Dancing In The Rain

When Did I Become The Adult?*

I walk into the house and see numerous empty bottles in the kitchen.

"Dad?" I call out.

"Dad?!" I call again. Frowning I walk around the house looking for him and find him in his study, beer bottle in hand.

"Where have you been all day?" He asks.

"I went out with my friends." I say walking towards him slowly.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Okay dad? I'm going to take the bottle from you now alright?" I say reaching for it.

"Why didn't you tell me you left?" He asks. I take the bottle from him.

"We'll talk about it when you're sober alright? For now just come over to the couch and go to sleep." I say pulling him out of his chair and walking him to the couch in his study.

"We need to talk about this now." He slurs.

"No dad, we don't, what you need is to sleep, and I need to change." I say laying him on the couch.

"I don't want to sleep."

"You need to. Now go to sleep. I'm locking the door and taking the key to the basement." I say.

"You sound like my mother."

"So listen to what I'm telling you. Go to sleep." I say taking his key ring from his jacket. He doesn't reply. When I turn around he's passed out.

"Don't want to sleep huh?" I mutter to myself. I walk out and lock his study. His study locks from the outside which means he's stuck in there until I unlock it. I lock up the basement and throw away all the empty bottles in the kitchen as well as the beer in the fridge.

"No more alcohol for you dad." I cook him something to eat and take it to the study along with aspirin and orange juice. I do a once over of his office to make sure there's no alcohol in there for when he wakes up. I lock the door back before going to my room to shower and change. I call Andrew after I'm in my comfy PJs.

"Miss me already darling?" He asks.

"You know it." I sigh.

"Uh oh, I know that tone... what's wrong?"

"I came home and my father was so drunk he could barely speak! You should've seen how many empty bottles were in the kitchen. I found this man staring into space in his study. He's asleep in there right now but damn it, I'm sixteen, why the fuck do I have to be the responsible one and take care of my dad like he's a child?"

"You won't once you move."

"In two days my dad became an alcoholic you think I'll be able to move three thousand miles away without worrying about him? I'm calling my grandparents."

"Which ones?"

"His parents, they live half an hour away."

"That might not be the best option, I mean they're already old I don't think they can take care of him."

"Right. Oh I'll call uncle Marcus." I say.

"His brother?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, what if he can't or won't?"

"Cousin Alice?"

"You have a cousin named Alice?"

"Technically yeah, she's my great aunt's daughter so his cousin and my second cousin." I say.

"What about his sister Maria?"