Waiting for the Sun ✓

Chapter Five

The house was silent when Esther and I arrived home from school. Lori's car wasn't in the driveway, which meant she was probably still on her way home from uni. Her campus was only a forty-minute drive from our house, so it worked out well for her. Dad didn't get home from work until five-thirty, which gave me exactly one hour of peace before he showed up.

After changing out of my school uniform, I settled down at the dining room table to attempt completing all the homework I had been left with. After five minutes of staring blankly at my book, I was tempted to give up, but I knew I couldn't. Between all the detentions and arriving at school late, it was only a matter of time before I got into some serious trouble. If I could stay up to date with my homework to keep that from happening, I would.

I had just finished completing the ten questions my English teacher asked us to answer when the front door flew open and Lori called out. Moments later, she appeared in the dining room with a smile on her face.

"Hey," she greeted, dropping her backpack into the table. Unzipping it, she dragged out her laptop and sighed.

"Hi. You look tired," I commented.

Lori let out a breathy laugh. "I am. I'm not used to being back at uni just yet."

"At least you don't have to go in five days a week for six hours," I pointed out, trying to bite back a smile.

My older sister rolled my eyes, reaching over to swat me on the arm. "Oh, high school is nothing compared to university. Trust me."

I threw my hands up in mock surrender. "Fine, whatever you say."

The front door creaked open and then slammed, causing the entire house to shudder. Heavy stomped down the hallway and I stiffened, my hand clenching around the pen I was holding. Lori's blue eyes met mine, fear flickering through them. I knew that if I were looking in the mirror, I'd see the same fear swirling in mine, too.

My eyes darted to the clock hanging in the kitchen several metres away. Five-fifteen. Dad was home earlier than usual. I always made sure I was out of his sight before he got home. Avoidance was the only strategy that seemed to work with him.

I placed the pen down on top of my book and slid my trembling hands under the table. I inhaled deeply, trying to stop my heart from combusting inside the cavity of my chest.

Dad headed straight to his bedroom where I heard him dump his bag on the floor. It was mere seconds before he appeared in the kitchen, surveying the scene. His head tipped up and his darted to Lori and then me.

"Why is dinner not ready?" Dad asked evenly, his face hard. Despite his even done, the anger was still there, trying to break the surface.

Neither Lori nor I answered. We all took turns making dinner and it was Esther's turn tonight. Either way, it was far too early for dinner, which I assumed was the reason Esther hadn't started yet.

That wasn't going to matter to Dad, though.

"Why is dinner not ready?" he repeated, this time raising his voice.

Esther appeared in the hallway with her arms wrapped around herself. Lori stepped forward into the kitchen and I rose from my seat, following suite.

"Dad–" Lori began, her voice shaking.

"Shut up. All of you are useless! Utterly useless!" Dad yelled harshly. Fury flashed through his hazel eyes and his face contorted, the barely restrained anger straining to slip its leash.

"I'm sorry. I'll start dinner now," Esther said hurriedly, rushing into the kitchen.

"Don't bother. If you all want to live lazily, then that is your problem. None of you are going to get anywhere in life," Dad spat bitterly.

"Dad–" Lori tried again, taking a tentative step forward.

"Shut up!" he roared.

Dad picked up a glass and before I could blink, it was sailing towards my head. I ducked, narrowly missing it before it shattered against the wall behind me. I flinched at the sound but kept my mouth shut.

With one last glance at all of us, Dad thundered out of the house. It wasn't until I heard his car tear down the street that I was able to relax.

"Are you okay?" Lacey asked softly.

I nodded, but the words had been sucked out of me. It wasn't the first time Dad has lost his temper. I'd endured far worse than having a glass thrown at my head. But after the day I'd had today, I could feel myself wavering.

"He should've thrown the glass at me, not you. You didn't do anything, Lace." My older sister trailed a hand down my arm. Despair swept through her eyes, a look I was used to now.

"Neither did you," I croaked, shaking my head.

We both knew why he took his anger out on me the most, despite me working hard to never provoke him. I looked just like our Mum had at my age. I was almost identical to her and Dad hated that more than anything in the world.

I wished I could say things had been better when our mum was alive, that it was losing her that sent him into a downward spiral. But even before Mum died, he had been insufferable. His loathing for all of us had been no secret. He always told us that the only reason he had children was because he wanted to keep our mum happy. Now that she was gone, we were nothing more than a burden he didn't wish to bear.

When I went to bed that night, those words continued to flitter around my skull.

Useless.

Lazy.

Useless.

Lazy.

Even though his words hurt, I couldn't deny their truth.

Waking up the next morning was a difficult task. As soon as my alarm blared from my bedside table, I felt the urge to throw my phone across the room. Despite getting a solid eight hours of sleep, I felt as though I'd been hit by a freight train. Even after a hot shower, I still felt absolutely horrendous.

I dressed in my uniform and applied my makeup in a daze. When I emerged from my room, Lori and Esther were eating breakfast at the dining table. Dad was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't mean he wasn't home. After last night, I hoped he wouldn't show himself until I was gone.

I joined my sisters for breakfast and we all ate in silence. What happened with last night wasn't an unusual occasion, but it didn't mean we were used to it. We were all terrified of him, but none of us had a clue what to do about it. He was still our dad, after all. He still needed us.

Twenty minutes later, Lori drove Esther and me to school. Again, none of us spoke. I didn't mind, though. I didn't feel like speaking to anyone.

Lori pulled up at the school and both Esther and I mumbled our thanks. Our older sister drove off and Esther and I parted ways as usual. I entered the hallway and weaved my way through students bustling about. When I finally managed to break through, I headed straight towards my locker.

Only to find Max waiting for me.