song: Tongue Tied by Grouplove
**disclaimer**
some verbal and physical abuse in his chapter.
happy reading < 3
*******************************************
"Leo just texted me. he said to park the car away from his house, in case his parents come back" I tell Lindsay.
" Fucking preschool party. don't we have something better to do on a Friday night?"she mutters. annoyed. Lord knows she only tolerates Leo for me. We've had a lot of fights about it.
"He's so childish. Why do you even like him" she'd say, starting the argument.
"I just do. End of discussion. I mean, you like Aidan and he's an asshole. But we tolerate him for you" I would tell her, getting pissed. I almost never get angry. So when I do, she knows it's final.
She ends up parking the car a few blocks down. we spend a few minutes getting ready in the car. Lindsay unbraids her hair keeping it open in waves. Ally ties her uniform shirt into a knot, turning it into a crop top. I reapply my makeup, a little heavier this time. and we step out and walk towards Leo's house, where we can hear music being blasted.
We knock a couple of times before Kaylo answers the door.
"Welcome, Ladies. Leo's already tipsy" he greets us.
"When is he not ?" we step into the house.
"THERE YOU GUYS ARE, WHAT TOOK SO LONG," Leo asks, getting up from his couch as we step into the living room."
"Hey babe" Aidan calls out to Lindsay, wrapping his arms around her.
"Let's GET THIS PARTY STARTED" ALLY YELLs
And the next three hours pass by in a happy blur of loud music, junk food, and laughter.
They pass in little moments. Like when Leo dances with Aidan. Or when Kaylo slides down the stairs by the arm rest. Or when Ally prank calls 7 different fast food places. Or when Lindsay carries me on her shoulder and almost breaks my neck.
and even though no one brought any alcohol, we all felt drunk on euphoria.
Except for Leo. He was actually drunk.
on days like these, I can easily close my eyes and vow to stay this way forever. I can easily imagine the rest of highschool going by in a blur of happiness this way. surrounded by friends.
but then I always have to go back home. No matter how long I spend my night this way, it always ends with me back home, crying myself to sleep.
and I can't take it anymore. I can't keep living this double life, just to have reality slap me in the face. I made a decision and I'm not backing out now. I owe it to myself.
I suddenly feel so alone. I look around the room.
Kaylo is sitting on the couch across from me on his phone, and I focus on the sunlight from the window falling on his green eyes, making it look glowing. and I wonder about him. he's always been with us, part of our group. but he never participates much, he's always just a quiet presence.
Lindsay was done making out with Aidan and was now singing a karaoke duo with Ally, Leo was probably passed out somewhere, and Aidan's nowhere to be seen.
I slowly slip out of the living room and make my way to where I remembered the kitchen to be. where I find Aidan leaning against the counter, sipping soda. he smiles at me when I approach him. "hey".
"what are you doing here?" I ask him
"Just taking a breather. you?" he shrugs.
"same, might as well join you right? " I try to heave myself on the counter, but fail miserably. Damn these weak arms.
"A little help"
Aidan smiles, shaking his head. He lifts me up by the waist and heaves me on the kitchen counter.
We're sitting there, in comfortable silence when I remember what happened in school "So what did you write in that paper"
"huh?"
"the one you threw at Leo".
he gives me a teasing smile. "nuh, you'll both hate me"
"When did that ever stop you" but he was already shaking his head
"I'll pretend you never told me a thing" I swore, giving him my best sad puppy eyes.
he clutches his chest, pretending to be in pain "You win " he cried. He leans forward, his eyes full of mischief. "I wrote-"
"FUCK, GUYS?" Leo calls out to us from upstairs.
we go back to the living room and see Leo practically flying down the stairs, panicking.
"Look who's not passed out in the bathtub anymore," Kaylo congratulates Leo.
"MY PARENTS JUST CALLED TO CHECK UP ON ME, THEY SAID THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY"
"well, shit," Lindsay says, giggling.
"Look on the bright side. It sobered you up a little" Kaylo tells him.
"it's not funny. if they find out I invited you guys, I'm fucked."
"calm your ass down. We're leaving " Kaylo says.
"well make it quick, they said their close"
I had just started to look around for my phone, while Ally attempts to finish off the leftover fries when we hear the distinct sound of a car pulling up to the driveway.
We all freeze in place.
"Quick, all of you, out through the back door, I'll distract them" Leo whispers harshly, snapping us awake.
Lindsay grabs our bags, while Leo grabs all our trash and attempts to hide it hastily.
Then we're all bolting down the hall, into the kitchen, through the door that leads to the backyard. We cross the backyard. Kaylo reaches to open the back door. but it doesn't budge.
"locked" he whispers, turning to us.
"fuck, what are we gonna do? Mrs. Garcia scares me," Ally says
"I'll go get the keys from Leo" I announce.
