Bitter Blood (BBi)

Chapter 1: Blue

Chapter One
Blue

Friday afternoon ends like every other.

I drag myself inside the beaten down old house I call home, throw my school bag on my bed and get ready for work.

I had passed my father on the way in. He was drunk again, passed out on a cracked leather recliner in the lounge room with a half empty bottle of Jack dangling from his finger tips. I had picked it up and hid it in the kitchen before he could wake up and chug back the last few drops.

Standing in the bathroom, I tug my chest nut brown hair back into a tight pony tail and splash cold water over my face. My skin has always been clear except for a light dusting of freckles across my nose. I'm seventeen now so I'm hoping I've relatively left the days of acne behind.

I put on my usual work uniform; a black short sleeved shirt and a pair of matching colored shorts. I step into a pair of ballet flats as I make my way to the front door.

My father stirs in his seat and mutters something  incomprehensible before drifting off again.

I close the door behind me as I leave.

-
-

Half way through my shift at the diner – the place has no proper name that I'm aware of. Over a decade ago, the owner had thought “the diner” was good enough – Stacey and I stand together behind the counter drying glasses. She nods her blonde head in the direction of a couple in a corner booth, huddled over their food with matching expressions of loathing. Whether it's for each other or the place around them is obvious.

"Milly says they're convicted criminals.” Stacey says, speaking in a whisper. “Apparently they got caught dealing coke in the city. She isn't sure how long they spent in prison."

I snort and shake my head. "Yeah if they really are criminals. Who knows where Milly gets this information."

Stacey shrugs and continues drying a cup in her hands. "Guess what Noah told me today."

Noah Mckinley is Stacey Holden's boyfriend. They both attend Westershade High with me as well as share a few of my classes. Noah is a good guy; he treats her better than any of the other dirt bags she's dated before.

Every shift I have with Stacey features a new story to tell; gossip, drama, or whatever else she's caught circling our little town.

"That your incredibly gorgeous and too good for him." I answer.

She grins and shakes her head. "He said that Brian is gonna dump Taylor within the next week. But what Brian doesn't know is that Taylor's planning on dumping him tonight when they go to Milly's party. And," she draws out the 'n'. “That's when Mark's going to ask Brian's newest crush to be his girlfriend."

I smirk, place my dried glass amongst the clean stacks and mutter; "Teenage drama at it's finest."

If she heard, she doesn't seem to mind.

"So have you thought about what university you want to go to yet?"

"You know we still have two years until we even leave school, right?” I ask.

She shrugs. "There's no harm in being prepared."

"I guess. But so far; no, I haven't thought about it.” I pick up a new glass and start drying it. “I'm still trying to decide what I'm going to eat for breakfast tomorrow."

Stacey laughs. "Living life the way it comes. Sounds exciting."

I scoff. "Not even close."

-
-

Three hours later, when I'm lying on my bed in my pajamas with my window wide open, I hear a tiny, nearly non-existent cry over the sounds of singing cicadas and whispering trees.

I crawl out of bed and cross over to the window to glance down at the dark garden below. I can't see a thing in our backyard except for the faint outlines of distant trees and small shrubs. But I can hear the whimpered meow two stories below me.

I push away from the window and run downstairs, taking the stairs two at a time. I pull open the back sliding door, flick on the outdoor light and step onto the back deck.

Down here the cry is clearer and I follow the noise until I'm off the deck and crouching before a dark shrub.

"Hello?" I call.

The shrub rustles and the small face of a kitten comes into the light, blinking huge eyes too big for it's head at me.

"Hello there," I cooe and the kitten shrinks away. I ease back. "It's okay. I won't hurt you."

I put my two hands on the grass, palms up, and usher the kitten to come towards me. It stares with wide eyes for a moment before bouncing out of the bush and stumbling into my open hands. I scoop it up to examine it closer.

It could only be a few weeks old by the look of it's tiny body. It has a full coat of ink black fur and bright, icy blue eyes. I scratch behind it's ears and it purrs happily, the vibrations running into my fingers. It opens it's mouth to meow and instead let's out a long yawn.

"What are you doing out here all alone?" I ask even though I know he won't answer.

Is he really a he?

I turn the kitten onto it's back and look between it's legs. A boy. I roll him back over and caccoon him close to my chest, chasing away his shivering with my body heat.

"Come on, little buddy, you can stay with me." I turn and walk back up to the deck.

In my room I set up a soft blanket on the floor and set him down on it. He instantly curls up in a ball and rests his head on his paws. Moments later he's purring softly in his sleep.

I crawl into bed and click off the light.

-
-

The next morning I wake to a weight pressing down on my chest.

I frown and open my bleary eyes to be met by the sleeping kitten curled up on my chest, peaceful face just an inch from my own.

"How did you get up here?” I pick him off my chest and sit him in my lap. I scratch him in between the ears and he purrs softly in response, happy to settle into the new position afterwards.

He's got no collar, no name tag. Probably no microchip, either, which most likely means he hasn't got an owner. He should probably be given a name then.

As if he read my thoughts, the kitten looks up at me with those incredible eyes of his and a single word comes to mind.

"Blue." I decide. "I will call you Blue."

As if he approves of the name, he rubs his head against my hand and then gets up to stumble out of my lap. I watch him as he walks over to the edge of the bed and before I can grab him, topples off.

I cry out and look over the side.

But he's fine and casually walking across the wooden floor boards of my bedroom. I guess cats really do land on their feet.

I get out of bed, brush my hair, and change into a pair of shorts and a loose grey tee, all while Blue wonders around. He sniffs and nuzzles and rubs up against the furniture before slipping through the crack in my open bedroom door.

I grab a book from my bedside table and follow him down stairs.

I'm surprised to find that sometime in the night my father was sober enough to move from the lounge room to his bedroom. I pick up Blue from the kitchen floor and go out into the back yard. I place him in the grass and watch as he jumps and tumbles over his own legs. I sit down near him and open my book. I read through the pages at a relaxing pace and only realize that Blue has moved somewhere else by the absence of crashing grass.

"Blue?" I call and stand up.

There's a crash and he comes bounding out of a group of flowerless bushes. He runs until he's right before me and then collapses down to roll in the lawn.

"You know your name already." I say with my hands on my hips as I stare down at him. “Impressive.”

There's a click as the lock on the back door is opened. I turn around to find dad standing on the deck wearing a flannel robe, supporting prickly stubble along his jaw and dark bags beneath his eyes. He rubs his forehead with his eyes squeezed shut.

"Dad?"

His eyes fly open and flick over to me. His entire body is rigid, his mouth hanging open in surprise and what looks like horror. Neither of us move as we stare at each other.

And then his face crumbles. His eyes twitch and squint half shut while his bottom lip trembles uncontrollably. It's as if he's trying to hold back a painful sob. Then he spins around and storms back inside the house.

I know, as I've always known, who he saw when he looked at me. I turn away, a little more than hurt. If he looks at me with such blatant horror every time then I'd be happy if he never did ever again.

I sink down into the grass and place my book beside me. I put my cold hands over my warm face and take a deep breath.

And then Blue is there, slipping his way between my arms and curling up in my lap. I smile and scratch him under the chin.

“Blue,” I say, sighing that little word. “Meet Dad."