Crossing The Border

Prologue

     "Who do you think you are?" I heard my dad's latest victim yell. I groggily get out of bed and walk over to the door.

     "Do not raise your voice at me woman!"  he screamed back. Just when my fingers touched the doorknob, I heard a loud slap. Then a gasp.

     "You're a monster!" the woman yelled. I heard heels hurriedly tapping down the hall. I opened my door just a crack to see the woman, tears running down her eyes and a red mark on her cheek. She slammed the door. She was the 17th person to say that since my birthday two weeks ago. She also was the 35th person to say that since the year started a month ago. Since the divorce, the 68th.

     "Leslie, can you get me some aspirin? My head is killing me." His head was hurting? I have to wake up to this kind of stuff everyday!

     "Sure dad," I answered trying to hide my annoyance. I walked down the hall to the bathroom's medicine cabinet and got the pills. Also grabbing a bottle of water from the kitchen, I walked over to my dad and handed him the medicine.

     "Thanks hun," he replied, quickly downing the pill like he usually does. "I'm sorry Dina woke you up like that. Don't worry, she won't be coming back." Was it really her fault though?

     "Dad," I started cautiously. "You can't keep bringing women here if they are always going to be leaving like that." I crossed my arms and stared at him with no expression.

     "Well, they are just like that. The next one should be fine." he replied, turning on the TV.

     "Why do you do this dad!" raising my voice a little higher. "Ever since we left mom, it has been lady after lady every night! You barely even go to work anymore, you're always drunk, and this house is falling apart!"

      "Are you yelling at me?" he said calmly.

     "N-no... I just-" He grabbed my arm and twisted it. "Dad! It hurts!" I screamed.

     "Never raise your voice at me Leslie." He said curtly, and then pushed me to the ground. "Go to your room." He sat back down on the couch and stared at the TV. I got up and ran to my room, slamming the door. I fell on my bed, tears coming down my cheeks. Burying my face in my pillow, I heard my dad say, "Hey sexy, want to come to my place tomorrow night?"

     Great, another one.

     The next day after coming home from my part time job at Wendy's, I went straight to my room. I walked through brush in one hand, my ends in another. I stopped and realized that something was wrong. I didn't open my door. How did I end up in my room? I turned around frowning and realized that my door wasn't there. The hinges were broken. "What the heck?" I knock on my dad's door. Opening it I asked, "Dad, what happened to my-" On his bed was a girl my age, sitting in his lap. In fact, I recognized her. She was at graduation last year, she won valedictorian.

     "Leslie! When you knock on someone's door, you wait for them to answer!" he said.

     "Leslie? As in Leslie Johnson?" the girl asked.

     "Y-yes."

     "I remember you! Who knew you were the daughter of Mark Johnson! The handsome weather reporter on the news!" she said smiling. Then she frowned. "You don't look like him though."

     "She looks more like her mother. Acts like her too," Dad said scowling. "Where were we Heather?" he said, turning back to the girl.

     "Dad, where's my door?" I asked. Heather giggled.

     "Sorry, Mark and I were fooling around and accidentally knocked it down." She continued to giggle. When did she become so stupid?

     "Maybe it will stop you from slamming your door all the time Leslie," Dad said, barely paying attention. "Now, you're being a creep, you should leave now." Dad kissed the girl's neck and made her moan. I quickly closed his door and went back to my room. I could still hear them 'fooling around'.