Maybe Just a Dash of Cliché

"Please, Victor! Don't go! Think of your daughter!"

"I don't care!" Victor yelled back.

"Then think of me! Look at what you're doing to me! Don't you love me anymore?"

"Morgan... I don't know..." Victor looked away from his wife, Morgan.

Morgan fell to the ground, clinging to Victor's leg. "Don't go... Please..." She looked up and pleaded.

"Get off!" He roared.

They didn't notice the little girl standing at the top of the stairs, watching as her parents fought at the front door. The darkness in the house blocked the parent's view of their only daughter. The young girl sniffled and gripped onto the railing of the stairs. What was her father doing? What was her mother doing? What was going on?

"Please don't go to her..." Morgan pleaded. Victor looked down at her, angered.

"I can do what I want!" He yelled.

Morgan's tears fell down her face, splashing onto the tile floor. Victor pulled his wife off of him and then stormed out through the front door. He slammed the door after him. Morgan bent over and cried so loud, it hurt the little girl's ears. The young girl slowly made her way down the stairs, running her fingers over the railing. As she reached her mother, she bent down.

"Mother?" Her voice was shaking.

Morgan looked up at her daughter's electric green eyes. Something she got from her. "Oh Lily!" She gasped out. She reached out and pulled her daughter into a tight hug.

"Mother, what happened? Where did father go? Is he coming back?" The six-year old Lily asked her mother, her dark hair in two high ponytails.

"I... I don't know, honey. I don't know." Morgan cried.

Lily hugged her mother, crying silently. No one was home; just the two of them. Lily was so scared. Was her father ever coming back?

"I love you, honey. You know that?" Her mother asked. Lily nodded. "Whatever happens, I love you. I'm here for you. If your father doesn't come back, I'm here. We can make it. I love you..."

The words faded as Lily cried against her mother's shoulder. She drifted off to sleep, the sound of her father's yells still ringing in her ears...

Lily suddenly awoke and sat up, sweat beading her forehead. She wiped at her forehead and eyes. She started crying in her sleep. She tried to forget that memory. But it came back. She got out of her bed and walked out of her room. She couldn't sleep anymore. Not after that dream; that memory. Lily still couldn't believe what her father did. She shook her head as she made her way to the kitchen.

When she entered the kitchen, she didn't bother to turn on the light. The light from the moon was enough to light the room. She grabbed a glass and filled it with water. She gulped the water down, putting her glass down on the counter. She sighed as she looked out at the moon.

Lily decided to go back to her room. On her way there, she passed by her mother. Her mother looked tired, but yet she was still beautiful. Her chestnut brown hair was in a sloppy bun and her eyelids drooped over her electric green eyes. But her eyes weren't as bright as before. They weren't as bright as her daughter's, Lily.

"Mother, why are you up?" Lily asked, stopping in front of her.

"Couldn't sleep, yet I'm still tired." Lily's mother, Morgan, said. "What about you?"

"Um... Bad dream." Lily replied as she made her way back downstairs with her mother. Lily glanced at her mother. "Mother, are you alright? Lately, you've been more... distant. What's wrong?" Lily asked as they sat down at the kitchen table.

"Oh nothing, dear. I'm just tired." Lily didn't believe her, but nodded. Even though her mother was siding with her father, Victor, she still loved her to death. Her mother loved her as well, but didn't show it as much since her father didn't. Lily always loved her father, even if he was harsh to her. But sometimes, she couldn't take him. "Dear?"

"Yes?" Lily responded.

"I'm sorry."

"About what?" Lily gave a confused look.

"About you're father. We just want the best for you. You know that. It's just... we don't want you to get hurt."

"Psh..."

"I mean... I don't want you to get hurt."

"That sounds more like it." Lily said with a laugh. Her mother smiled.

"You know that, right? I want the best for you. You can come to me whenever you need to. I'm here for you." The last four words rang in Lily's ears.

I'm here for you.

It reminded her of that time. The reason why she woke up not too long ago; her memories.

"I know." Lily replied.

