Mermaids and Vampires

3: Something New

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~DYLAN~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I can't believe you didn't tell me." I mutter, pressing a bag of ice against the back of my head.

He starts up the engine and the car rolls out of the driveway.

"I didn't know you would just drop everything and come here like that. Dylan, the whole school was worried about you!" My father scorns, still showing absolutly no guilt for what he's done here.

"Oh yeah, all those stuck up bastards," I roll my eyes, "And you wonder why I left the second you called me? I couldn't wait to get out of there!"

"Watch your mouth, your sisters in the back." He snaps at me.

"Like she hasn't heard it all before." I glance at Lauren in the rear view mirror. She's sitting quietly like the sweet little angel she is.

"That was completely irresponsible of you. No one knew where you were. What if something had happened to you?" He says.

"You sound like the principal at Denham, what the hell happened to my dad? When I was five I used to go play on the street, you didn't know where I was then either?"

"Dylan!"

"What dad? You're overreacting like crazy about this! Since when have you kept track of where I spend every single minute of my life?"

"It's different when you try to cross the country!"

"Well maybe you shouldn't have put me in that stupid school in the first place!" I hiss.

"You think I had a choice?" He practically shouts.

"Oh, like Denham was the only scho-" I stop.

I can feel my eyes tearing up. Great, now he's gonna make me cry in front of Lauren. I say nothing. Even though I'm thinking of about a million ways to combat that argument. I just glare at him while my face cools down.

"I don't know Dylan, between this stunt and the way you acted on the phone last night-" He starts into it again 

"I knew you were holding something back on the phone! Oh, and thanks for not telling me you'd moved out already. I probably have a concussion."

"What's that?" a quiet voice asks from the back.

"Nothing, Lauren." My dad says, calmly.

"God" I hiss under my breath as I feel the back of my head. I pull my hand in front of my face, looking at the thin smear of blood on my fingers.  

"What happened Dill?" asks Lauren.

I turn around and smile at her.

"I tried to go into our house, but there was already sombody living there. She thought I was trying to rob her or something," I explain. 

"So she hit you on the head?" Lauren asks.

I nod. "With a hard, metal pan" I draw out each word, hoping my dad is listening. 

Lauren makes a pained face. She's so cute. you can see her mind working as she tries to imagine what it would feel like.

I turn to face the front window as we merge onto the highway. This is going to be a long drive.

Day turns to night as the sun sets slowley on the horizon. I havent said a word this whole time. I couldn't even tell you what I was thinking about. I can't wait untill we get to our new house. Tomorrow I will finally be back where I belong. By the ocean. My one and only love.  I lean my head against the side window. My eyes are heavy. I let them fall as the sky darkens