Engraved

Ch.6) Daddy-o

Stephanie's Point of View:

Finally, the school day was over. I finished my homework and hopped on my bed. As I stared at the ceiling I sighed because I knew my mom was stuck in a rehab dorm. Probably sharing it with other alcoholics. At least there were professional therapists and speakers who could help her now. Before she entered rehab it was just me and her. I would come back from school and find her laying on the sofa, bottle in hand and her knocked out. I couldn't bring any friends over because our apartment was a mess. I felt my jacket pocket. Then I remembered the card that Eli had given me, I pulled it out and read it.

It said:

Eli Leer

Senior Representative

Welcome to Crimson HIgh!

Feel free to ask any questions, and I'll be glad to answer!

I rolled my eyes. Oh great, another Leer -.- I was already disliking Andrea, and now she has a brother? Ugh. I went to the arcade room and found Ryan, there we sat playing Mario Kart, without a care in the world.

Jeff's Point of View:

I dropped my backpack as soon as I walked in the door as my butler, Stu, picked it up.

"Sorry, Stu. I was going to pick it up later, you know." I said with a smirk.

"As if." said Stu with a laugh.

Stu had been my butler ever since I was 10. He was a slim old guy that reminded me of Professor Archimedes Quincy Porter from Tarzan. We were good friends.

My older sister, Georgia, was attending USC and rarely visited.

I lived with my step mom, Fran.

Fran cared for me and loved me like her own son, she was nice and all but I didn't really love her like my mom - there was a burning anger inside of me that I never let go of. Fran had basically kicked my dad to the curb, out of the house, when I was 13. My dad constantly was on prescription drugs for his severe headaches - it soon became medicated marijuana and after that he craved harder drugs like heroin. Heroin ruined him. He was a mess. Fran could have gotten him help instead of kicking him out of the house; I never forgave her.

"Come on, Jeff. Do you really have to leave your things right at the door when you come home?" Fran asked as she walked down the mirage of mahogany stairs.

I was in an extra pushy mood since I was having mixed feelings with Andrea so I rudely answered,

"My dad's not here to tell me what to do. So what do you care?"

Fran gasped,

"Jeff, what the hell is wrong with you? Did you really have to say that?"

I replied with,

"This is still his house, not yours."

Fran smacked her lips,

"Jeff, I dont know what has gotten into you. And for your information, I feel like I saved you. I didn't want his drug use to have an influence on you. I did the best thing there was, I took him out of our lives and I did that because I care for you."

I huffed,

"Fran, he was my dad. My damn dad. You kicked him out of his own house. You could have sent him to a rehab center, you could have hired therapists. Now youre drowning in his millions while he's wandering around homeless somewhere. I dont even have an address to write to him. I have no idea where he is."

"Heroin addicts are different, Jeff. My brother was a herroine addict. And you know where he is? My brother is rotting away in jail because he killed his girlfriend while he was high on heroin. Heroin addicts only care about themselves and getting a quick fix. You should be glad that I kicked your father out of this house. And I didnt want to, I loved your father, but he's better off not living here. I dont know where he is either but we got to move passed that." Fran said as she spoke softly and touched my face.

I moved my face away and walked to my room. I didn't feel like talking anymore. I was angry at myself for acting like an angry teen. I missed my dad. I just wanted to see him again. He was wandering around, homeless. Fran kicked him out at his worst. I couldn't stop her at the time, I was a kid. Now, I was an 18 year old senior. Where was my dad? I didnt know. Was he still an addict? Did he fix himself? I dont know, I wasnt there with him. I called Andrea with my cell phone,

"Hey Andrea."

"Jeff! What's up, babe?"

"Want to hang out?" I asked

"I'm at a pool party. I'll call you back later." she said as she hung up.

Andrea never had time for me while I always cleared my schedule for her. She never even showed to most of my water polo events. I made all the time in the world for her. We had been dating for three months and I was tired of her not being there for me when I needed to talk. I feel like she's just dating me, because I was Jeff Bosh, the ripped water polo hottie. I was tired of her. I really was. I need someone who's going to be there for me.

Everyone loved me at school and I had a whole entourage of friends, but inside, I was one of the loneliest people I knew.