Just as I Begin to Fade

Twenty Five. Reboot

After school, Gwen went straight to her dad's house because she didn't feel like working; she wanted to sleep because she was stressing heavily.

Since day one, Lindsey had been watching out for any such things; knowing she was in an abusive household anyway because her mother was on drugs, she was on alcoholic, it just made it something to look out for, but then the girl never complained and though she didn't, he knew that her mother hit her and though it was the first time, the first time her mother rose her hand to her, it didn't not make it physical abuse.

As soon as the teen entered her father's house, almost as if it was a regular thing she did every day, she walked in with ease and she made her way to the kitchen to find something to eat.

Opening the fridge, she noticed that it was emptier than usual so she figured that Mindy cleaned it out before her father left; there was only a few water bottles in there. She then searched the cabinets, just to find a it almost empty as well with the exception of a loaf of bread, a box of cereal, saltine crackers and a few cans of tuna.

"Well, guess I am going to be ordering out..." she mumbled to herself only because there wasn't anything to mix into the tuna and she did not like eating it straight. She then grabbed her bag from off the counter and she checked for the amount of money she had, and she counted enough to order a pizza.

She had left the remainder of her money stashed at home, not thinking twice about it.

After ordering the pizza and a two liter bottle of Diet Coke, she sat at the bar and she took in the quiet her father's house had to offer her. She then crouched and she rested her head against the dark granite countertop.

"What do you tell everybody; I'm a typical teen, I'm lazy, I'm an alcoholic, I don't do anything in the house..." she sighed. "Those are all of your faults... though you are a typical drunk and junkie."

Immediately, the blonde lost her last bit of patience and she slapped her, then feeling bad right after. "Gwen, I'm sorry," she shook her head and she took another step forward.

She took a deep breath as she recalled the night before, just how heated it got between the two of them.

She had said some bad things but she had never called her name such as that and she knew she caused her mom to be offended, but she wasn't sorry---she needed to hear the truth if she wasn't going to pay attention to it.

"Did she hit you?"

"No," she shook her head.

"Gwen, don't lie to me."

"Lindsey..." she sighed and slammed her hand into her head. "Okay, yes, but please don't say anything. That's why I left in the first place. Look, I don't want there to be anymore problems, so just leave it alone."

"Gwen--"

"Lindsey, please," she begged, grasping his hand. "She's not in her happiest moods, with all of her connections, she could make things really bad, really quick. I cannot lose you as a teacher or friend... Just leave it alone."

He sighed. "I can't allow this... This goes against all of my morals. A parent hitting their child--"

"There's nothing you can do here, other than dig a bigger hole for yourself. My mom... does this kind of stuff. She gets into these psycho like fits and she wants to sue the world. I mean, I don't take it personally because I can't tell you how many times she said she was going to give my dad full custody of me so she doesn't have to bother with me. She took him to court for something a really long time ago and I can't remember what for, it was so long ago. I just barely remember being in the courtroom because there was nobody to watch me and Karen had to be there."