What I Hate About You (#1 What I Hate About You)

Chapter 13

After spending most of the afternoon at the park, I finally head home. Dereck’s car is still parked on the street when I return. Seeing his car made me angry how he thinks he has the right to just walk into my family. I will show him what I think of him. I walk over to his black BMW and kick the driver’s door, making a small dent. I smile to myself.

I walk up the front lawn and open the front door, slamming it shut. I was going to head towards the kitchen to eat my dinner that I hadn’t touch, but I didn’t bother. Even if my stomach grumble with hunger, I knew Dereck will be in there. I don’t want to see his face. Seeing it will just make me madder than what I already am.

And nothing I say will make him leave. He will stay here whether I like it or not.

“Alex, is that you, darling?” Mum calls from the kitchen.

Instead of answering, I just run up the stairs and hid in my room, slamming the door shut behind me. I switch on my CD player. Music should calm me down a little. A heavy metal song comes onto the radio. I hated the song that is playing, so I switch it off. Just as I went to sit down on my bed, a knock came from my door, follow by my mother’s voice, asking if she can come in so we can talk.

I roll my eyes. I know what she wants to talk about. The conservation will be about Dereck, the wedding, and how I should just get over that my dad was never coming back. I don’t want to talk to. Whatever she has to say is worthless. She will never understand how I feel. It’s all about her and what she wants. She doesn’t care about me. She doesn’t even care about Dad. All she cares about is Dereck.

Instead of opening the door, I switch the CD player back on. The same annoying heavy metal song comes back on. I turn the volume up loud so I can’t hear Mum calling me. I walk over to my bed and sit down, grabbing my sketch book from under my pillow. I put my pillow in a sitting position against the wall and lean against it, opening up my sketch book to a clean page and started drawing.

Mum walks into the room once she figured out I wasn’t going to open the door for her. I watch her out from the corner of my eye as she closes the door behind her, making her way over to the CD player. She switches it off and the room becomes quiet without the garbage music playing. Scottie is chirping about something to himself in his cage. Mum walks over to me. I quickly close my sketch book before Mum sees what I’m drawing, and set it on the bed beside me.

“Alex, we need to talk,” Mum says.

“Why bother?” I reply. “You wouldn’t care less about what I think of you getting remarried to some loser.”

“Of course I do care, Alex.” She sits down on the edge of my bed, facing me. “Look, I know you never like me dating again, and I understand how you feel. Since meeting Dereck I have been a lot happier.”

“Well, I’m not happy. And even if you and Lindsay are happy that Dereck is going to be a part of the family, don’t expect me to be happy too. He doesn’t belong in the family. Dad does. He is still a part of the family. How can you even think about leaving him for another man?”

Mum takes a deep breath, trying to reason with me and keep calm. “Alex, you need to realise that your father is never coming back. He left us.”

I cross my arms across my chest. “How do you know if he left us? How do you know he isn’t going to be coming back?”

“He left us, Alex. He wrote it in a letter because he was too much of a coward to say it to my face and left.”

“And you think it’s right to date another man?”

Mum stares at me, biting her lip. There are tears forming in her eyes, but she doesn’t let them fall. She stands up from my bed. “You know, Alex, I really do not know what your problem is. You really have to start thinking about others. This whole world does not revolve just around you. I don’t care what you have to say, but you have no right to be speaking to me like that or to anyone. Now I know Dereck isn’t your father, but the least you can do is show a little respect for him. Your father and I have been divorced for quite a few years now. He isn’t coming back, Alex. He chose to leave this family.”

“Liar. He is coming back.”

“No. It’s the truth, Alex. You need to realise that. He never promised you he will be coming back. He never said goodbye to any of us. He is gone, Alex.”

I want to argue more, but I knew Mum won’t like it if I do. Once she leaves the room, the tears build up inside again. I lay on my bed, hugging my sketch book close to my chest. Dad is going to come back. I know he is. He loves me, doesn’t he? I don’t know why he hasn’t returned home yet. Maybe he is just working on something for work and it’s taking so long. He will be back soon. I know he will.

I stay in my room for a bit, drawing in my sketch book, but eventually I knew I had to go downstairs and eat. Putting my book aside, I head downstairs. Someone was in the shower as I pass the bathroom. It was quiet downstairs. It was like no one was around at all. I walk into the kitchen and see Dereck, clearing the dishwasher.

I ignore him and walk over to the fridge where my food was placed in there. I put it into the microwave. Dereck wipes a plate with a towel and then set it down on the counter.

“Alex, can I have a word with you?” he asks me.

I roll my eyes, crossing my arms across my chest. “No. I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Look, listen. I know you don’t like me because you might think I’m taking over your father, but I’m not.”

“That’s what they always say.”

“Alex, I know I can never replace your father.”

“Good. I don’t want you to replace him.”

The microwave beeps. I take it out and set it down on the table. Dereck hands me a fork and I snatch it from him without saying thank you.

“Can we work this out, Alex?”

I ignore him, stuffing some meat loaf into my mouth so I can’t say a word.

Dereck walks over to me and then kneels down in front of me so he is at my level. He rests his hand on my arm, but I shook it away, giving him a warning look not to touch me again.

“All I ask you to do is give me a chance, Alex.”

I swallow quickly. “Why should I?”

“Well, if I’m going to live here, I want us to become friends.”

“I don’t want to be friends with you. Can you just leave me alone and let me eat dinner in peace?”

He nods, disappointed that I didn’t want to work this out with him. Why should I need to work this out with him? He can’t force me to like him. He leaves me, and walks back over to the dishwasher to finish unloading it.