I decided to not even bother letting the comment get to me or make me doubt who I was. I was the daughter of the most stuck up parents around, I accepted that. So I fell asleep quickly to get my mind off of this absolute nonsense. I mean, it had to be nonsense, right?
I woke up the next morning from a shitty sleep and sighed, peeling myself from the comfort of my bed and started to get ready for work. As I readied myself with the regular routine, only my body was actually in the motion, not needing my mind so it wandered to the crazy situation this girl has set me in. I cleaned my teeth and brushed absentmindedly, but when tooth paste started to seep past my lips, I realized I brushed for more than five minutes and my gums started to hurt just a bit. I washed off the bristles and put it back on its holder, washing out my mouth and cleansing my face of the oil it collected during the night. I dressed quickly and pulled my strap-bag over my shoulders before leaving my room with my unflattering three-buttoned-deep-sea-blue work shirt with a dolphin's shadow jumping in front of a sunset over my left breast, plain faded denim jeans finishing off the outfit with my hair cascading down over my shoulders.
I descended the stairs quickly, changing shoes at the front door and opening up the wooden barrier before my father called out my name.
"Marley, where do you think your going?" He asked, coming down the stairs fixing his dressy-button down tan shirt that was tucked into his black pants.
"I have work today." I stated the obvious, gesturing to my clothes.
"Well, call in and tell them you'll be late-"
"Dad, I can't. That's too short of a notice."
"I scheduled a doctors appointment, Marley. They'll understand."
"I'm fine today." I lied lamely, only feeling the ache now that I've been reminded of it. It was actually more of a numb feeling after just waking up.
"Get in my car. But call Martin first. You'll get there after the doctor gives the 'okay'."
I turned reluctantly and rolled my eyes once I faced away from him, pulling my phone from my back pocket. I searched Martin's number and pressed the little green phone by the name. Pressing the speaker to my ear, I heard my dad take his car keys off the hook behind me. I slowly paced in the front yard while the call rang.
"Good morning, Marley." My boss answered cheerfully.
"Morning, Martin."
I called my boss by his first name because, even if he is in his mid-forties, he likes to think he's young and friends with all his employees, which is how he earned so much of my respect. He treats everyone as equals, unless you don't deserve it.
"And how are you this morning?"
"A bit frustrated, actually. But-"
"The parents again?" He questioned, but before I could answer, he continued. "The grown-ups just don't understand our struggles." He simply joked, laughing at his own comment and I couldn't help the smile that started to spread across my face.
"Yeah, they don't. But I got a bit hurt yesterday and my dad is making me see a doctor this morning, so-"
"Ermahgawd, are you okay?"
"I'm totally fine, though." I answered. "But you know how they are." I mumbled, knowing the presence of my father is just next to the apple-glossy red Chevrolet Camaro.
"It's fine, I'll call Kena in. Just let me know if you'll be coming in to relieve her."
"Okay. Thanks, Martin."
"No problem. Hang in there, Marley."
The line went dead shortly after his words and I slipped my phone back into my pocket and walked round front of the car, to the passenger side. My dad was already inside, messing with the many buttons that I didn't care to know what they did.
"What did Martin say?" He asked after he pulled out of our driveway, going through the metal barred gates with a dolphin statue on each side, up on the pegs about eight feet up.
"He said it was fine and to let him know if I can go." I answered, looking out the passenger window to avoid looking at him.
We sat in silence until it became too much for him. "What you did to Eli last night was very disrespectful. He didn't deserve it."
"You don't know that."
"He just wanted to tell you 'good night'. How would that result to you threatening him with your skateboard and accusing him of using steroids?"
I shook my head, knowing my dad wouldn't understand. Sure, he'd be upset, but he wouldn't go over to their house personally and beat the shit out of Eli for laying his hands on me. He and mother have taught me that violence won't solve anything. Having a ''sit down and chat'' will make everything dissolve on its own; the issues will be brought up and you could only hope that it won't happen again.
"Marley," He called for my attention. "Tell me why you did that to him. You wouldn't have done it to Jeremiah."
"Jeremiah wouldn't have pushed me up against the wall and threaten me."
"What did you do to provoke him?" My father asked.
"Nothing."
"You must've done something." He stated.
"How wealthy?" I sighed, propping my elbow up against the window of my door.
"What?"
"Eli's family, they're wealthy?"
"Immensely."
"Figured." I scoffed.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"That it's the reason you aren't as pissed off as you should be."
"Marley, I care for you." My father stated, pulling up to a red street light. "I want what's best for you."
"He's abusive, dad."
He shook his head and shut his eyes for a moment before waiting for the light to turn green, when it did and we were in motion again, he spoke up. "Lets not talk about all of this. If he's abusive, it's out of the question. You could do better."
I nodded, sliding the pads of my finger tips along my bottom lip. The rest of the way to my physical doctor, dad tried to make small talk with me, but I hardly put any effort into any of it so the conversation would die shortly after I would reply.
Pulling into the parking lot, we silently got out and walked into the building. After taking the lift to the third floor, we walked to the all-too familiar door and walked in, the lady behind the not-so-protective glass smiled warmly.
"Good morning." She said, only because it was part of her job.
Dad replied with his own 'good morning', signing me in with the time being for my appointment. I couldn't help but to think how stupid all of this really was. No other regular person would have to go through this if it happened to them, why couldn't I have parents who cared just a little less?
I sat in the cushioned waiting room chair until Doctor Davis opened the door, leading into the back rooms, and called my name.
"Can I go in with her?" My father asked, standing at the same time I did.
