Going Nowhere At Full Speed

Three Weeks Later

It was finally Chloe’s eighteenth birthday, and everyone was waiting for a call from her or for her to walk through the front door at any moment. As the day went on, everyone grew more worried, wondering if Chloe was okay, or if Dirk had done something to hurt her.

As the night grew to an end, Ava and Brent sat in his living room, still waiting for Chloe. Ava looked up at Brent, worriedly. “Brent, do you think she’s alright? Do you think she got out of Dirk’s house?” she asked, wondering why none of them had heard from her.

“I hope she’s okay, but I can’t say for sure,” Brent told her. “I don’t know what to do, though,” he continued. “Call her? I’m sure Dirk took her phone away a long time ago.”

“Maybe you should call his house?” Ava suggested. “I mean, maybe you can find out if she’s still there or not, and what’s going on.”

Brent hesitated for a moment before grabbing his phone off of the side table that sat next to him. He dialed Dirk’s number and once again waited for someone to answer. He expected to hear Dirk’s deep voice, but instead, a quiet, feminine voice answered. “Hello?” Chloe asked in a small voice.

“Chloe?” Brent asked. “Chloe, what are you still doing in that house? In case you forgot, it’s your eighteenth birthday. You should have been out of there at midnight,” he told her.

“I can’t,” Chloe replied.

“What do you mean you can’t?” Brent questioned. “Chloe, what are you talking about? Is Dirk making you stay there? He can’t do that. Listen, I’ll call the cops right now, and you can leave and come back here.”

“No!” Chloe exclaimed. “I just can’t go. At least not yet,” she added.

“I don’t get it, Chloe,” Brent said. “You’ve been saying this entire time that as soon you turn eighteen that you would be leaving. So, why all of a sudden, did you change your mind?”

“Brent, you haven’t been staying with him these past few weeks,” Chloe continued.

“That’s just it! You’ve been staying with Dirk for a month, and now you don’t want to leave!” he exclaimed, causing Ava to look over at him in shock. Chloe didn’t want to come back?

“What!?” Ava whisper-shouted. Brent just held up his finger, indicating that he’d answer her in a moment.

“Chloe, why do you want to stay?”

“I’m scared to leave,” she admitted.

“I can come down there if you want. He won’t touch you if I’m there. Or, I can call the cops.”

“No, that’s not it. Brent, you haven’t seen him. He’s a complete wreck. I have to do everything for him, cook, clean, shop, everything! I’m sure that when I leave he’s going to let everything go, and he’ll end up dying,” Chloe explained.

“And you’re upset about that?” Brent asked.

“Brent!” Chloe scolded.

“What?” Brent asked. “Chloe, he’s beat you, threatened to kill you, and for all I know, he’s actually tried to kill you. And, now you’re worried that he’s going to die if you’re not there? This makes no sense at all!” he exclaimed.

“Brent, if he dies, it’ll be my fault,” she continued.

“No, it wouldn’t! He would do it to himself. God, Chloe, does he have you brainwashed or something? Dirk deserves everything that comes to him. You need to get yourself out of there right now!” Brent told her.

“I can’t,” Chloe repeated.

“Chloe!” Brent yelled.

“Please, Brent, just let me stay here a little while longer. I don’t want to just up and leave him,” she told him.

“Chloe, he has to have known that you were going to leave today ever since he come and got you,” Brent told her.

“Brent, you’re not the one here with him, watching him. Yes, he’s a terrible father, but he’s been a mess ever since Mom died. And, I’m partially responsible for that, so I’m also partially responsible for the person he’s become. I can’t just leave him without warning,” Chloe told him.

“Chloe! You are not responsible for Mom dying, and you are definitely not responsible for the person Dirk’s become. That’s all on him,” Brent argued.

“Brent, please, just let me give him a warning that I’m going to leave.”

“Chloe, this isn’t a job. You don’t need to give him a two weeks notice,” Brent told her.

“Please,” Chloe begged.

“Listen, we’re playing the Canucks in three weeks. And, I’m coming to get you, and you’re coming home with the team,” Brent told her.

After a moment of silence, Chloe spoke up. “Fine,” she agreed. “That’ll give Dirk enough of a notice. I’ll see you in three weeks. I’ve got to go. Dirk’s coming up the front step right now,” Chloe said, hanging up.

“She’s not coming back for another three weeks?” Ava asked sadly.

Brent shook his head. “No, she said all this bullshit about how she’s the reason that Dirk’s so messed up and that she wants to give him some sort of warning before she leaves,” he explained.

“What?” Ava asked. “That makes no sense at all!”

“I know, but she agreed to come home with me when I go to Vancouver in a few weeks,” Brent told her.

“And, you think she’ll be alright until then?” Ava asked.

“Well, I figure if she’s willing to stay there, then he hasn’t done anything toobad to her,” Brent replied, and when Ava gave him a questionable look, he continued. “We have no choice.”

“You keep saying that,” Ava told him.

“She will be coming back in three weeks, no matter what. Even if I have to call the cops and have Dirk arrested myself,” Brent promised.