Running From You

Chapter 11

"I'll be there soon," I say with my phone squeezed between my ear and shoulder. "I just need to get a fresh set of clothes." I spent last night at Caleb's, his parents away for the weekend.

"Hurry up!" Olive's voice reaches my ear. "I'm bored alone."

"Yeah, yeah," I smile as I step out of the bus and frown. "That's weird."

"What is?"

"Dad's car is parked on the driveway. He's not supposed to be home for another two days."

"Well, maybe he just got off early and wanted to surprise you all" Olive reasons.

"I guess," I say, but I don't believe it. Dad's never come home earlier than he's said. In fact, he hasn't been home much for the past two years. "Listen, I have to go. But I'll be there soon. Bye!" I hang up without listening to her reply, and open the door.

I'm immediately bombarded with loud yelling from upstairs. Mom and dad. They're always fighting nowadays. Not that I'm much better with dad, really. 

I sigh and climb up the stairs, wanting to know what it is this time. As I step onto the landing, I frown. Why is there three suitcases by the door? Dad always just takes one to his trips.

"Are you serious right now?" mom is yelling. "How dare you!"

"I'm tired of this, Deyjah. All this fighting. I'm done."

"You're done?" mom screams. I can't help but flinch at the familiarity of the words. The wound is still too fresh. "What the hell, Greg? What about our family?"

"I have a new family," my dad says, his voice hard.

What? My heart flips. I cross the landing to see to their open bedroom. Mom is standing a few feet from dad crying while dad just looks down at her, annoyed.

"You can't just leave us!"

"What?" I stop in my tracks. They both turn around, eyes wide. They hadn't expected me to come home. "What do you mean, leave us?" I look from one to the other.

Dad swallows, looking guilty but it's mom who speaks."I... Nora, what are you doing at home? You are supposed to be at a a friend's." Oh, right, I lied about that.

"What I'm—?" I stare from one to the other, shocked. "What the hell does it matter why I'm home? You're leaving?" I direct my stare to dad. "Why? What happened?"

My father drags a hand across his face, like he's tired. "Your mother and I are getting a divorce."

"What?" I knew they weren't doing well, but I just assumed they'd try to work it out.

"I'm moving out," he continues, as if I hadn't spoken. Mom bursts into more tears behind him, and I can't do anything but look from her to him.

"I—" I swallow and start over. "Where are you going?"

"Phoenix," he answers.

"You're... you're gonna come visit, right?" This has to be a bad dream. This can't be happening right now. Dad and I might not have the warmest father-daughter relationship, but he's still my dad. He can't just move away.

"Nora..." my mom pleads in the background.

"Right?" I ask him again, but he won't look at me. "Right, dad?"