Morgan smiled at her daughter, Lily. The girl she raised. Lily's hair was dark brown, almost black, her pale complexion almost matching the glow of the moon. Morgan couldn't believe this was her daughter. She was too beautiful. "I love you, honey." Morgan said, resting her palm on the side of Lily's cheek.

"I love you too, mom." Lily embraced her mother. She hugged Lily back. When Lily pulled away, she couldn't help, but yawn. "I guess I need to go to sleep now..." Lily muttered, giving her mother a kiss on the cheek, and walking upstairs to her room.

"Sweet dreams, darling." Her mother called to her. Lily smiled to herself.

When Lily got to her room, she closed the door behind her. She crawled into her bed, wrapping the blanket around her. She stared up at the ceiling, trying to fall back asleep. After awhile, Lily got back up and turned on her stereo. She lowered the violin music to only a hushed whisper. She didn't want her father to wake up and yell at her. She went back into her bed and closed her eyes.

Lily imagined herself playing her violin right now. Her bow gliding over the strings as the music drifted out. Her thoughts jumped over to her father. How he never once showed up to her violin recitals. How he never once showed appreciation for her; in anything.

She grimaced. Lily forced herself to think of something else. She thought back to Julian. She sighed happily. As Lily kept thinking about him, her eyes started to droop. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep, her violin music still playing in the background.

As Julian laid on his bed, he stared at the off-white ceiling. He sighed. He looked over at his guitar. It stood against his small table, staring back at him. He looked back up at the ceiling. His slightly shaggy black hair flew back over his eyes. He used his hand to move it out of the way. Julian got so bored; he started to hum to himself. After awhile, he sang softly to himself. As his lips uttered a few words, his lip ring moved along with his lip. He grinned. With his pointer finger and thumb, he played with his lip ring. He was that bored.

Julian thought back to when he first got his lip ring. He grinned at the thought.

As the slightly younger Julian walked down the street, he dragged his feet to his destination. He was extremely excited about this. He was going to get his first piercing. He decided to get it on his lip. He didn't care what other people thought, he did as he wished. And it still didn't change now.

As soon as he stepped into the tattoo and piercing parlor, he was met with cool air. At least they had air conditioning in this hot heat. He eyed the metal chairs and tools. Only now did he feel a bit nervous.

"Hey, you came back."

Julian turned around and came face to face with a girl. She was fresh out of high school and got her first job here. She had connections with the boss. Julian hated to admit it back then, but he had sort of a crush on her. He never told her though. He was too afraid to. Doesn't seem like him, right? Well this was Julian almost two years ago.

Julian waved feebly, muttering, "Hi..." The girl in front of him laughed.

"You're very shy. How old are you again? 17?" Julian nodded. "Hah! I'm 18. I'm older!" She said, jokily. Julian chuckled a bit, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "So... Are you here for your piercing?" She asked.

"Yes, Christina..." He replied, timidly. She grinned and led him to a chair. The girl, Christina, leaned in close to him.

"You're lucky I got connections. Now, you don't need permission for your piercing." She whispered. Julian grinned slightly.

"Yeah... um... thanks for that..."

She shook her head. "No problem. Now, let's get started." He nodded. "Lean back." Christina ordered. He complied.

About five minutes later, Julian sat back up, lightly touching his lip.

"Ow..." Julian muttered.

Christina laughed. "It'll be sore for a few days. And see? It didn't take that long." She smiled at him. Julian smiled back weakly.

"Thanks, Christina. I owe you a bunch."

"No, it's fine."

"No really." Julian pushed.

"No, it's fine. Really."

"You sure?"

"Yes. Now here." She handed Julian some gauze and disinfectants. "We don't want it to get infected, now do we?" Julian shook his head 'no'. He grabbed the gauze and disinfectant and put it inside his backpack. "Clean it at least twice a day."

"Okay. Thanks again." She nodded.

Julian got up from the chair, said goodbye to Christina, and made his way home. On the way there, he kept playing with the new ring on lip. He ignored the stinging feeling and kept walking home.

When he got home, he sure got a yell from his uncle...

Julian smiled. He thought back about how red his uncle's face had gotten. Julian couldn't help, but laugh out loud.

Good times, good times...

He thought before he fell asleep.