The Future Before Me

-03-

CHAPTER THREE

The fun didn't last long.

I killed the engine. Grabbing my phone and side bag I got out.

Taking my key out from my back pocket, I stepped up to my door. Just when I was about to unlock it, the door opened revealing my dad with his lips pressed into a straight line and his eyebrows pulled together. I felt my throat instantly dry and my heart pound in my chest as I stepped in, closing the door behind me. I slipped out of my flats and looked up.

I gulped knowing something was going to go down when I saw my sister sitting on the stairs and my mom standing by the railing. Deciding to keep my head down I began to head to the stairs only to be stopped.

"Harmony," my dad called, "want to explain where you were?"

I placed my foot down and slowly turned to face him. "I was with my friends at Wonderland. It's the second last day before school starts so we decided to spend time together," I said in a monotone voice. My head was bent down and my eyes stared down at my bare feet.

A hand grabbed my chin and pushed it up. I immediately smacked his hand away. I glared at him as he spoke, "So you think you can head out without my permission now don't you? Since you're going to grade 12, you think you can do anything you want?"

I stepped away from him, my hand holding onto my neck, my eyes wide in pain. "I asked mom and she said-"

"I don't care what she says!" he screamed as he raised his hand. Like an idiot I stood there with my head slightly up and my cheeks stained with tears. I couldn't do anything except to listen to his harsh words. "Since you're in high school you think you can do anything? You're the reason why I'm sick and watch when the day comes and I will die because of you."

My eyes were locked on my feet as I felt the tears streaming down. The anger from my dad was like fire and I felt fear in me rising as I stepped back. I kept my lips pressed together, but I still tasted the salt in my tears. After a few seconds of glaring, he punched the wall beside my head before marching up the stairs. He disappeared behind his room door, slamming it behind him.

I whimpered as my mom and sister helped me up. My sister's eyes full of anger as she cursed at him under her breath and making threats about kicking him out of here. Even though she was four years younger than me, she had the bravery to stand up against my dad that I didn't have. Maybe that's why he picked on me the most rather than Rowena. I reacted to his harsh comments in a miserable way whereas Rowe spat back insults.

"Here you go sweetie." Ma carefully helped me onto the sofa and Rowe sat in front of me.

Ma gave me a tissue which I used to wipe my tears and blow my nose. The silence was deafening and it was worse than my dad's words. It felt as if everything and everyone was mocking me which I couldn't handle. I stood up.

"Where are you going?" Rowe asked as I placed the ice pack on the kitchen table.

"I'll be on the roof. I want to be alone right now," I mumbled as I made my way down the hallway and up the stairs slowly.

Closing my room door, I stripped down and changed into my sweats and tank top. I couldn't stand the weight of my hair up so I left it out.

I grabbed my dark grey blanket from my comfy bean bag couch and wrapped it around me. I walked over to my window and quickly got onto the table in front of it. I pulled the net of the window off and threw it on my bed before pushing the glass of my window open.

The cool breeze hit my face and I sighed in reply as I crawled out of my window. Sitting on the roof of my house wasn't scary as it seemed to be. When I was about ten years old I had read a book that had the protagonist sitting on his roof whenever he felt emotional. Ever since then I came and sat on the roof with my blanket wrapped around me.