I wrote this when I was thirteen. I DON'T RECOMMEND READING

Chapter Twelve [Short]

                He stopped the car. I lift my head from my knees and look out the window, we were outside his house. I noticed that his driveway was empty. “Where are your parents?” I ask before I could stop myself. I couldn’t let him think that I wanted to be alone with him in his house.

          “Re-do honeymoon,” He tapped the wheel softly. “For the next two weeks they are in Paris, the city of love.”

          “Oh.” I simply state, waiting for him to get out of the car. But he just sits there, drumming the wheel as if he were waiting for something. He eventually opens his door and sets a foot on the ground. I could feel the cool night breeze on my face as the air hit me from the other side of the car.

          He stood up and closes his door. I just sit there. Thinking. Wondering. Wondering why he was acting strange all of a sudden. I went to open my door but he was already there, opening it for me. “Thanks.” I said as he helped me get my pant leg unstuck from the door. In this moment, I realise I am only wearing a tank top and polka dot pants.

          I quickly pull my tank top up as my bra peeks out from the top and he shakes his head softly with a smirk, “Not like I haven’t seen your bra before...”

          This makes me cross my arms over my chest and look down at my feet. I start shivering as the winter air hits my bare arms. “Let’s go inside...” He says and leads me up the walk to his front door.

          He takes out his key and pushes it into the lock, turning it and pushing the door open in one quick movement. “After you, my lady.” He steps to the side and I blush.

          When we’re inside, he flips the switch on the wall and closes the door. I stop shivering and turn to look at him. I’ve been in this house hundreds of times, yet this time; it seems as if it were a strange place. “Here, come sit on the sofa.” He walks towards the living area.

          The white sofa is covered with a crocheted blanket that has been there for years. I sit down and find comfort in the softness of the blanket. “Do you want anything to drink, Ari?”

          I shake my head and look down at my feet. I looked over at the table against the wall that was filled with picture frames. I look at one photograph in particular that captured Danny and his dad at one of his sports tournaments.

          All of the pictures and memories I had of my ‘dad’ were all lies, thanks to my mother, if I should even call her my mother anymore.

          “Ari?” Danny says as he sits down next to me. “Are you all right?”

          In this moment, I realise tears are streaming down my face. I turn towards him and shake my head slowly. I throw my arms around him and he pulls me into a warm embrace, “It’s going to be okay... you're all right. No one will hurt you anymore.

          For a second, I almost believe him. I pull away and stand up, “But they will! They will keep hurting me. They will keep wearing away at what once was Ari Gould! But it’s no use, they’ve already destroyed my life... they’ve already killed me.”

          “Who? Ari, what happened?” He said sternly. All of my feeling came rushing to me all at once. My anger at my mother for lying, at my ‘dad’ for not telling me all these years he’s known, at my real father for letting my mother cheat, at my brother for leaving me with these people, at myself for believing. My love for Danny, I couldn’t resist him. His arms so warm, It’s hard for me not to find comfort there.

          “Everyone,” I sat back down. “They’ve all done it.”

          “Ari, you can tell me. What did they do?”

          I looked away, “My mother started it. She caused it all.”

          “Just tell me.”

          “My mother lied to us all these years. My ‘dad’ isn’t my dad. That’s why he left us. He found out my mum cheated and he left. He’s not Jasen’s dad either. That just proves my mum was cheating for over two years.” I wiped a tear from my cheek. “Then, Jasen left. He’s in Dublin now. I don’t think he’s coming back. He left like my ‘father’ did. My aunt told me the name of the man my mum cheated with. I looked him up. He’s married, with two kids. He probably doesn’t know Jasen and I are his. If I barge in on his perfect life and tell him that he has two other kids, he’ll probably leave to. Everyone leaves me.”

          “Ari,” I felt him look down at me and I turned my head up towards him, more tears streaming down my face. He wiped them away and pulled me towards him, “If you give me the chance, I will never leave you.”

          “They always say that.” I pulled away. “And then they leave. I can’t trust anyone anymore.”

          He looked at me and his hand caressed the side of my face, “You can trust me.”

          He leaned in and kissed my lips. He pulled away but I needed more, I went back in and my hands travelled to the back of his neck. He pulled me closer and I was on his lap, kneeling on either side of him. His hands travelled up and down my body. They ended up on my butt. I pushed him away and stood up, “She was right. It is all you want.”

          “What? Who’s right?” He seemed confused.

          “I-I can’t do this...” I said and walked towards the front door. I paused with my hand on the silver handle and turned back, “I shouldn’t have come here.”

          I ran down the front walk and paused in the street. I only knew one person who lived around here. I walked three houses down and up a walkway. I rang the doorbell, forgetting the time. The door opened. “Ari?” Charlie stood there, half asleep.