Chapter 9: Daddy Dearest

You’ve got Mail! A small notification flashed in the corner of the screen, along with two urgent beeps. I clicked on it, and slowly hotmail’s site loaded. I clicked on the email. It was from Matt. S**t. The email popped up, maybe a little too quickly, and I closed my eyes. I breathed in an out slowly, and then my eyelids fluttered open and my gaze met the first word of the email.

In case it wasn’t clear, we’re not together anymore. My stomach twisted in tight knots and I quickly pressed the ‘X’ button. The email whooshed down into the toolbar, and then it was gone. I clicked ‘Sign Out’ and stood up, pushing my rolling chair against the desk. It wasn’t like I was surprised. I mean, I expected him to break up with me. Who wouldn’t? Sure, I wish I could pretend that I hadn’t gotten the email and hope that we could work it out, because he was just so in love with me. But I knew it wasn’t going to end that way.

Things about that night were fuzzy. I didn’t know exactly what I’d said or done, but I remember waking up at Ray’s house.

“My parent’s aren’t home. Zoe’s asleep.” He’d explained, and I’d looked across the bed and she was there, beside me, keeping the bed warm. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her lips were chapped and dry. Her makeup was gone and her hair was mess. She was still beautiful, effortlessly.

I remembered everything after that. Just talking to him, having him ice my aching forehead. It felt good to have everything out there, as in, Ray, I’m in love with you and I always have been, but in that same irony I wanted to take the whole night back. If it could spare all the heartbreak and slivers in my heart I would re-do it all, not even go to Scottie’s party. Then he’d driven us home, around four am, and I’d crashed into my bed and slept the whole day away. When our parents asked us how the party went, we replied: ‘Fine’. Yeah, right. I rolled my eyes.

I thought back to the summer, when Zoe had started out innocent, in her baggy t-shirts and shorts that were snug over her chubby legs. And then at the end, when she’d become sexy-big-boobie-Zoe in the tight clothes who all the boys adored. Zoe had made a habit of sleeping ‘til the next day on the weekends, so I didn’t expect to see her for a few hours around the house. My mother entered the study, with a basket of socks, yet to be folded.

“Hey, Alyssa. I need one of you girls to take Matt to the movies tonight. Could you?” She asked, blowing a strand of hair out of her vision.

“I have a ton of homework. I know I should’ve done it yesterday, but I was so tired from the party.” I explained. She glanced past me, her expression was blank. Her eyes locked on one item. I turned to see what she was staring at.  “Alright, I understand. Could you carry this basket down to the living room, please?” She asked, handing me the big white plastic basket. I took it from her grasp, supporting it with my knee.

“Are you okay?” I asked, as she walked over to Dad’s desk.

“I’m fine. Take it down, Alyssa, I’ll just be a moment.” She waved. I quietly tip-toed out and set the basket on the top step of the long staircase, peering in as I leaned against the doorway. I breathed quietly as she took his iPhone, black and sleek, and clumsily pressed the ‘Power’ button. She scrolled across the screen and soon there was a soft, seductive sigh.

“Hey... Tim. I keep thinking about tonight... what you’re going to do to me. I can’t wait.” There was a soft smoochie-sound and then a beep, signaling that the message had ended. My mother stared down at the phone, setting it on the desk.

“Mom,” I choked out, and she turned swiftly to meet my teary gaze, “what’s going on?” Tears welled up against her eyeballs, and she ran to me. She wrapped her arms around me. I felt safe. She was shielding me from the dangers of reality with her wing. I was a baby bird and she was my Momma bird.

“Come sit.” Mom suggested, and she made her way over to the big comfy forest green sofa in Dad’s study, patting the spot beside hers. I shuffled over and sat down, snuggling up against her.

“Your father and I are getting a divorce. He had an affair, with his secretary. You know Linda, right? We’re going to go our seperate ways. I wasn’t sure how to tell you. That’s why I over-dosed.” She explained, rubbing my shoulder up and down. It made sense. I knew losing a job wasn’t enough to send her over the edge. I knew it had to be something more.

“I don’t want our family to completely fall apart.” I whimpered, burying my face in her blouse.

