Seven Years Before….
“Come on, Dad,” I said walking into his room and pulling open the curtains. “Rise and shine!”
He pulled the dark blue comforter over his head, and curled into an even smaller ball, if that was possible. Strutting to his bed, I gave a yank and whipped the comforter off of him and was met with the frail ball of a human being who was my dad.
His once bright eyes were now vacant and looking at something far from the present. His face was gaunt and his beard was now starting to hang below his chin. My dad didn’t look like the over-peppy truck driver who walked the earth two months beforehand.
“Come on, Dad,” I repeated, sitting on the edge of the bed, brushing his greasy hair off of his forehead. “I have to go to school, and you have to work. You told them last week you’d be back today. Remember?” I gave a small hopeful smile, hoping he’d snap out of his trance by the mention of work.
The smile didn’t work though. Instead he closed his eyes, trying to stop the tears that were slowly making their way to the front of his eyes.
Grabbing a tissue from the nightstand, I dabbed his face lightly, like a mother would to her child. “I need you to take me to school,” I whispered patiently. “I’m only eleven you know, can’t yet see over the steering wheel?” I gave a humorous smile, hoping maybe he’d give a soft chuckle like he once might have.
“Can’t you just take the bus?” he whispered, his voice shaking.
I froze, catching myself before the smile I was holding faltered. “You have to get out of bed sometime, Dad,” I said, my voice firmer than before. “Mom isn’t any closer to you here than she would be in the car while you drive me to school.”
Roughly, I stood from his bed, and stalked out of the room, taking deep breaths keeping the tears firmly behind my eyes.
Twenty minutes later he was sitting across from me at the kitchen table moving cereal around in his bowl. He hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning, and it didn’t look like he was planning on eating this morning.
In a few quick bites I finished my piece of toast and put my plate in the freshly cleaned sink. Last night I spent and hour cleaning the entire kitchen. It hadn’t been cleaned since before my mom had died. I thought maybe if the clutter was gone, my dad would be happier. I was wrong. He didn’t even seem to notice. He didn’t notice much anymore, except for the absence of one individual.
After brushing my teeth and making sure I had all my homework that was due today in my backpack, I looked over at my dad who was still planted firmly at the table.
“Let’s go!” I shouted, swinging my backpack over my shoulder, and heading to the front door, hoping he’d hurry up with my rush to leave.
Slowly he got up from the table, like an old man, and walked to the front door, grabbing his keys from the hook. Even when my dad walked you could tell he was depressed. When he breathed, when he blinked, when he swallowed, when he scratched his itchy beard… everything looked like it made him sad.
When we got into the car he didn’t say anything, just started the engine and backed slowly out of the driveway. I tried to make conversation with him about the upcoming group project we were going to start being paired up for in science, but he didn’t seem to hear me. Or that’s what I kept telling myself.
At school, I hopped out of the car, waving a cheery goodbye to him. Like there wasn’t an unbearable silence between us. Like everything was okay. Like I wasn’t broken on the inside at the loss of not just my mom, but my dad as well.
I would never have sait it aloud, not to the school counselor, a trusted friend, the therapist my aunt sent to my dad and I, not even to myself… But it would have been easier if my dad was six-feet under with my mom and I was left alone not having to pretend for him and everyone that I was okay. I wouldn’t have had to worry that if I started crying and not getting out bed for days, that I would be taken away from my dad or be put on medications. I wouldn’t have had to worry that if my dad ever saw that smile falter that it might just send him over the edge. I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone but myself.
Turning away as he disappeared around the bend, I looked at everyone walking in talking excitedly to their friends. They looked so happy. Not a care in the world. Not a broken thing in their body. Not a broken thing in their lives.
“Yo! Ode! Over here!” came a shout from the wall that stood at the front of the school entrance where all my friends were sitting, laughing and talking excitedly.
I waved, and put on my smile, and walked over to them, falling right back into the daily routine.
____________
Unedited. (Meaning I don't want to hear anything about my typos. You know who you are)
I know, almost a month since my last update. It's just really hard for me to find time to right, guys. I'm sorry. But I have a few things I want to share with you guys.
1. The next chapter is all ready to go (it's been written for months, I just couldn't find a place to fit it in where I liked it. Now I have) so you can either wait a week or two (when I find the time to update) and get it then, or 50 of you can comment, like real comments, guys. No funny business comments where you say "Great! Can't wait for the next update". Just a sentence about why you liked this chapter or how it made you feel, nothing fancy. But if we don't get the 50 comments then the next update will be next week, I promise! :) And I know I can get 50 comments on this because over 100 voted on my last chapter, so make a writer happy? Oh & the next chapter is a bit longer.
2. I want to make a playlist for this story. Maybe a song for each chapter? What do you think? I have quite a few songs in mind, but I want you guys to feel included too... sooooooo *drum roll* for those of you who want to help a sister out, send me song suggestions via message board or pm (of comment but that doesn't go towards the 50, unless it includes something about the story) and the chapter you want the song to go with. I hope that makes sense. And if I really think that song fits the chapter, I'll put the video to the song in the sidebar of that chapter, and give you credit in the A/N (and dedicate the chapter to you if there isn't already a dedication/ you don't already have a dedication from this story).
So yeah! Sorry that was long. See you next chapter. Remember to vote/comment
YOU ARE READING
Falling Colors
Teen Fiction"The unfixable; the shattered; the torn; the broken. They all come here. It's my job to remake them, because once its broken there is no going back to the way it was. It must be remade." Six individuals. Six unique stories. Five exercises. One...