"If its alright with Marley, then yes." The doctor answered.
Two pairs of eyes looked at me expectantly, waiting for my answer. I didn't want him to be there, sitting in the corner and watching intently. But if he was there, he wouldn't have to ask me about things I really don't care about and would probably forget most of. I nodded my answer and followed the doctor past the door with my dad following in right behind me. We walked into a room, three doors down from the main entrance.
The doctor grabbed my sign in papers, reading over why I was here. It wasn't my first time in this situation. I even came here when I had road rash from falling off of my bike. It was my first bike, and last.
"Good morning, Marley." My doctor addressed me, telling me to take a seat on the lifted cot with crinkling paper running down its middle. I did as told as he sat on a spinning chair with wheels at the bottom.
"Morning." I replied.
"How are you feeling?"
"Frustrated." I answered, sticking to my answer that I told Martin, because it was true.
Dr. Davis chuckled, peering up at me from his seat. "I meant with the incident on why your here."
"I just ache."
"Any bruising?"
"Yes, sir."
"I'm just gonna check it out, now." He told me, standing from his chair and asking me to lay flat on my back. I did as told. "Lift your shirt for me." He instructed.
My fingers found the hem of my work shirt and I lifted it until under my breasts, exposing what the railing had did to me.
"Owch." He murmured, sliding white gloves onto his hands before starting to gently prod at the tenderness of my ribs. I winced as he inspected, rubbing his fingers in circles to check for anything besides bruises.
I closed my eyes and tried to shut down from the feel of my body, not liking when someone continued to touch me when I ached so much. I mentally hummed random melodies in my head.
"Looks fine," Dr. Davis reassured, his fingers leaving my skin. "Just a lot of external bruising is all, and if it still aches, maybe some internal. Nothing too major, just try to keep from bumping into anything there for a bit."
"Thank you." My dad said, standing from his place in the corner.
I pulled my shirt down and sat up, the crinkling paper under me crumpling loudly.
"Since your here, would you like to do other exams?" The doctor asked, trashing his gloves and writing his inspection down on the paper.
"Sure." My dad said, watching the back of the doctor before he turned around.
"You can get your scheduled shots today, Marley. Check your height, weight, maybe we can finally do your blood-"
"No, no blood." My dad said immediately, all emotion seeping from his voice and expression.
"Alright, alright." The doctor said. "We can do the shots and all the others."
My father exhaled and avoided meeting my eyes as they bounced back and forth between the doctor and him. Why did he get so defensive? I knitted my eyebrows together as the doctor exited the room to get the tray of what my appointment will need.
* * *
The doctor had given me the 'okay' for work today and I sent a quick text to Martin to let him know he could expect me within the next half hour.
"Are you sure you'll be able to work today-?"
"Dad," I sighed, turning my head in his direction. "I'll be fine."
"I'm just making sure."
He was acting weird since we left the doctors building, being more concerned than he should be or would be if it were a regular day. He avoided looking into my eyes as much as possible, but that's not the only thing he avoided today. He avoided the blood check up and I couldn't help but wonder why.
"Dad, how come you didn't want me to do the blood test?"
"I wanted to make sure you got to work on time."
"But you don't want me to go to work today."
"Work is commitment."
"But you still don't-"
"Enough, Marley. I just didn't want the blood test, okay?"
"But-"
"Stop it."
I stopped pressing him for an answer, my eyes watching as his knuckles turned white with how hard he was gripping the steering wheel, but his face didn't show he was upset or angry. I didn't like that he was hiding things from me, especially if it included me.
We arrive at the marine park about ten minutes sooner than on any other day and I quickly got out, but before I could close the door, my dad called my name so I bent over at the waist, peering in at him.
"Have a good day at work. Stay safe."
I didn't even bother to nod my head in reassurance before shutting the door on him. I turned to the big main entrance leading up through the corridor to where the opening part of the park is. Pavements ended by bridges so you could walk over dolphin aquariums, wide sidewalks bending around whale enclosures. This place was like a underwater mammal paradise.
My job wasn't a lot. Filling the fish buckets up with the treats for the dolphins when they completed the tricks that were given to them, cleaning up after the trainers, helping the parks vet whenever he needed it. Sometimes I would sneak over to see Donnie, the newest killer whale we had. Donnie was injured and nursed back to health, but we tracked him and he wasn't doing good out in the wild so we took him back into captivity. He didn't like being contained very much, but he loved mocking me
I quickly made my way across the exhibit, walking to the main office in the middle of this humongous park and finding Martin was gone. I clocked in my time and walked into the back room where the used buckets, clean buckets, gloves, tongs for the frozen fish, freezers full of the smelly scaly creatures, and dolphin toys were. There were small employee shacks around the park next to each enclosure, for each individual animal, but the fish came from the main office. Except for the 'performing stage'. They always have fish on ice over there. I looked at the chart on the wall while tying my apron around my waist and saw that the main acts were preforming today at noon. I've got time. It's only ten in the morning.
I cleaned out the buckets, no harsh chemicals used, and finished fairly quickly. I seen that Kena did most of the morning work, already have taken the animals breakfast around, which is five fishes for each of the fourteen dolphins we have here. Some guy named Edward handled the whales, no matter how much I begged and nagged for it.
I left the back office with a small bucket of five fish on ice and walked around, taking the neck loop of my apron off from around my head.
I headed for Donnie, his enclosure being the excluded one all the way in the back, farther back than the seals. As I walked as quickly as I could over to where Donnie was kept, the park was already starting to fill up with people. I passed through the yellow 'No Entry' gate and began jogging down the path to Donnie.
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