We both relaxed after my words were spoken, the relationship being official. Boyfriend, the word sounded amazing in my head, but the fact it was Brodie made it all the more better. We laughed and joked as he turned his car into my driveway, parking it behind three others. I furrowed my eyebrow as I looked. One car belonged to my mom, and considering she had invited Matt to dinner — "as friends" — it could be assumed that the other was his. But the new Lamborghini? It looked out of place on the driveway, despite the value of the house. Brodie pulled his keys from the ignition, holding them tightly in his hand as he whistled at the car.
"Who's is that?" He asked staring at me, taking in my defensive posture. My back was straight and my hands gripped the dashboard tightly. One name popped into my head.
"Let's go in." I muttered before climbing out of the car and walking towards the front door, ready to see if my suspicions were true.
I heard the yelling before I even stepped inside. I took Brodie's hand and he squeezed it gently as he led the way through the hall into the kitchen, where the voices seemed to be coming from. He showed all the courage I had no time to feel. Pushing the door open, he greeted the only person he knew in the room, my mom. Walking in also helped to confirm what I already believed to be true.
Stood in the kitchen, a few metres across from where my mom stood beside Matt — who seemed completely ready to defend her, when and if he had to — was my dad and the most fake blond I'd ever seen in my life. I could only assume she was the bitch my dad had snuck around with. She stuck her hand out,
"Elizabeth Murray." I looked at her with absolute disgust, "you can call me Beth." I ignored her, and my dads comment telling me not to be rude and ran to my brother who had just made it through the French doors. I gripped him so tightly; for dear life, almost, and he wrapped his arms just as tightly around me.
"Cal, I've missed you so much." I whispered in his ear, ruffling his hair from behind, mentally acknowledging the fact that he had grown in the past three months. He laughed and repeated the same thing I'd said before I noticed my dad turn to Brodie. Shit. I returned to my position beside him, taking a deep breath.
"Dad, this is Brodie, my boyfriend." I smiled up at my dad before giving Brodie an even wider grin. He stuck out his hand, and said hello, to which my father ignored gestures.
"Brodie Maguire, son of Harvey Maguire. Yeah, I know who you are." I saw a glint of recognition in Brodie's eye as he took a step back, giving in. "And you will not be dating my daughter."
My mom moved us all into the dining room, where the argument fully erupted. The only person talking calmly, was the one person who had every right to be pissed off.
My dad was a police officer, and apparently he knew Brodie on a first name basis before he moved away, usually being the person throwing Brodie into a cell before his dad came to bail him out.
I threw my hands up in the air, "you cannot tell me who I can and cannot be with!" My voice was raised, and the temptation to throw the glass across the table at him was overwhelming. I clenched my fists, trying to fight the urges.
"I am your father, Rhea and as long as I am a part of your life, I will have a say; and you will not under any circumstances date this boy!" He threw his arm out, pointing a finger at Brodie, who sat quietly at the end of the table, his hands together, waiting his turn. "This boy has been arrested for arson, theft, GBH, driving under the influence, he's wrecked God knows how many cars and bikes, and would have been charged with armed robbery as well if his father hadn't got him off the charges."
"He got me off the charges because it wasn't me, sir. Nor was the arson, if that's relevant." Brodie responded, his voice low, defensive. I looked at him. "Guilty by association."
"Well as I said, as long as I'm around—" Callum threw his chair back, storming out of the room and up the stairs; my mom was having a stare off with the woman who ruined her marriage and the distractions gave me enough time to interrupt him.
"Unfortunately, dad." I hissed the word, "you're not around, you decided that when you started shacking up with the home wrecking bitch, over here. You're never here, you've barely spoken to me in the past 3 months and you lost all parental privileges when you decided to choose her over your family." I stood up, shoving my chair backwards, in a similar way Callum had, before walking to the door. "Brodie, feel free to talk to my mom. She likes you. I need to talk to my brother." I walked up the stairs, a sense of empowerment coming over me, luckily hiding the guilt.
I knocked on Callum's door and entered. He was sat on his bed, against the furthest wall. It just so happened that it was also as far on the other side of the house as he could physically get. As far away from my dad, and the arguments; and the mess we called our family. I sat beside him, watching as he shot another zombie straight between the eyes on his Xbox.
"Cal Cal." I whispered, my voice gentle, as if I were talking to a child.
"Don't call me that." He shoved me slightly, but I was still stronger than him. "I came home for Thanksgiving and all that's happened is everyone's fighting. I don't care about your new boyfriend, or mom's; and I sure don't give a damn about Beth." He shoulders dropped as he looked down at his bedspread. "I got bullied there, you know? And I was just settling in and was speaking to this girl, and she was great and dad doesn't even want me there anymore. It'll be good to be back here but, I'll never see her again." I looked at him, focusing on his face, my eyes narrowing.
"What do you mean, he doesn't want you?"
"He's moving to England with Beth as soon as the divorce is final." He looked at me in confusion, as if it was something I should've already known. I stood, suddenly fuelled by anger.
I stormed into the dining room, where the voices has quietened. At least until my return. "You have a nerve, dad" I screamed at him, before I even got near him. "Giving me all this," I looked around the room, hesitating as I tried to find the words; everyone looked at me shocked, including Brodie. He didn't know just how dysfunctional my family was, "this bullshit about how you're my dad and you get a say, when in reality you're moving to England with this whore and leaving the family behind!" I yelled at him, panting as I finished. My mom stood, joining me where I stood with Brodie. Matt joined us as well, the two men providing protection.
"You're doing what?" My mom asked. Her voice was low, defensive, just like Brodie's had been, but with one difference; hers was laced with hurt. My dad opened his mouth to speak, but we all knew he'd come up with some elaborate lie. He always did. "I want you to go, and I never want you to come back. I'll send you the divorce papers as soon as I've signed them." Both him and Beth attempted to say something again, but my mom shot them a look which forced them to stand up and leave.
"You know," Beth stopped, before turning and walking towards my mom, "Julian is better off without you and this family. Your daughter is dating a criminal and your son, well, you just have to look at him to know he's not all there. At least we'll be happy together." She stood a few inches shorted than my mom, and we heard the sound before we saw the slap. Beth's hand went straight to her cheek, and my dad pulled her away before she even had another chance to speak.
The whole house was silent as everyone slumped into a chair, Callum joining us now that my dad had left. We all looked at each other in utter horror.
"The most eventful day of my life." I muttered, letting out a small, fake laugh. Brodie placed his hand on mine, and I could only hope that I never had a day like that again.