"No time, We'll have to climb the fence" Kaylo decides.
"wait, what" Lindsay protest, but then the kitchen lights flicker on, and Kaylo's already gripping the fence and climbing a few steps before jumping to the other side, followed by Aidan.
"But my HEELS!" Lindsay whines.
But we're already taking off our heels and throwing them across the fence.
We were all probably getting blisters tomorrow.
"WATCH IT" Kaylo yells from the other side. One of our heels probably hit him.
"come on Ally" I hurry her up as she takes her time climbing, whispering to herself "I am not a criminal, I am not a criminal"
then it was Lindsay who was climbing the fence.
and all of a sudden, the porch lights come on, and I panic-
I'm climbing the fence so fast, I fall forwards to the other side, letting out a surprised shriek, bracing myself to hit the ground.
But it doesn't come.
Kaylo catches me halfway, his arms around my waist.
"Thanks," I smile at him, as he helps steady me.
"Anytime" He winks.
Then voices get louder, footsteps approach us. and we're running in opposite directions.
Me, Lindsay, and Ally are running back to where we parked the Porsche, while Kaylo and Aiden ran in the opposite direction towards their Jaguar.
Lindsay starts the car, while Ally's screaming "GO GO GO" and we drive away.
we all sit in silence for a few minutes. trying to catch our breath, and then all of a sudden we're laughing hysterically.
"That was WILD," Lindsay gasps.
"Preschool party, huh?" I remind her. She just laughs
"you think Kaylo and Aidan made it to their car?" Ally asks
"Probably. hey, what time is it?" Lindsay asks.
"you have a watch" Ally points out
"No shit." Lindsay rolls her eyes. "I can't look away from the road. that's why I have a driver's license and you don't" Lindsay fires back
"Ouch, linds. that's cuz my parents are OVER PROTECTIVE"
"It's 7:30," I tell her, reading her watch for her.
"I can't believe we're actually going home at 7:30 on a Friday night." Ally says.
"I told you. Today was a fucking preschool party" Lindsay says, shaking her head.
***
and the rest of the car ride dissolves into peaceful silence. mostly because Ally had fallen asleep.
Lindsay pulls up to a medium sized white mansion surrounded by palm trees and grass.
I'm home.
I turn to Lindsay "call me when you get home,"
"First, I have to get this one home," she says looking lovingly at Ally who was passed out in the back.
" bye, love" she calls after me, before driving away.
I make my way to my front door and brace myself. I knock once.
My nanny opens the door instantly. "Miss Tanya, you're late" she greets me.
"Sorry Mary" I slip past her
"your father kept asking about you" she continues, closing the door and following me inside.
"I was with the girls," I say, leaving out the part about Aidan, Leo, and Kaylo.
My Father absolutely forbids the idea of me having any guy relationships outside school. He says that if I'm ever seen as a slut in any way, It'll completely ruin his image. he would never approve of me being best friends with Leo or hanging out with Aidan or Kaylo. That's why I keep them a secret.
"Tanya" I hear my father calling me from his office. I drop my bag on the floor and reluctantly make my way to the office.
I walk into the office and stand at the doorway. There he was in all his glory. Hayes Darling. The biggest lawyer in the state. his hair combed down to perfection, his beard trimmed to point. No one has to wonder how he became so suspiciously successful. He was positively intimidating. A man of precision.
No exceptions to that rule. Not even in his own home, with his only daughter.
" well, come in, we need to talk"
I make my way towards his desk, "yes?"
" good afternoon?"
I sigh from frustration "Good afternoon" I say, emphasizing every syllable slowly. Daring him to test my patience. My temper might seem short to him, but he doesn't understand that I've been patient for 16 years.
he places both his hands slowly in front of me "I've been calling for hours"
"I had my phone on silent, probably"
"Probably? I don't want a probably. did you or did you not have it on silent?"
"I-I don't know," I felt like crying already. I'm so over this. So over feeling this vulnerable. So over feeling so afraid.
"I don't think its too much to ask to have my daughter answering my calls. If you think you are unable to do that, I can stop you from going out entirely. would you like that?"
"no" I whisper.
"No what? speak up, girl."
"no sir."
He sits there, watching me in silence. he has a slow boil so I'm always dreading when he starts going off. because I can never expect it. he's so unpredictable. and I'm positively terrified.
"Well. since you do not use your phone in communicating with me, I see no point in you having it at all, don't you think?"
The lump in my throat. I can't seem to swallow it. There's no point in trying to change his mind. He never listens. He always says I'm not worth listening to.
"Where is your phone?"
"my phone? it's with me"
"would you mind showing it to me then" his face seems to be made of stone. His expression always hard.
I reach for my back pocket of my jeans, but I don't feel it there.
