It Takes Someone Special to be a Dad
Fight
I gripped Max’s wrist and dragged him up my garden pathway, I was laughing, almost hysterically, and he was rubbing his leg. I could tell, from the look on his face, he was fighting the urge to laugh himself and that the look of anger on his face was fake.
“It’s not funny!” He protested. I shoved my key into the lock and opened the door.
“Yeah it is. You walk into that gate every time you come here.” I replied and stepped into the house. I looked over my shoulder to see him kick the door shut and dump his bag on the floor with a little scowl.
I shoved my bag beside his and led him to the kitchen.
“Holly?” Mom called, just as we got into the kitchen.
“What’s wrong?” I called back and yanked open the fridge door. I retrieved 2 cans of coke and slammed it shut again, handing one to Max as mom yelled her reply.
“Could you come here please? We need to talk…” Came her reply and I sighed as I clicked my can open.
I took a mouthful of the cold drink and coughed as the bubbles fizzed down my throat. Max grinned at me and I just shrugged before I went towards the living room and pushed the door open.
“Yeah mom?” I asked and sat on the arm of the sofa. I groaned inwardly as my eyes landed on the form of my younger cousin, Sarah.
“Honey, can you sit down properly please?” She asked softly and I shot her a confused look, before I grabbed Max’s hand and dragged him onto the sofa with me.
“Mom, what’s going on?” I asked nervously and looked from her to my Aunt Sophia. I deliberately avoided the gaze of Sarah.
“Holly, we had en e-mail from your…father…he wants contact with you.” Mom explained. My voice caught in my throat and I didn’t know what to say.
“We decided it would be best if we spoke to you first, Holly, just in case you didn’t want to know him.” Sophia said kindly. I smiled gratefully at her and returned my gaze to my mom.
“Mom…I…Yes, I would…but I think I need answers first.” I said quietly. I felt Sarah’s gaze on me and heard her laugh coldly.
“I can’t believe you want to know him. He was a low-life and deserted you.” Sarah said. I chose to ignore her.
“Sarah, be quiet.” Sophia said sternly. Max grabbed my hand and I kept eye contact with mom.
“What would you like to know?”
“Everything! I only know four things about my dad…mom, please…” I asked. She turned her head away from me as Sarah screeched a reply.
“Haven’t you ever wondered why he left? He hated you…” Sarah sneered. I did the one thing I swore not to do; I brought my hazel eyes up to meet her blue ones. She smirked at me and I kept my expression blank.
“Sarah, I mean it, one more word and you can go home.”
“Mom!” She whined. She wasn’t a five year old, just so you know, she was 15 years old.
“Why do I have to go if Max is here? He isn’t even family.” She added and threw her arm in the air, to point at Max. He recoiled slightly at the look she threw him and I tightened my grip on his hand as I snorted.
“Max feels more like family than you will ever be, Sarah.” I retorted. I saw her eyes glisten as she got what she wanted.
I really didn’t care, at that point, I knew she wanted me to snap and I did.
“Well maybe you’re just using Max to fill in the gap that your father left.” Sarah replied sweetly. I was almost sick as her voice sang out in a high, girly tone.
“How does it feel to be used like that Max? I bet you’re glad her secret’s out now, then you can hate her in peace.” Sarah asked him.
“Sarah, go home.” Sophia said through gritted teeth.
She moaned to her mother.
“Sophia, just let her stay. What’s the worst that could happen? She’ll just spread all the gossip to her ‘friends’. Then hopefully her large head will burst and we’ll all be put out of misery.” I answered and flipped Sarah the finger before leaving the room. I watched my mom and her mom snap their heads to her and saw Sarah’s smile fade quickly.
I smiled inside myself and dragged Max up to my room. Oh yeah, I knew today was going to be good.
“It’s not funny!” He protested. I shoved my key into the lock and opened the door.
“Yeah it is. You walk into that gate every time you come here.” I replied and stepped into the house. I looked over my shoulder to see him kick the door shut and dump his bag on the floor with a little scowl.
I shoved my bag beside his and led him to the kitchen.
“Holly?” Mom called, just as we got into the kitchen.
“What’s wrong?” I called back and yanked open the fridge door. I retrieved 2 cans of coke and slammed it shut again, handing one to Max as mom yelled her reply.
“Could you come here please? We need to talk…” Came her reply and I sighed as I clicked my can open.
I took a mouthful of the cold drink and coughed as the bubbles fizzed down my throat. Max grinned at me and I just shrugged before I went towards the living room and pushed the door open.
“Yeah mom?” I asked and sat on the arm of the sofa. I groaned inwardly as my eyes landed on the form of my younger cousin, Sarah.
“Honey, can you sit down properly please?” She asked softly and I shot her a confused look, before I grabbed Max’s hand and dragged him onto the sofa with me.
“Mom, what’s going on?” I asked nervously and looked from her to my Aunt Sophia. I deliberately avoided the gaze of Sarah.
“Holly, we had en e-mail from your…father…he wants contact with you.” Mom explained. My voice caught in my throat and I didn’t know what to say.
“We decided it would be best if we spoke to you first, Holly, just in case you didn’t want to know him.” Sophia said kindly. I smiled gratefully at her and returned my gaze to my mom.
“Mom…I…Yes, I would…but I think I need answers first.” I said quietly. I felt Sarah’s gaze on me and heard her laugh coldly.
“I can’t believe you want to know him. He was a low-life and deserted you.” Sarah said. I chose to ignore her.
“Sarah, be quiet.” Sophia said sternly. Max grabbed my hand and I kept eye contact with mom.
“What would you like to know?”
“Everything! I only know four things about my dad…mom, please…” I asked. She turned her head away from me as Sarah screeched a reply.
“Haven’t you ever wondered why he left? He hated you…” Sarah sneered. I did the one thing I swore not to do; I brought my hazel eyes up to meet her blue ones. She smirked at me and I kept my expression blank.
“Sarah, I mean it, one more word and you can go home.”
“Mom!” She whined. She wasn’t a five year old, just so you know, she was 15 years old.
“Why do I have to go if Max is here? He isn’t even family.” She added and threw her arm in the air, to point at Max. He recoiled slightly at the look she threw him and I tightened my grip on his hand as I snorted.
“Max feels more like family than you will ever be, Sarah.” I retorted. I saw her eyes glisten as she got what she wanted.
I really didn’t care, at that point, I knew she wanted me to snap and I did.
“Well maybe you’re just using Max to fill in the gap that your father left.” Sarah replied sweetly. I was almost sick as her voice sang out in a high, girly tone.
“How does it feel to be used like that Max? I bet you’re glad her secret’s out now, then you can hate her in peace.” Sarah asked him.
“Sarah, go home.” Sophia said through gritted teeth.
She moaned to her mother.
“Sophia, just let her stay. What’s the worst that could happen? She’ll just spread all the gossip to her ‘friends’. Then hopefully her large head will burst and we’ll all be put out of misery.” I answered and flipped Sarah the finger before leaving the room. I watched my mom and her mom snap their heads to her and saw Sarah’s smile fade quickly.
I smiled inside myself and dragged Max up to my room. Oh yeah, I knew today was going to be good.