Arabelle Lock (GirlxGirl)

Chapter 9

Arabelle's POV

I'm almost  99% positive that I'm walking in the general direction of my house. At least, I really hope so. No matter how hard I squint at the street signs I'm passing, I can't seem to make sense of them. I can't remember where they are in relation to my house, so I just keep walking East, figuring I'll probably spot something familiar eventually.

Taking one last drag of my cigarette, I smother the burning end in an ash tray outside of a restaurant. Even though I just went through a full cigarette, my hands are still shaking, and I still feel tears in my eyes. Marissa and Charlotte's words ring in my mind, making me want to pull out my hair in frustration.

"God, I fucking HATE people!" I shout at the sky, kicking a random street sign. A passing middle-aged woman walking her dog looks taken aback my outburst.

"Hey, watch your language young lady," she chides.

"Hey, fuck you, lady," I snap. She narrows her eyes, planting her hands on her hips while her fluffy little rat-dog paws at her ankles.

"If I wanted to, I could call the police and have you charged for public intoxication, and possibly underage drinking. You look to young to be drunk." I open my mouth angrily to reply, but find myself wordless. What am I doing? I'm the one in the wrong here, she didn't do anything. Just because I'm fucked in the head and heartbroken over a certain grey-eyed girl doesn't give me permission to be a bitch to random strangers trying to walk their dogs.

"I'm sorry," I mutter, sliding down the brick building next to me into a sitting position right on the sidewalk. Maybe I should just sleep here tonight, and deal with finding my way home tomorrow. It might be the booze speaking, but that sounds like a fantastic idea at the moment.

The lady hesitates before kneeling in front of me.

"Listen, you look lost. Do you want help finding your way home?" she offers with a sigh. I gaze up at her, eyes swimming with the tears that won't seem to leave. I nod mutely after contemplating the offer, and she helps me stand up.

I give her my address, and find out from her that I'm only 6 blocks away from my house. I guess I've been walking the right direction for the past half an hour after all. Neither of us strike up a conversation, we just walk in silence, pausing every once in a while when her dog sniffs at various objects.

"Out of curiosity, are you old enough to legally drink?" the woman asks, interrupting the silence. I put my hands in my pockets awkwardly, and slowly shake my head no, deciding to be honest. She sighs, and we both fall silent once again.

When we reach home, I notice that the living room light is on. Looks like I'm not going to be able to avoid my parents.

"Well, here it is," I mumble grudgingly. "Home sweet home."

"Alright, well... I'm sure your parents will take care of you. Be more careful in the future, okay honey? You shouldn't wonder the city streets at night alone, drunk or not," she says sternly. I nod breezily.

"I'll be more careful next time." Lie. "Goodnight, and thanks for walking me." With that, I give her a small grateful smile before awkwardly ambling up the walkway leading to my front door. Slipping the key out from under the pot of flowers next to the door mat, I unlock the door and slip inside as quietly as I can. Maybe they left the living room light on on accident? Maybe they're sleeping, and they'll never know about this.

The moment the door closes, the front hall lights flick on and I flinch away from the blinding light. Standing in front of me are both of my parents.

"Where have you been?" Dad demands angrily. My mom eyes me worriedly, sniffing the air.

"Have you been smoking?" she adds. Upon closer inspection, she spots the bruise darkening on my cheek. "Did you get into a fight?!" I sigh, kicking off my boots.