Perfectly Dysfunctional

“Are you drunk?” my dad accused as I stumbled through the door after reassuring Nathan that I’d be fine, not really wanting him to meet my dad this way, if he ever was to meet him.

“No,” I slurred my words, “I’m not.” I said with as much seriousness as I could muster.

“You are!” He stood up from the sofa. “How dare you walk into my house drunk and- Don’t you dare walk away from me!” I’d walked to the kitchen to get a drink of water. “Did you drive home?”

“No, I’m not retarded,” I said after I gulped down at least half a glass of water.

“Don’t you talk to me like that, especially in this state.”

“I’m not drunk!” I yelled then paused. Shit, maybe drinking water wasn’t such a good thing. I heaved over the sink and threw my guts up. He raged in the background, screaming and shouting and balling, and all I could do was hold my hair back, convulse and throw up my lunch. I heard the door bell ring a few times, sounding urgent. My dad stormed out of the kitchen and wrenched the door opened as I stood up straight and rinsed my mouth and the sink out.

“Hi, uh, sir...? I’m Nathan. Look, I don’t want you getting the wrong impression; Jenny’s not drunk, her drink was spiked when we were out-”

My dad’s outraged bellow sounded and I winced and stormed out of the kitchen, “Hey! Don’t shout at him, you’ve got no right to! He’s not your kid who you can fuck around with, y’know!” He lashed out and slapped the left side of my face and I saw Nathan’s jaw drop. The force made me stumble and I glared as he calmly spoke.

“I want you out of here by the time I get back,” Then he walked out the still-opened front door, bashing into Nathan as he did so.

“Y’know what,” I yelled after him, “Gladly!” My head was absolutely pounding and I felt dizzy. “I thought I told you I’d be fine,” I groaned and grabbed Nathan’s shoulder, pulling him past the threshold of the door and closing it.

“I heard the yelling,” he said awkwardly.

“Oh right, well, that makes sense.” I went to walk upstairs and he followed right behind me. I kicked the last stair accidentally and tripped, landing on my knees. “I thought you were behind me in case I done that,” I laughed from the floor.

“We should’ve had someone in front of you too, then,” he crouched down and tried to help me up but I refused.

“I’m comfy here. I can crawl to my room.” I felt delirious. But I stood up despite being comfy and staggered to my room.

“So where’re you going to go?” Nathan asked after I’d thrown as much as I could in the bags I’d used to bring my clothes down.

“I’ll go to Diane’s,” I said from the en suite, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

“I thought you didn’t know anyone here?”

I swayed on the spot, “Oh yeah...” I groaned and came back through to my room where Nathan was sitting on my bed.

“Jenny you look worse, just lie down.”

“And give him an excuse to throw me out? No,” I threw things into the bag. “I’m going home.”

“What?” He straightened up. “Why? It’s like, nine hours away! You can’t go anywhere in this state!”

“Where else am I gonna go, Nathan? Besides, Emma will be happy to see me. Hey, I should bring her back a souvenir... You wanna come with me?” I laughed and went back to the bathroom to get my medication. “You can bring Jay.”

I looked at my reflection in the mirror and leaned forward, totally misjudging it and came far too close to it. I backed up and saw myself properly - well, as properly as I could, considering there was at least three of me - then fell to the floor. This happens far too often than what it should.