Harper Brown✔ [ Sequel to Being McKenzie Prince]

Chapter Four

I could literally feel the tension in the air as if though it was tangible when Edith left the room.

She left me alone in the kitchen with my father reluctantly.

I wondered if my mother was home. I had not seen her in what felt like weeks. Not that it would make a difference.

It was just after eight in the evening when we arrived back home, but in the manner my father was looking at me, he made it look as if though it was five in the morning and I was drunk. What was so wrong about visiting with a friend for a few minutes?

I guess this mistrust that he harbors is entirely my fault. There was a time when I drank a lot, but I stopped when my father made it clear in his own cruel way that it was unacceptable.

The last time I had a party at my house was the night Skylar called the cops.

He made my already miserable life unbearable.

"Where were you?" My dad had this one vein at the base of his neck. Whenever he became mad it would get bigger and bigger. I have wondered more than once if one day it would just explode. As I looked up at him I could see the vein grow to three times its normal size. The last few months my father had not personally laid a hand on me. I had a bad feeling that this streak was about to end.

"Edith and I went to the beach. It is no big deal dad. I just..." My father slammed his fists hard against the kitchen table. I stopped talking and my heart began to race. Nothing I said would make any difference at this moment. Everything I said or did not say would only be used against me.

"Did I not make it clear that you are not to leave this house?"

"I know. But...Why? Are you ashamed of me?" I spoke before thinking. This was not the time to talk back, but I felt like I needed to try and defend myself.

"Yes! Your own stupid actions landed you in this mess. I will never be able to comprehend how you allowed that girl to overpower you. I cannot begin to understand how..." He threw his hands in the air. I could not stop myself and I began to laugh.

"Are you serious? There is no way you can actually believe that. What makes you think that is what really happened? That she really pushed me? I jumped dad. I jumped because I did not want to live anymore! I jumped to get away from you and mom!" I yelled at him. He was dead silent for a few seconds.

He got this strange expression on his face.

"Why would you do something like that? To get attention? That is it right? Well your stupid plan backfired and now you are trapped! Do you know what people will think of me and your mother when they hear that you attempted to kill yourself to get away from us? Are we that horrible? Do we not take care of you?" He bent down and put his hands on the sides of the wheelchair.

"You are nothing but a self-centered child that always wants the whole world to revolve around you. You are a wimp and a coward. You are just pathetic and an imbecile if you think that jumping off of a pier will somehow solve all of your problems. Guess what? You even failed at that. If you want to carry on like some imprudent child then I will just have to treat you like one." I looked at him with confusion and swallowed.

He pushed hard against the wheelchair and threw it backwards. I fell with it and hit my head against the tiles. The wheelchair literally fell out from under me. I bit my lip as if to not scream out as extreme pain shot through me upper body. I swore and attempted to help myself up. My father punched me in the left side of the face and the right side of my face hit against the tiles.

My dad stood back with his arms folded. I crawled towards the wheelchair which was upside down on the tiles a few feet away.

The nurse, Elaine, came running into the room. She must have heard the sound of me falling and came to investigate. It was obvious though. The whole house probably heard us arguing. There was no doubt that this was no accident with the amount of blood and scrapes on my face and head.