Changed

Seventeen.

"My parents are falling apart." My voice cracks at the sentence and I shut my eyes closed shut, trying to escape the memories that flood my mind about my mom and I's phone call earlier. I could hear the hurt in her voice from miles away and I can almost picture the blood shot red in her eyes as she speaks through the phone waiting at the door for my father.

"Are you sure, Skyla? I know married people fight a lot but at the end of the day still love each other." 

"I'm sure, Tony. I used to be the glue that stuck my parents together. Whenever they would fight, I would step in and calm them down and remind them that they're together for a reason. Now since I'm here, I can't do that and my dad doesn't come around my mom anymore. He's always out and about without caring about the way my mom feels, and it's stupid." I try and break the embrace I am in with Tony but he notices and grips onto me harder, making the shh's noise a bit more louder.

..

"Juliet. Will you be quiet for a moment and let me think about this? I'm not sure if we can afford to having someone else live here." My fathers voice booms throughout the living room and my head turns around from the tv, looking back at them. They're coming out from the hall and sitting at the dinner table, with papers in my fathers hand.

"James, she's my sister. I need her to stay here just for a little bit. I know we don't have much and we can't offer it but she has no where to go and for crying out loud, shes my sister!" My moms voice rings my ear drums and I roll my eyes at their petty argument. Someone living here is a big deal but they could easily solve this without yelling and getting on each others bad side. You can easily get a point across with yelling.

"I understand that but we simply don't have the room or money to support her. It was her fault to go out and waste her money on god knows what and not being a real adult and stepping up to the plate." My fathers voice calms down when he sees me across the room staring at them, but it doesn't stop my mom. Her voice gets louder and more forecful as he continues to look at the white piece of paper.

"Make room! I'll pick up a second job tomorrow but I can't leave my sister out on the streets to fend for herself, I just won't let that happen." My mother slams her fist onto the table and bites back the tears that are starting to form in her eyes but a second later, they're all running down her face.

"Then, I'll leave." My father gets up from the table and heads back to the bedroom, and my mom quickly follows after him. I can hear her curse underneath her breath at the moment the words leave his lips, and I feel a weight being put on me and my body starts to sink lower and lower into the couch.

"Leave then." My mothers voice reachs into my head and breaks me from the enternal battle that was going on in my mind. I jolt up from the couch and take long strides to my parents bedroom. My father has his hands leaning against his dresser that sits in the corner of the room, my mom is against the wall on the otherside with her head in her palms. I cough and my moms eyes shoot up at me, and I can tell she's in bad shape.

"Go to your room, Skyla." I contemplate at the thought but quickly dismiss it as I stare at the sight of both my parents on the verge of going different ways. 

I can't let this happen.

"You guys are going to give up on your marriage over this pitty little fight?" My voice comes out shaky but I know they both heard me when my mom sobs and my dad clentches the edge of the dresser. My father looks up in mirror that hangs right above the dresser and looks back at the scenery.

My mother and I.

"You can't just leave us." My voice becomes more prominent and I look at my father, as he stares into the mirror, but it doesn't last long when he closes his eyes and sits back down on the bed behind him.

"You guys have been married for what? 18 years? How can you let all of that go over this. Over this stupid fight you guys are having. If someone is in need you help them as much as you can, father." I take a deep breath and he rubs his palms up to his face as he soaks in the words. I look over to my mother and the sobs have died down but the pain is still evident, "You need to quit forcing stuff onto people, mom. Specailly when we really don't have enough room, and money." Her eyes close and she sniffles heading over to the side of the bed where my father sits at. My heart swells up when my dad pulls her into a tight embrace as she cries into his shoulder, repeating herself "Please, don't ever say that again."

And I know she means about him leaving.

I can't register of what just happened sicne it happened so quickly but I sigh in relief knowing I just helped out my parents in this time of need.

Sometimes people just need a reality check, I guess.

"Since when did my 16 year old daughter become such the adult?" My mom wipers her nose onto my dad sleeve and he smiles at the little gesture even though I crinkle my nose at the sight. I don't really know when I did people the "adult" here, but I do know my parents love for each other and they can't let it be ruined over something so stupid and something that can be fixed.

..

"I've been helping them ever since I was 16, and now I am 19. I could tell they were starting to have a lot of differences and argue over the most stupidest things. If my dad forgot to take out the trash, you would have thought the world was ending for my mom." I sniffle and manage to muster up a light laugh as I think about their relationship.

"I just hope they get help and work it out, because I don't know how I am going to manage with two different Christmas' and maybe even two mothers and fathers." I want to sob again but I have nothing left, my voice is weak and I am left feeling numb.

"Well," Tony says and laughs. I shake my head lightly at what could possibly be going through his head. "Think about this; you get two TV's, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, twice the amount of stuff you would usually get."

Just as I was about to shake my head and laugh, he grabs my chin and pushes it up, while his eyes stare down at me. The seconds go on and I feel as if it's been minutes, as we continue to stare at each other. I want to speak but nothing comes out, all I can think about is how I really am lucky to have this guy in my life.

"It'll be fine, Skyla." He goes to lean in but something loud fills the air between us.

I notice its my cellphone and when I take it out, the name that pops up is Ethan. I wasn't expecting to be anyone but I am just glad it wasn't Peyton. I want to throw my phone and go back to being in a tight embrace with Tony but the curiousity breaks that and I am slidingthe screen, to open up the text.

*Peyton woke up and is trying to fight almost everyone here. Can you try and calm him down, please? I can't get to him.*

I re-read over the text at least 5 times and the phone is ripped from my palm as Tony stares down at the screen. I can tell his breath is going rigid and he shoves the phone back into my hand, without giving me any type of warning. He stands up and everything clicks together and I stand up along with him.

"Go." Tony says and looks back up into the sky, as I look down at the ground.

"Sorry." I whisper and head back to the house where I will be faced with difficult tasks.

-

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey there! Sorry about the wait with this chapter, I've been dealing with trying to get into college and I had to stay up there for two days and eh. I've missed writing actually, so I hope this filled the void up of waiting.

Can we start a club for the people who dislike Peyton?

Ily xx

Vote and comment!

PS: I WENT BACK AND CHANGED SKYLA'S PARENTS NAME FOR OBVIOUS REASONS AND I THINK I CLEARED UP THE CONFUSSION AND YEAH. ily