"its probably in my back bag outside, I'll go get it," I tell him, turning to leave.
He slams his hands on the desk, rising from his chair "you won't find it. do you want to know why? because it's still at the Garcia's house"
My blood runs cold. shit. I must've forgotten it there. "how do you know that?" my voice breaks.
"Because- I just got a phone call from Mr. Garcia informing me that my daughter has left her phone behind in her rush to sneak off after doing god-knows-what with his son". I'm not breathing anymore. I'm so tired. so very tired.
"I -"
he interrupts me, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HUMILIATING IT WAS TO HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO MR. GARCIA WHAT MY DAUGHTER WAS DOING IN HIS HOUSE AT NIGHT, WITH HIS SON?"
"It was a party. I wasn't the only one-"
"A PARTY? SO MULTIPLE GUYS THEN? YOU MIGHT NOT CARE ABOUT YOU'RE REPUTATION, BUT IT AFFECTS MINE. WHAT WOULD PEOPLE THINK OF ME IF THEY FIND OUT? THAT HAYES DARLING CAN'T CONTROL HIS OWN DAUGHTER."
" Everyone my age goes to parties-"
"Just shut the hell up for once, honestly all you do is talk. your grades are a mess, your life is a mess. if it wasn't for me tracking your every move for you, you wouldn't even have a future. Tell me, do you enjoy being a useless disappointment? "
he stares at me for a moment, watching his words sink in before he continues
"I had hoped when you're older, you would've straightened out on your own. But obviously I'm gonna have to straighten you out myself. No daughter of mine is going to be reputed as an easy party girl. I've already applied you into a number of boarding schools, I'm waiting to hear back from them"
"SHUT UP. YOU CAN'T DO THAT-" I'm screaming at the top of my lungs.
and before I have time to react, he leans forward.
He grabs me by my collar and pushes me back so hard, throwing me on the ground. The impact hits my chest and back.
I gasp sharply in pain.
"Do not dare and speak to me that way again. Do you understand ?"
I grab my arm and chest in pain, as I try to get up, but losing my balance and falling again .
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
I nod slowly, stifling sobs.
"There will be no more hangouts this weekend. understood?"
I nod again.
"You are excused."
I turn to leave. "Oh and Tanya. Do not disturb your mother"
But of course. I hadn't disturbed my dear mother in 8 years. I've just always been a silent burden to her,
I walk out slowly, closing his office door behind me.
and Mary is right there for me. she looks at me with a wordless understanding and leads me to the bathroom. She knows the drill.
"I ran a hot bath for when you returned. Rose petals and lavender scented. Your favorite. And when you're done, I'll send over a plate from dinner."
"Do you know where Mother is? "
"she's on her second nap for the day"
"of course she is. A socialite's life must be very exhausting" I remark sarcastically.
Mary had been my nanny since I was 8 years old. One day, My father walked in on me and my mom watching cartoons together.
He told her that I was old enough. that I was taking up too much of her time. That she was distracting me.
He said that I was getting too soft, too attached to her. Too attached to my own mother.
By the following week he'd hired Mary. To take care of my needs strictly professionally.
But Mary became much more than that. She grew to become my only sense of relief and comfort at home. much more than my own mom, who didn't hesitate to avoid me as soon as my father told her so.
After my bath,which was spent mostly in tears and dinner, I went back to my room.
Mary is right there, waiting for me.
She helps me change into my pajamas. She also helps apply bruising cream to my chest and back.
She always keeps a first aid kit in my room, now. Since I always seem to need it.
I wanted to say something, to thank her. I wanted to tell her how grateful I was for all those years she's been there for me. But I knew the second I opened my mouth, I would burst into tears.
But by the way she gently caresses my bruises, and folds her hand in mine, I had a feeling she somehow understood how much she meant to me.
After a few minutes of silent comfort, she whispers "I'll leave you to rest now"
And silently slips out of the room.
We both knew she couldn't spend the night by my side. My father would be furious.
I wanted to lock myself in my room, but he took my key a long time ago. when he decided I didn't deserve the privilege of privacy.
Every day, I go to school terrified that someone will somehow see right through me. That they'll look in my eyes and find out my life's a broken mess.
This. This is why I'm going through with my plan. I need to make him pay. I will make him pay for the years of torment, the abuse. Even if it means I'll break my friend's hearts, so be it.
This is what harden's my resolve. My plan. It starts tomorrow.
But now,
I cry myself to sleep for, hopefully, the last time.
****a.n****
That's 2 CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY. YES, IM ON FIRE BABY.
*hope you enjoyed it.
*press the star icon to vote.
~I know this chapter is kind of sad, BUT IM REALLY EXCITED SINCE I CAN FINALLY START THE *TANYA AND KAYLO LOVE STORY*~
looking forward to it
stay safe, stay home
~lulu
< 3