BEAUTIFUL MONSTER

29 : Lap Dog Leo

"Beatrice, you are not going out."

"Why?!"

"Because I said so,"

"That's not an answer," I glowered.

"You were vandalising, Beatrice and on top of --"

"I was not vandalising, how many times do I have to repeat that?"

"On top of that you lie and deny, giving me attitude," Mum glared at me, daring me to answer her back again. Ellie walked in to the room, looking timid as if she was walking on no-man's land. She held the phone out.

"Uh, D-Dad's on the p-phone,"

Mum's mood suddenly changed; as if a switch was flicked she went from angry to calm and cool. "Oh," she took the phone, her voice a picture of fake cheerfulness. "Hello Adam, how are you?"

"Oh, look who's decided to run for Father of the Year," the bitterness ran through my voice, poisoning my words. I got up from the armchair, heading towards the door. "I don't want to talk to him so don't ask me. I'll be in my room." I almost tripped over the kitten who lay sprawled across a step. The curse that was stumbling across my tongue almost escaped, and tempted to run Mum's anger.

"Ellie, make sure she doesn't leave the house," Mum ordered. "Beatrice is acting up again, it's nothing really, Adam..."

"I said, I'm going to be in my room, not going out!" I yelled out in frustration, and I stomped all the way to my room, with Ellie close behind. "Seriously Ellie, I'm pretty sure you didn't have to follow me."

"Y-you should talk t-to him," Ellie said, leaning on her crutches as she stopped. "He-he apologised."

"Yeah, well, a simple sorry isn't really going to make up for him walking out on us and only contacting us whenever he can get time away from his slutty girlfriend." I dropped my gaze, scowling and realising I sounded like a bratty and spoilt kid. "And why the hell is your cat always following me?! Keep it locked in your room or I'll give it to an animal shelter."

I knew I was being a bitch but I just wasn't in the mood for Mum's nags, Dad's false caring, or the persisting cat. I shut the door in Ellie's shocked face and the cat's aggravated meow, sighing heavily as I took my padded and puffy coat off a hook and threw it out of my window. I then slid my body out of the window, twisting around to have my face kiss the wall messily while frantically gripping onto the widow ledge. Grinding my teeth, I swung my body towards a hopefully-trusted pipe. My arms were very quickly beginning to become tired and sore and I drew in a ragged breath. "Ajax better appreciate this," I grunted.

The pipe still held on as I clung to it with one leg tiptoeing on my window's ledge. My palms were beginning to sweat with the strain and I gripped on to the holds of the pipe. "Sweet Jesus, please don't let me fall," I slid down, harsh heat igniting between my palms and the pipe. I stopped, placing a leg on the bathroom ledge. Gathering my strength I slid again, grazing my hand as it passed a small sharp rip in the pipe and I stopped; marvelling at how stupid I was.

There was a small, fine scratch on my palm and I wiped the tiny bead of blood on the wall.

I looked down, judging the distance and before I could chicken out, I jumped, tucking myself into a ball as I went and landed in a pained mess on my coat. The coat did help with the fall but not so much. I didn't waste time, ignoring the parts of my body that yelled with pain and instead grabbed my jacket and ran down the driveway, making a sharp turn and sneaking next door.

Ajax was sitting at a table, immersed in a book, and murmuring under his breath.

"Find anything interesting?" I asked loudly as I threw my coat on the sofa.