The Boy Next Door. (:

The Boy Next Door- Chapter 12

When we got back to her house Hailey ran into the house, me and Rachelle following. When we walked inside she was jumping up and down in front of Ty and Becky. 

"Where is Mom?" She asked, anxiously. 

"Backyard, why?" Ty asked, confused. 

He received no answer and she ran outside. I watched through the window. She talked with her hands. Her mom was silent for a moment, then a large smile appeared across her face, and she nodded. Hailey squealed with delight, then ran back inside.  

"What is going on?" Becky asked. 

"She tried out for my gymnastics team and made it, I guess your mom agreed to meet with my coach to discuss it." Rachelle said sweetly. 

"Oh, how wonderful!" Becky smiled, running into the dining room, where Ty and Hailey were talking.  

Rachelle and I stood in the kitchen, watching them. Brad walked in from the garage, carrying a brief case.  

"Did I miss something?" He asked, grinning. 

"I made a gymnastics team!" Hailey said, a little less excited now.  

"I didn't know you were a gymnast." 

She nodded, then ran upstairs, signaling for Rachelle and me to follow.  

I walked into her room, where she was jumping on her bed.  

"Oh, my mom just got here. I'll see you guys later!" She bounced out of the room.  

"I'm so excited!" She giggled. 

"I can tell, gymnastics really means alot to you doesn't it?" I asked, laying on the couch. 

"You don't even know." 

I laughed, then looked over to my house. I saw a figure in Ava's room. I looked closer and realized it was my dad.  

"I have to go." I said, running out of the room. 

I ran downstairs and out of the house. Slamming the front door behind me, I took the stairs two at a time to Ava's room. 

"What are you doing in here?" I asked, clenching my fist. 

"Just stopped by to see Ava and Ben, what's wrong with that?" He asked. 

"No one is home, you can leave." I lied, as Ava was in the playroom downstairs. 

"That is no way to be talking to your father young man." He said , sternly. 

"I don't consider you my father! Fathers are people who are there when their families need them! Not people like you who cheat, then leave for no reason." 

"I am your father, you can't change that."  

"Do you even know what you have done to this family?" I yelled, "Ben turned into a self-centered jerk, Garrett never comes home anymore, and Mom is depressed!" 

"I didn't do that to them, they did it to themselves!" He raged.  

"No they didn't! It all started when you left! Now this family rests on my shoulders! I'm the one who takes care of Ava when Mom is gone! I have to keep the rest of us together because of what you did!" 

"Don't you blame this all on me, your mom made this happen too." 

"No she didn't! YOU lied, YOU cheated, YOU left. How does she have anything to do with any of that?" 

Then he did something I never expected. He took a step forward and slapped me across the face. Anger rushed through my veins and I ran downstairs and into the playroom. Ava looked so peaceful, playing with her dolls.