“It won’t, sweetie. I love you and your dad loves you. And you and Zoe will always have eachother.” She stroked my hair behind my ear, gazing down at me.

“Always.” I agreed. Just thinking of Zoe hurt. It hurt a little more then I expected, and it was hard to handle.

“Are we going to keep living with Dad?” I asked. She shook her head, squeezing my hand.

“You don’t have a job, where will we live?” I panicked, my brow furrowed in confusion.

“At Grandma’s. You like Grandma’s house, right?” She asked. I thought of our house, our beautiful, perfect farm-house. With the above ground pool with all those memories and the huge yard. How could I leave it behind? And what if Dad decided to sell it? Would I ever spend a night there ever again? Sure, I liked Grandma’s house fine. It was a big estate, in a gated community. It was up in the rich side of town, and it had huge fields and a pig pond with lilly pads and a weeping willow next to it. Her house was big with a real underground pool out back, and a beautiful garden. But it smelled like peppermint and Grandma talked through every tv show I tried to watch. Sure, I’d survive, but it wasn’t going to be like home. Not at all.

“Yeah. Is Dad staying here?” I blurted out.

“Maybe. He might buy an apartment.” She explained. A tear rolled down my cheek, landing on my lip. I licked my lips, swallowing it away.

“When are we leaving?” I asked. She shrugged, letting go of my shoulders.

“I don’t know. Two weeks or so?” She asked.

“You should’ve told me sooner.” I spat angrily. I stood up and walked downstairs. I heard Zoe and Dad talking in the kitchen, she’d gotten up.

“Zoe, there’s no boy in this world who will ever love you as much as me. They’re all pigs, you deserve so much better.” He cooed as I entered the kitchen. She was crying, and he was hugging her and kissing her head. It made me feel queasy. They’re all pigs. I echoed in my mind. You’re a pig! I yelled at him telepathically. He was a lying, cheating, mother-heart-breaking hypocrite.

“Why don’t you just kick us out?” I yelled.

“Alyssa?” Zoe turned, glancing at me mousily. Her eyes were innocent and afraid. She stepped back from Dad.

“Oh, sweetie... Joan!” He yelled for Mom. I stepped forward onto the kitchen tile floor, my cheeks hot with fury.

“You’re a lying cheater! I hate you!” I yelled, smacking his jaw. He coiled back, grabbing his jaw. He rubbed it and gazed back at me.

“You’ve only heard your Mother’s side of the story, Alyssa.” He explained.

“Did you cheat on Mom?” I asked, tears rolling down my face by the hundreds.

“Yes. But-” He began to explain.

“No. You cheated. That’s all I need to know.” I interrupted, turning away from him.

“You cheated?” Zoe cried. I stomped down the hall and into our bedroom, flopping down on the bed. Life sucks. Soon Zoe came running in, her cheeks sticky with dried tears, and she snuggled in beside me and sobbed. Why is it that the worst of events make the best moments in life happen? Ever since the beginning of the school year I’d been trying to re-connect with Zoe, and then my parents get a divorce and then I get the million-dollar-moment. Thank you, God! Thank you very much! I sneered. But the situation was still harsh and sad. Zoe still needed me, and she was still broken-hearted and betrayed. And so was I. You think it’ll never happen to you. Mom and Dad love eachother, you tell yourself. Until the moment that the trap slaps shut and out comes the truth. Daddy Dearest is having an affair! F**k him. The last thing I wanted to see was my Dad’s lying, cheating face. I couldn’t wait to move out. I didn’t ever want to speak to him again.

Reviews

[J.A.N]

LOL, alright then.
I'm excited.

[violet michelle]

Of course it's not the last chapter. (:
and I'm not telling you about alyssa and ray. WAIT AND SEE, BITTCCHHH. :P

[J.A.N]

I know this is a bad moment to ask... But,
are Ray and Alyssa going to date?
Maybe at the end?

This isn't the last chapter, is it?

That part where A was talking about how the Summer started, with cute little ole Z, It made me realize how far this story gone.
Like, so much as happened that I kind of forgot how Z was to began with.
I hope you write more; [: