Ocean and Alcohol ✘JJ Maybank✘

Ice Packs

You shot up instantly.

Your dad was going to kill you.

You threw the blankets off your bed, shoving your legs back into your shorts.

"Where are you going?" JJ mumbled, sitting up. His hair was a mess, his eyes still half-closed. He gave a long yawn.

"It's morning, JJ," you said, tears threatening your eyes.

"Shit," he breathed, instantly awake as pushing himself out of the bed. "Your dad."

"Yeah. My dad."

"It's alright," he said. "It'll be okay."

You pulled on your shoes in a hurry, fear squeezing every single one of your bones. You picked your phone off of the nightstand and swore. Your phone was dead.

"I have to go," you told him hurriedly.

"Hey." JJ opened his arms up to you. "Come here."

You let him put his arms around you. JJ placed a kiss against your forehead.

"Call me," he said as you pulled away and headed out the door.

"I'll see you later," you called behind you and you booked it to the car.

The entire drive home, fearful tears brimmed your eyes. Even though your phone was plugged in, it wasn't charging, which wasn't helping your anxiety at all. The 15 minute trip home was nothing but worry.

Your dad was definitely going to kill you. It didn't matter what kind of lie you tried to make up. There was no way you were getting out of this one. When you pulled up to your house, you sat in the car for a few moments, forcing your eyes to dry, your heart to stop pounding, your hands to stop shaking.

You took another steadying breath before opening your front door. You dropped your keys in the usual spot, looking around the house. Your pulse started to slow when your father wasn't sitting on the stairs, his usual hang out spot for when you were home late. Cringing to yourself, you made your way toward the stairs, creeping along as silently as possible.

Breathing slowly, as quietly as you could, your heart plummeted when you heard your dad's door open behind you.

"Shit," you hissed to yourself, freezing in your spot.

"Where were you?" Your dad's voice was deadly calm, like the ocean before a storm. You tried to breathe slowly as you turned around. "Where were you?"

"I went for a drive and on my way home I felt sick, so I pulled over. I must have fallen asleep, Dad, I'm so-"

"Don't lie to me!" His booming voice echoed through the house, making you flinched. You heard the floorboards in your brother's room creak and you begged him silently not to open his door.

"Dad, I swear," you said, lower lip quivering.

He started toward you, finger pointed. You stepped backward, tears falling from your eyes.

"You are an ungrateful bitch, you know that?" He seethed in your face. You whimpered, turning your face away.

"Daddy, I'm sorry," you sobbed. "I didn't mean to-"

Before you could say anything else, he grabbed you by the hair and tugged once. You cried out, trying to pry his hands off of you, but his grip was firm.

"Dad, stop!"

You looked over and saw Kid standing in the doorway to his room, eyes wide with fear.

"Go back inside you're room, Bradford," your dad ground out, pointing at him. Kid wasn't looking at your father though. His gaze was set on you. You nodded your head slowly, tears running down your cheeks.