The Red School

(22) Our New Daddy

CHAPTER 22

Mom isn’t even home. When we arrive the house is empty and dark. The annoyed look on Azrielle’s face actually makes me laugh, but I sober up when she glowers at me.

Azrielle drops her bags at the door and plops down on our white sofa. She has her shoes up in the cushion. If mom were here she’d have a fit. “Something funny, Val?”

I shrug. “A little. It’s just—you were so hooked on catching mom in the middle of something and she isn’t even here.”

Azrielle’s eyes roll. “I’m having a hard time finding humor in this situation.”

I smile and sit next to her on the edge of the couch. “Azzie, do you feel that?”

Azrielle’s face twists into a scowl and she scoots back away from me. “Feel what? Weirdo…”

“Joy,” I say, locking eyes with her, which she hates. “I don’t know, relaxation… we’re actually home!”

Azrielle stares at me. After a while, she says, “How on earth did I get stuck with you as a sister?” This makes my smile widen. Azrielle stands up and grabs one of her bags from in front of the doorway. “I’m going to go shower now. Oh gosh, I finally have a shower to myself. I’ll be out in about an hour… or two.”

Azrielle disappears, and then I’m alone.

Thank god.

I can finally enjoy being home in what feels like forever. Just breathing in the scent of our home brings a smile to my face—it smells like weak perfume. It’s so familiar. My bedroom, obviously, hasn’t changed. My silk night gown hasn’t changed, it feels absolutely perfect against my skin when I put it on. My bed most definitely hasn’t changed, it can still put me to sleep the instant I’m wrapped up in my covers.

I have no idea why my father is in my dreams. He’s sitting in a chair in the middle of a purple room. No, the room isn’t purple. As I get closer I can see that it’s completely covered in flowers—purple Hyacinth flowers. It’s all I can do to lock eyes with my father. I certainly can’t look away. I wait for him to say something, but his mouth doesn’t move other than to tilt down into a frown.

Tilting my head to the side with pursed lips, “Daddy?”

He blinks at me in confusion. I haven’t called him anything other than his first name in a while.

The room turns white as the Hyacinths turn into Lilies. My father’s sudden screams make me drop to my knees and shield my ears with my hands. He’s screaming, yet his mouth is closed. Tape grows over his mouth, over his ankles, over his wrists. His body is whiter than a vampire’s skin.

“Daddy!”

I exhale a deep breath as my eyes shoot open. My mom is looking down at me, her eyes sparkling with worry. “Val—,”

“M-mom?” I’m panting and completely drenched in sweat. “Mom!”

“Sweetheart, calm down.” Mom’s soothing voice can instantly calm my body. She grabs something from my dresser. Mom sit’s next to me and wipes my face with a towel.

All I can think about is dead. My heart is pounding like a drum. “Mom…”

“You were having a nightmare. I told you about napping in the afternoon.” I sit up in bed, focusing on calming my heartbeat. It goes from beating fast to normal—kind of like CM’s. Sometimes his heart beats fast, sometimes it’s slow.

“I saw dad.” I say, watching her closely for her reaction. “In my dream.”

Mom’s scarlet eyes are trained on mine. Wrinkles appear on her forehead.