Behind every mean girl...there's a tragedy

Daddy's little girl

It only worked for the imaginary ones. The real ones have already devoured me until I'm just a broken meat suit then spat me out. Even after that, there's always one of them venturing around me every single day of my life.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are grey

You never know, dear, how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away."

A small smile plays on my lip. The song is so off key that it no longer sounds like the lullaby mothers' use to put their kids to sleep.

"Dad, I'm awake. Please stop singing."

He laughs, "What's wrong baby girl? You love my singing."

"No, I never did." I lift my upper body off of the bed, my elbows supporting my weight. "I just tolerate it because if you're singing, it means you're not leaving me."

He winces. I shouldn't have said that especially since I know he has not stop feeling guilty for leaving the house.

He gently tap the tip of my nose, "Yes, you do. Stop denying it." He walks toward the door. "Dinner's ready. Let's go."

I run my hands through my hair. It's all over the place now. "Why are we eating dinner so early?"

"I wouldn't consider seven in the afternoon early."

"Wait!" I jump out of bed, "I slept all day?"

"Pretty much. I tried to wake you but you looked so peacefully asleep." His voice drops low, "As if you hadn't had a good night sleep in weeks."

I strengthen my posture, his cop intuition never misses out on anything. I pull on the sleeves of my shirt, making shirt everything is well hidden. Wishing I could be anywhere right now, I glance out of the window. Anywhere but under my dad's attentive gaze. I stand immobile as he approaches me. He stops in front of me in T-shirt and jeans.

"You have been sleeping, right?" His worried eyes search mine. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just nightmares."

"Are you sure? You haven't been to the emergency room again, have you?"

"No dad, I haven't."

My dad suspects something is off ever since my first trip to the emergency room especially when they became more frequent over the following years. I have convinced all of them, they were all accident. Nobody has yet to put two and two together. Steven doesn't give a damn. My mom is too preoccupied with Steven. This leaves only my dad but he's not allowed around much to figure it out as he would like. Nevertheless, he keeps quiet, gathering enough information to speculate what's happening to me.

I hope he never finds it out.

"You did come here a few days ago looking like hell."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it. I can take care of myself." I hold his eyes trying to convince him that I'm fine.

When he inches closer to hug me, I know he's not. He knows something is up but how can I tell him about one thing without telling him about everything else?

"Just because you can doesn't mean you should. I'm your father and I'm supposed to take care of you. Stop putting the entire world on your shoulders. You're too young for that." He leans back, "Let's go eat." I smile at him and grab my phone before following him.

I sit in one of the chair around the small table in the kitchen. Jenny turns away from the stove with a pan of fried chicken. Saliva is already dripping from my mouth before she even sets it one the table. I dig in as soon as she sets it on the table.

My teeth sink in the juicy meat. Oh Lord, this is delicious. It's been so long since I've had some fried chicken, it's been a real long time since I've had some decent food. Mom only cook food Steven likes and everything Steven likes is downright outrageous.

"Slow down, baby girl." Dad laughs as I dig in the pan for another one. "You can't tell me your mother doesn't feed you."

"She does but it always tastes like dirt." I watch Jenny smile at me.

I should probably not have degraded my mom in front of her. By the way she's looking at me, she no doubt thinks she got me on her side now.

Girl, it will take more than fried chicken to make me like you.

I wipe my hands on a napkin, "So, Jenny what seriously happened to your place?"

"Rachel, we don't ask questions like that."

"No, it's fine." She touches his arm, "Every teenager is curious."

"Quench my curiosity, then. Why are you here?"

"I'm dating your father so I spend some days here so we could spend more times together." She smiles sweetly at him.

My stomach lurches, about to be emptied of my entire dinner.

"Don't look so shock. You know grown-ups date too, right?"

The side of my mouth turns into an angry scowl. I hate this woman. What can my dad possibly see in her? Yeah, she's pretty but even I can see she's a total bitch. She's not good enough for him. No woman is except mom...when she's not being Steven's little puppet.

"I know he dates but I thought he would at least find someone who doesn't dress like a hobo."

"Rachel!" My dad rises out of his seat faster than I thought possible. "We're done here. Why don't we do something else?"

"Why? I'm not done eating and besides Jenny and I are getting to know each other."

"You're just a little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Jenny laughs wholeheartedly with her chin resting on her palms.

"I'm just keeping it real, honey."

"I should have waited before introducing you two." My dad sits back down and starts to eat without acknowledging our little staring contest. "This is going to be a long weekend." He said as he chews on a chicken leg.

A long weekend indeed.