The Dare Book (on hold)

A late night

"This is the last time I am helping you out," I said not looking over at the boy sitting next to me as I left the police station at 11 at night. If Christopher wasn't Sky's brother I would have left his ass in there and Sky didn't want her parents to find out about his fourth arrest this month for a bar fight. 

Christopher sat in his seat not saying anything as he held an ice pack to his face after his nose had stopped bleeding. He ran his hand through his short brown hair and mumbled something under his breath. "Okay jerk, what did you just say?" I asked. I was settling down for the night when Sky called me. 

"You didn't have to come," he mumbled a little louder for me to hear.If he wasn't such a jerk most of the time I would actually tell his sister that I liked him but I'm not putting up with his shit right now or ever.

I pulled over and he let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, you know what you did," I snapped. "I didn't get dressed just to come and get your sorry ass for you, I did it for your sister and so that your parents wouldn't find out about your fourth arrest!"

There was silence in the car for awhile before I pulled back onto the road and headed home. Christopher and Sky lived three houses down from me so I didn't even drop Christopher off and just pulled up to my house. I turned off the car and climbed out and slammed the door shut without looking back at him.

"Sorry, and thanks for picking me up," I heard him say as he got out and by the time I turned around to witness the one time he actually apologized he was already gone. Wow, the one time he apologizes and I totally miss it. Smooth move, dumb ass.

I slowly closed the door behind me after I walked in to find all of the lights off downstairs. I put Allen to bed around 9 and Dad should have gotten home about 11:30 so he's probably sitting up in bed reading, waiting for me to check in before heading to bed. 

I walked through the kitchen to grab a drink and to see if we got any bills that needed to be read before I went up to deal with Dad. Another check bounce, that was the second one this month. After school tomorrow I need to sit down and look at the check book and see what happened to all of the money. 

 Oh sweet! A coupon for a free book at my bookstore! The check that bounce totally left my mind as I grinned from ear to ear. If there was anything that could make me happy and forget about money issues was a free book of my choice. I pulled out my kindle and looked through my wish list and started to look at what book I should get while I sipped on my drink, forgetting that it was almost midnight now. 

*Beep*

I jumped and almost dropped my Kindle as I grabbed my chest and tried to calm down. My phone went off again and I reached into my back pocket and found a text from Sky.

Sky: Thanks for picking Chris up, how can i ever repay you? Mom and Dad would be so pissed if they found out.

The last time they found out he was grounded for a month and I rarely saw him outside of school. That was a great month, no late night drives to the police station to pick him up from another bar fight or for passing out from drinking too much. I think Sky hated it more than loving it. She was stuck in that house with that boy and you would think that he wouldn't pull this shit again but nope he goes and loses his temper the first night free. 

You: you can drive me to the book store later this week, got a coupon in the mail for a free book.

Sky: Deal, see you at school tomorrow. Thanks again!

I shut my phone off and finished my drink as I headed up to Dad's room to deal with him before bed. The door was ajar and light was coming out of the room and I heard soft snoring. Walking the rest of the way in I found him asleep with his reading glasses on and a book face down on his chest.

I slowly took his glasses off and put them on the bedside table and took his book and put a bookmark in his place and sat it on top of the pile of other books by his bed. You would think I got my reading from Mom but I actually got it from Dad after Mom passed away. Before she died I read but it wasn't until she was gone that I started to read a lot more.

As I reached to turn off the lights Dad mumbled, "Glad to know you care about your friends and family." I pulled up a chair and sat by his bed like I had done a thousands times before Mom was moved to the hospital. "Helping Sky again?" he asked reaching for his glasses.

"Yeah, and you need to go to bed. You push yourself too much Dad. Please try to make it to Allen's soccer game tomorrow," I said eyeing a book of his that I'll have to borrow tonight. "And another check bounce. What was it for?" 

"Nothing you need to worry about," he mumbled rolling over facing away. He's hiding something. It had to be one of the hospital bills that we are still trying to pay off. 

"Okay, but I'm looking over the check book tomorrow so leave it for me before you leave for work. The game is at 5 so please try to be there," I said grabbing one of his books and put the chair back and headed for the door after turning off the light.

If Mom was still here I wouldn't have to worry about Dad missing Allen's game, she would be there an hour early helping site the field up and making sure everyone had enough water for the game. She would also know what to do when the checks bounced for the second time this month. 

So, I have people picked out to play Sky, Christopher, and Allen but no one for Lizz. Who can ever help me will get a dedication in the next chapter or maybe their own character added to the story. Thanks.