy!" she sneered.

"Ella. We're concerned," Monica said, staring into Ella's hazel green eyes. "You've been doing a lot of cocaine, you've been skipping first period and haven't been doing your homework. You failed that biology exam Ella!"

"I'm fine," Ella said, getting defensive. "I'm not an addict if that's what you're thinking! I'm only do so much because I'm with Philip. He's the addict not me."

"He's not a good influence on you Ella," Monica said. "I've known him since elementary school, remember Ella? I know him better than you," she said. Ella crossed her arms and glared at Monica.

"I don't see what the big deal is. So, what if I come in a little late every once in awhile," Ella snapped defensively.

"It's not a little late and it's not once in awhile," Monica nearly yelled. Daisy glanced around the blue and green cafeteria, wary of the attention they were drawing. Daisy glanced at a few of their peers who were watching Monica and Ella yell at one another. Daisy jumped when one of their teachers glanced up from the papers they were grading to glance at the girls.

"Guys," Daisy muttered, trying to get them to quiet down.

"Do you have a problem with me too now Daisy?"

"What? I- I was just gonna say to be quiet. You're drawing attention to yourselves," Daisy said nervously, not liking the look her oldest friend was giving her.

"Stay out of this Daisy," Ella snapped. "You too, Monica. It's my life."

"I won't let you walk away from this. You have a problem and you need help Ella," Daisy said, speaking up for the first time in months. Daisy was sick and tired of watching the people she loved crash and burn, she was tired of watching them walk down this road.

"Before you go getting all high and mighty you might want to remember who started all of this." Daisy felt like she was punched in the stomach. Her breath flew from her lips at Ella's words, at the truth that was ringing in them. Daisy did nothing as Ella stormed away from the them. Monica and Daisy watched as their friend slammed open the door and left.

"She's right," Daisy whispered, her world spinning around her. She was brewing with emotions, with anger that her friend was throwing her life away with the realization that this was all Daisy's fault. She wasn't sure how the rest of the day would go, how she would be able to sit beside Ella in class. She knew Ella would pretend this never happened, that in ten minutes when they sat down in science Ella would pretended everything was a-okay. Daisy wouldn't let her. Daisy was livid. She had never felt this angry in all her life. She sucked in a breath through her clenched teeth, storming away from Monica. She did what any other person would have done in her situation. She went to my next class, ignored the teacher as she lectured about GMO's. Daisy ignored Ella when she had sat in her seat beside her. She ignored the urge to scream at Ella and when the bell finally rang she continued to ignore Ella, and everyone else as she climbed onto the bus and blasted music through her headphones. Daisy was hurt that Ella felt like she couldn't trust her and went to Olivia. That Olivia and Ella were buying coke every weekend. Daisy was hurt that she was losing control. She was hurt that people didn't listen to her.

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-Bee <3

P.S. I swear by dry shampoo