Society Killed the Teenager

Life Goes On

"Hey dad." I murmured as I entered our kitchen. To be honest I was quite surprised to see my father in the kitchen at 9 am . Hell, I'm surprised he's even here at all. 

"Good morning, sweetheart. Care to grab a muffin and eat breakfast with your old man?” he said as he looked up from his newspaper. We were alone in the kitchen so I just did as I pleased. I grabbed a muffin, a glass of orange juice and sat opposite my father. 

"Why aren't you at work dad? What's going on?" I asked as I sipped from my glass of juice.

He smiled at me a little, "Why, is you father not allowed to stay at home with his kids once in a while?" I grinned back, this is a new version of my dad that I'm seeing here. It's kind of weird in a good way. "No, it's fine with me." I ducked my head, "Great, actually" I added but just as a whisper in the wind. I think I saw my dad's eyes twinkle at that. I haven't seen those eyes in a long time, all I saw were dead and overworked eyes these past years, but today... It was different. I like different.

"Had a good night's sleep?," he asked me, sipping his coffee and studied me as he did so.

The smile slipped from my face as I recalled the night's events in my room. "Not really. I couldn't sleep. I keep on seeing... “I stopped and caught my breath, I was picking at my muffin, my fingers trembling, "I keep on seeing her face." I finally finished. I looked up and found my dad staring at me again. 

"It's okay, just forget her, honey. Move on, she's dead, life goes on, Jeannelle you know that." he reached out and covered my tiny hand in his big work-a-holic ones.

Upon hearing this, anger swelled up inside of me. My nails dug into the inside of my hands as my fingers found their way into a fist, tears started to well up in my eyes. "She was my best friend, dad. With more emphasis on 'was'. And she's dead because of me."

My dad flinched. I had a feeling this was a conversation he didn't want to have. He shouldn't have said those words that cut me like knives inside. He was silent for a few moments, obviously trying to choose the right words. I can get easily ticked off from hearing things that I don't want to hear.

Like a grenade. Disturb me and I explode.

"Well, I'm sorry, honey but it's true. Please don't blame yourself for what happened. When your mom died-" That's it, I cut him off.

"Don't you dare talk about mom with me right now. You clearly never cared about her, ever!" I was surprised by my outburst, anger just wanted to flow right out of me. "But that's what makes us different from each other right, dad? I care for the one I lost and you obviously don't. Hell, you never cared about anything!"

"Honey, please calm down. The doctors said that you shouldn't stress yourself." he tried to soothe me with his words but I cannot calm down.

Why can't I calm down?

"Why are you here anyway? Shouldn't you be at work escaping from the wreck that is your family? Escaping from me, your daughter whom people talk cruel things about!" My hands found their way into my hair and I tugged at them until I could feel tiny needles pricking my scalp.

"This shameful daughter that people shattered with their words, whom you never gave a damn about until a few days ago! Why now?! Why be a father to us now?!" I screeched as I threw my glass of juice. It hit the wall behind my dad. Glass flew everywhere, some even grazed and cut my dad's hand, the orange liquid made a pool on the floor. 

My dad looked shocked at what I did. Heck, even I am shocked.  I never got violent, ever. I normally throw fits and scream and be the spoiled rich kid that I was, but I never throw things or intentionally want to hurt somebody. 

What's happening to me?

Footsteps approached the kitchen, but my dad and I seemed paralyzed at the turn of events.

"Hey, Mr. Sparks, Mr. O’Donnell said that you can't cancel out on him again, he-" It was the new guy... Ethan. "Uh, is everything alright here?" he asked as he took in the scene. He was wearing a crisp blue suit, and a white button up shirt underneath. He didn't wear a tie to keep it a bit on the casual side. The blue seemed to bring out his eyes a lot more.

I looked down at my trembling hands, "I... I'm...Excuse me." I said as I raced out of the room knocking Ethan against the door in my rush. 

Shit. What the hell is happening to me?

A few minutes later, I just found myself in my deceased mother's atrium. She loved this place, it was her favorite. I remember running around while my mother read a book on the bench I was sitting on right now.

"Mind if I join in?" said a voice. I looked up and saw Ethan again. Did he follow me here? He sat down when I didn't respond.

"So, do you want to tell me what happened?" He asked as he struggled to get my attention as I looked away from him again.

"I guess not." he sighed silently as he leaned back into the bench. I looked at him then.

"Why are you here again? Are you my dad's little apprentice now?" I asked him. He looked at me again, his eyes locked with mine. I swear I heard his breath catch in his throat when he heard my voice. I think he expected me to shout at him to leave.

"Yeah, I guess I am, but I won't call myself little, if you know what I mean..." he said as he stood up to his full height.

"Huh. Figures, so you're not leaving until you finish your business with my dad?" I peered up to him through my lashes.

"I think so. But I might stay, if you want me to." He smiled, but I just laughed.

"What makes you think that I will want you to stay?" It was my turn to stand up and walk around. He shadowed my footsteps as I strolled through the narrow pathway.

"Well, first of all I am kind of handsome." he said ever so lightly, I laughed again. "Oh please. Don't be so full of yourself. You know that's typical for rich kids like us. We always think so highly of ourselves. And look at where that got me." All battered up and miserable. And hated. Oh was I hated, even my maids hate me.

I didn't look back at him but I heard him stop for a moment before following me again.

"You do know that I meant that as a joke." He laughed. I turned and faced him, he was smiling at me. I almost smiled back, it was hard not to return it but I kept my face stoic. Ethan walked up to me; we were merely at arm’s length away from each other. He took my hands in his in a slow and calming manner. 

"Look, Dawn Jeannelle. I know you're going through a lot right now. But please know that I'll always be here for you." His blue eyes seemed to see into me again.

"I thought we agreed to just call each other by our first names?" I laughed again, avoiding the seriousness of the moment. He smiled.

"Dawn." He said my name slowly, like a caress. “Just call me when you want to talk about anything at all.”

“You barely know me, Ethan. That’s probably why you care about me.” I said as I turned away from him. Again he took my hands in his and smiled.

“Then is it okay if we got to know each other?” He asked me, eyes capturing mine again. I smiled but I left him and walked up to the door of the atrium. When I was about to close the door and leave him there, I turned and looked at him. He was still looking at me. “Hey, Ethan? How can I call you, I don’t have your number.”

He beamed at me, “My business card’s in your pocket.” I looked at him, confused but I thrust my hand into my pocket and I took out a small card with his name on it. "How did you-?" I looked at him, completely surprised. “See? We have a lot to learn about each other.” He laughed.

“So sly, Mr. Rivers.” I grinned as I closed the door at his beaming face.