Alpha Dean (Original)

Chapter One

I popped a dinner into the microwave and waited for it to be done. Father grabbed another beer from the case before plopping into a chair at the table. I served him the dinner and made my way to the staircase, "What more could a man dream of." He grumbled from the kitchen.

London had already made her bed by time I made it to her room. I laid the bag of chips I snagged from one of the boxes onto her bed along with a water bottle. Her eyes fell to the items and instead of complaining that she was hungry and wanted more, she popped the back open and shared with me. "I promise you'll have a better dinner tomorrow. I just need to go to the grocery store after school." We both knew that whatever we ate tomorrow was not going to much different. I only had enough money to buy a few things and majority of it went towards a case of beer for our father.

I watched my sister as she finished the bag of chips. One day soon Lon, I will get us out of here. I promise.

I laid awake half the night. Thinking of all the things that could go wrong tomorrow. All it took was someone catching a glimpse of a bruise and then we'd be on to the next town. This was my senior year. I was so close to graduating I couldn't afford to switch schools again. I needed to do whatever it takes to make sure no one finds out about my father.

The morning sun dragged me from my bed as I got dressed for the day. We had moved further north so the weather this time of year was colder than anything we had felt back in California. It was easier to cover myself with long sleeves and layers without anyone questioning my attire. I pulled a brown sweater overtop of my black leggings. The sleeves stopped at my wrist and the neckline hung around the base of my neck.

I made London a bowl of cereal after she dressed for school. Snores sounded from the corner of the living room where our father sat passed out in the recliner. A beer bottle spilling over the side of the couch. We were headed for the front door when I decided to pull it from his grasp before It spilt anymore. I knew better than to wake him but if I hadn't cleaned the mess the beating would have been worse.

His eyes flew open just as I lifted the bottle. A slap rang throughout the room as my head whipped to the side. I stayed unmoving for a couple seconds as his eyes drifted from me to London who watched us from the open door. His fisted my hair, jerking my head so that I was now looking at him, "You better not let anyone see that mark." I wanted to scoff in his face. Kind of hard to do that when the bus would be pulling up outside any minute now. The second his grip loosened I was on my feet and across the room before he could grab me again.

London looped her arm with mine as we headed for the bus stop. I pulled my phone from my pocket and turned on the camera. Luckily the morning air had been cold enough to see your own breath. The red spot on my cheek was easy to pass off as me being cold. The middle school was directly next to the high school so Lon and I got to ride the same bus. It made it easier that way since she could just wait for me after school. That way she didn't have to go home before I did.

We climbed the steps of the bus. An older woman smiled from behind the wheel. Her white hair had been pulled up into a frizzy bun on top of her head and she wore a black sweater with skeletons on it. I noticed the pair of pumpkin earring that dangled from her earlobes. Halloween was still a month away, yet she decked herself out with spirit. It brought a small smile to my face. Halloween was always one of my favorite holidays when my mom was alive.

"Hi honeys! I am Miss Loretta." Her wrinkled hand popped up from the wheel as she waved. I smiled back politely as did London. "Well, what's your names? It's not every day we get new folk in this town!" She gushed as she looked over us. Something in her tone made me think that maybe this town wasn't as big as we thought. I glanced behind her to all the watching eyes that filled the bus. Each pair eyeing us from head to toe. As if they had never seen someone new in this town.