The Player, The Game

Chapter 12

Hey guys! I know I haven't updated in a really really really long time, but I'm gonna be updating daily from now on. I'm back with a refreshed mind and new ideas, so I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to comment and criticize where it's needed, and make suggestions about what you'd like to see in the book, too!
Xo

The weekend went by so much slowly after Trey had left. It dragged on, and even though Wendy and Diego kept me distracted most of the time, I really felt Trey's absence. But who cares. The last thing I needed was to fall in love! I was just starting to have fun. I can't get attached to anyone now. I loved my friends, but I didn't need them. I don't need anyone.

I stepped out of my room and walked towards the staircase. I heard glass breaking and shattering on the floor. I ran down the stairs, two steps at a time.
"Mom?" I asked, walking into the kitchen.

An empty shattered bottle of alcohol lay on the floor, and my mom pointed a shaking finger at me. My dad glared at me with a nasty expression on his face.

"Look...look what you made me do!" She shouted angrily.

"I only called you after you broke it!"

No. This couldn't be happening again!
"You're so o ooo stuuuupid!" She slurred.

She started moving towards me, as my dad laughed hysterically.

"Slap her, she's good for nothing honey!" My dad encouraged her.

No! This couldn't be happening! They were over this! They went to rehab for this...how can they still be drinking?

"It was yoo uuu! You! That took us to that nasty hospital where they tortured us!" Mom yelled at me.

"Come on, mom, dad! You guys are past this now! Let's just get you guys upstairs so you can rest okay?"

"No!!! We don't trust you, you're bad! I wish you were never my daughter!" The words stung me as dad spoke them.

"I wish I never had you, you were such a mistake! All you do in this family is ruin our fun. " Mom said coldly.

I slapped her on her cheek, hard, hoping she would snap out of it and that this was just a joke or a bad dream.

But no. Before I knew what she was doing, she had dug a piece of the glass bottle into my arm, and that's when I bolted for it.

I ran up the stairs and slammed my door, locking it frantically. I couldn't breathe, my heart was beating so fast. No no no no.

My mind was spinning, and my thoughts and emotions twisted into a tornado inside my head. This was all happening too fast, I couldn't absorb what was happening right now!

I opened my closet and pulled out my biggest duffel bag, resting it on my bed as I shoved in all the clothing I could get my hands on. I opened my side cupboards and pulled out a little box with money, and my diary from earlier years.

A huge bang on the door startled me.

"Laylaaaa....open up sweetie....I have a surprise for you..." mom said in a completely scary sweet voice.

I kept quiet and zipped up my bag.

"You better open up this door or I'll hurt you, stupid girl!" She screamed. She banged on the door for what seemed like a million hard hits.

I picked up my duffel bag and ran to my sliding door, opening it and dragging my bag out. I slowly dropped the bag on to a pile of leaves below my balcony, and then climbed down my rope ladder.
I ran to my bag and picked it up, but soon heard my moms drunk, infuriated voice from above.
"Where are you goinggg? Huh? Where you gonna go?!" She yelled at me from the top balcony, her fists tight, a piece of glass still in her hand. My dad came up behind her, and looked at me and laughed.
"I'm coming down." She hissed.
I was frozen solid to the floor. My mind screamed "RUN!!!!" But my body was frozen in fear and shock. I've never felt so helpless in my life.
My mom violently swung her leg over one wall of the balcony, but she wavered a little. Oh no. She was too drunk! She was so intoxicated, she didn't even scream when she fell over and landed with a loud thud on the ground, her arms and legs sprawled out as she lay there...she lay there motionless.

I ran, I ran, I ran, because at that moment I didn't know anything. I was a child again, and the only thing leading me forward was fear.

I was really running away.

*

I threw another pebble on Diego's window, hoping he would wake up and help me. He was the closest to me right now, and the only person who could possible help me this instant. It was midnight, and my arm was dripping blood from where mom had cut me. My mind aching from all the drifting thoughts, my heart painful yet numb at the same time. Fear whipped through me like a hurricane. I was so scared.

"Diego!" I whispered as loudly as I could.

Slowly, his sliding door began to move to the side. A shirtless, sleepy Diego came onto his balcony and looked very shocked as he saw me standing outside, holding a huge duffel bag and my arm dripping with blood.
His eyes grew wide with fear, mirroring my own face.

"Wait there, I'm coming down."

Diego opened his front door for me and carried my duffel, and led me into a dark house. He put his finger in front of his lips telling me to be quiet, and led me up the stairs. As I climbed, the intensity of what had just happened had hit me, and the tears started flowing down my face. I felt like I was choking, I couldn't keep it in.
Diego put his hand over my mouth and half carried me up the stairs, and when we got to his room, he closed the door and I burst out crying. I sat on the floor, and covered my face, ashamed that he had to see me like this. I was so embarrassed...but instead of thinking badly of me, he sat down next to me, put his arm around my shoulder, and told me to let it out. "It's okay to cry Layla." He told me softly. And I did cry.

*

"Whoa, that's a lot to take in!" Diego said, shocked about my story.

"I know...but the scariest part was that tonight happened so suddenly. I mean, they used to be alcoholics way back. I used to be an introvert, scared that everybody just changed the way they did when they were intoxicated. They were terrible people when they were under the influence, and I used to be scared to live with them, wondering when they'd just...change. Until one day, I couldn't stand it anymore, and I called a rehabilitation facility and told them about my parents. They told me it wasn't normal, and they took my parents in. After that, they apologized and were themselves, always. Everything was going so perfectly, you know? I didn't have to be scared anymore. Until today. I feel like...all these bad memories and fears I had to bury are coming out again...this is like a nightmare...
"Look, we're gonna get you through this. Me, Wendy, Trey. You don't have to go back, you know...you have us." He handed me a bag of chips.

I opened them and started eating, the chips relieving me a bit.
"This is my problem, not you guys's problem...where could I go? I just want to get as far away from here as possible...I came here thinking I left all my fears and problems and worries back in my old town. Now their back with me, haunting me..."

"We'll go somewhere. Don't worry about it." Diego said, looking serious.
"What?" I shifted my weight on the pillow I was sitting on. I looked at Diego, his hair messy and in all directions. He smirked.

"Do you mean...running away?" I asked him.

"I mean running away." He told me.