TWO
Flashback
My eyelids slowly fluttered open as I yawned loudly. The first thing I saw was red stuff. I recognized it as my hair and pulled it away from my face. The second thing I saw was my dining room around me.
Why am I so uncomfortable? I looked down. I was sitting at the dinner table, the laptop in front of me. So I didn’t get to the homework, did I?
Stab me. Really. I’d rather be stabbed by an innocent stranger then my English teacher.
I yawned again and pressed some key on my laptop, the screen turned on. I looked at the lower left corner, 4:31 AM. I had slept for about eight hours.
I tried to remember the dream that I had and then I remembered that I don’t have dreams. Or maybe I do, but I just always forget them. I shoved my laptop in my book bag and stood up. Crick! Damn, my back just has to betray me at this horrible moment of which I am soon to die.
I bended over and felt the pain numb. Was I already becoming an old lady? A blurry memory of Ms. Bridgeton watering the trees in front of Market Square, wearing an ankle- length skirt, passed through my mind. No. I have many years more to enjoy my emo life.
I looked around the house for a bit, everything was where I left it. I started to walk up the stairs when I looked back and saw a book on the kitchen table. It wasn’t there when I came. Mom must have put it there for me to read or something. No thanks.
The last time mom recommended a book I was stuck reading a dull story about a preppy, teenage girl who saves the day, and kisses some guy. If life was like that I’d punch it in the face. Preps are not my type.
I stopped for a moment. Was Jacob a prep? I didn’t really stop to look at what he was wearing. But just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you’re a prep. No, he’s definitely not.
After a few more painful crick’s I got to my room. My room is about the size of an average walk-in closet. There’s this tiny twin bed with purple blankets, a cheap night desk with a purple lamp on it, and a wardrobe. There you go.
By the way, my favorite color’s purple. Always has been
I put my stuff next to the bed and jumped in. Three painful hours of homework. Or I could just go to sleep and forget about my life. Yes, maybe I should-
No. I’m not that emo.
Or am I?
No, I’m definitely not.
Hey, what’s that smell? I sniffed around a bit. Oh god. It’s me. I smell like horse poop. Shower first, then homework. I tip-toed to the bathroom to make sure I wouldn’t wake mom up. She gets quite cranky when I disturb her beauty sleep.
I pulled off my clothes and stacked them up on top of the toilet. Then I decided to throw them into the dirty basket. They smelled bad. Why? All I did with them was sit at school for seven hours, ride my bike home, and - oh, my bike probably smells bad.
I went inside the shower and switched the handle to HOT. I felt the boiling hot water dripping against my oily skin. It felt nice.
* * *
“Look Paul, if you go you’re not hurting me, you’re hurting Scarlett,” the young woman said. She was absolutely stunning. Her light blonde hair waved easily, her healthy skin glowed, and her red lips held the most heart-breaking smile you’d ever see.
The man next to her was just as beautiful. He had thick red locks, a chiseled jaw, and tight arm muscles.
“I’m doing this for her own good,” he muttered softly.
“NO! You’re doing this for your own good, and you know it! How is this going to help Scarlett? Think of how she’ll have to grow up without a father!”
“Ella, I didn’t have a father either.”
“I cannot believe you are that selfish! Really! Go, I don’t need you anyway,” the young woman yelled. She erupted into a loud sob. For what seemed like hours, no one talked. The elegant, bright dining room turned into a deep black hole. A black hole of arguments that were going no where.
“Look Ella, I’m sorry, but I’m going.”
“GO! Just leave already! But don’t ever think of coming back!”
“I’m sorry, I love-”
“Get out of my house, bastard.”
“I love you.”
“I hate you.”
He leaned in to kiss her.
“Get your hands off me.” The man walked slowly to the door, every step making a louder, harsher noise against the wooden floor.
“Wait. First, tell me where you’re going. That’s the least you can give to me,” the woman said between sobs.
The man took his hand of the golden knob and turned around slowly. “So you do still love me. I know you couldn’t just forget me.”
“Trust me. It’ll be easy.”
“All right. Well then I’ll go-”
“Oh for the god’s sake Paul, JUST TELL ME!” the woman roared.
The man shook with ear-splitting laughter. A horrible smile had been put on his face, making his handsomeness disappear. “Oh, I’ll be everywhere. Possibly London, Tokyo, maybe even Rome actually. All I know for sure is, I won’t be here.”
“Oh, grow up. You know you don’t have half the money needed to travel around the world. You’re just a nobody actor! Puh!”
“Oh Ella, love, you haven’t heard. Hollywood wants me, I’m going to be a famous actor. Maybe one day you can scrape enough money to take Scarlett to the movie theater and point out that daddy’s on the big screen. Hmm?”
A silence spread through the dining room. The woman tipped her expensive, white hat as if to say, “You may go now.”
“Can I say good bye to Scarlett?”
“NO! Don’t dare coming near my daughter. Now get out of my house!”
“It soon will be the bank’s house, love.”
“I won’t miss you, and I won’t ever love you again. My Scarlett and I, we’re a package.”
“Fine. Go live your life being a hard-working mother. You’ll wish you listened to me in about a few years when Scarlett starts growing up.”
“First, Scarlett is four! All right? Four! She goes to preschool. Second, I would never, ever adopt my baby. So go to hell!”
“I will always love you. And when you see my on the front page of some other celebrity magazine, know that I’ll be thinking of you. And Scarlett too. I’ll never forget you… both.”
“Did you hear me? Huh? I said, GO TO HELL!” the woman yelled.
“Oh Ella, I’m so sorry. I’m just doing what’s best. For all of us.”
“Yes, at least now Scarlett won’t have a loser for a father,” the woman laughed.
“Still saying loser then? What, was it the ‘big’ word of third grade? Possibly fourth?”
“Please go.”
“Good bye Ella. Good bye Scarlett. Good bye life as a nobody actor,” he chuckled. The man walked to the door, this time quickly, and picked up his suit case. “I love you!” he yelled from the door.
The door shut loudly.
“I loved you too,” the woman whispered. She broke into a loud, depressing sob.
