BEXLEY - hiatus

CHAPTER TWO

THE VOLUME OF the TV reached every room in the house. As overwhelming as it was, Bexley found comfort in the constant buzz in her ears from the speaker. It blocked out the sounds her of father, who was taking turns between swinging from his beer and relaying words with a family friend she called Uncle Buz.

The men, tipsy at best, emptied paychecks worth of liquor. Her father threw his own empty bottle down with a sigh, head craning to catch Bexley's creeping toward him.

"There you are," he said, hand outstretched. The condensation of the beer can dripped from trembling fingers as she passed the bottle to her father. Without another word, an attempt to make an escape was made, paused by his assertive voice.

"Sit with us," Elijah Clarke said casually, and like any dog would, Bexley obeyed. A bar party, featuring a drunken couple getting it on played on the TV. A trashy 90's movie Bexley didn't know the name of, nor did she care to find out. Regardless, she watched it intently. Uncle Buz tapped a bottle against her arm, which she took a swing of, unaware of the contents. It burned going down and she coughed into the couch cushion.

"Your school called."

Bexley tensed again. A few tense moments passed before she moved. in the blink of an eye, Bexley leapt from the couch. Her attempt to run was paused when her hair was pulled backward, scalp stinging. Bexley cried out, clawing at the Elijah's wrist as her knees buckled.

"Dad," she gritted out, "please."

Her body crumpled to the ground, at perfect height to be kicked down.

"Stop, she's just a kid," Uncle Buz stood up, hand outstretched, Bexley blindly reached out for it, wilting when Elijah squeezed her wrist.

"The same kid you gave liquor to," he rebutted cockily, "she's my daughter. I can discipline her how I like, unless you want to play Captain Save-A-Brat and deal with her?"

Bexley's eyes fell as Uncle Buz deflated, sitting down with a quiet scoff. "Whatever, man, just chill out, I'm tryna watch this."

The grip on her hair released, and she scrambled to her feet.

"I don't want to get another call about you getting suspended, Bexley."

The father and daughter shared a glare, before Bexley turned tail and ran for her room. She let out a squeal when the beer can hit her back, liquid soaking her clothes, resulting in Elijah's laugh.

The laugh echoed in her mind, making her wish Uncle Buz would turn up the TV just a little louder.

Returning to school after her suspension had been a struggle for Bexley. She thought about ditching it all together, but the consequences of another phone call home acted as motivation for her to get out of bed in the morning.

As long as her name was checked off for attendance, it didn't really matter what she did.

Bexley didn't know what she was supposed to be learning about in class, didn't care to either. She hardly payed attention before her suspension, and had no clue where they left off.

She was welcomed back by her teacher and was gifted a brand new seat to go with it. Bexley didn't take much notice of the boy sitting beside her, regarding him as no different than the one she sat with before him.

Maybe if she was lucky this one would let her copy his homework.