Running Into You

Chapter 12

Paige POV

My heart was beating so fast. My nerves were going all over the place. I'm going to be sick. My dad never calls for me to come home. Something has to be wrong.

I get home as quickly as I can.

I take a deep breath before opening our front door. I walk in the living room. There my dad was lying on the couch.

I wonder how many nights he sleeps on the couch instead of his bed.

I walk slowly over to him. My eyes scan the whole living room. There are beer cans all over the floor. There is one empty bottle of vodka, and another half drank bottle.

I look at my dad on the couch. He appears to be asleep. I decide to clean up the mess so he doesn't wake up to it.

I grab a garbage bag from under the kitchen sink and start cleaning. I won't lie, I'm getting sick of cleaning up after him. He is the parent.

Once I get everything back in order, I go back to the couch and kneel by him.

"Hey dad." I gently shake his shoulder. "I'm here. Alexis's mom said you needed me."

My dad opens his eyes. His eyes were red. "Honey, I need you to do something for me." His voice was scratchy. I could barely understand him.

I sit back on my heels. By the smell of his breath, he has been drinking all night and already this morning. Not that the mess I just cleaned up didn't already tell me that.

Besides the smell of alcohol he has a bad odor coming from him which makes me think he hasn't showered in a while.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a twenty dollar bill.

"Can you go to the gas station and get one of your older friends to pick me up another bottle of vodka?"

My mouth drops open. Did I hear him correctly or am I drunk from last night still?

Before I could say anything, he placed the money in my hand. "Please?"

I stood up not saying a word to him. I have never been so disappointed and hurt. I'm not sure if those are the correct emotions I feel.

I do know I'm in disbelief. How can a parent ask their child to do that? Does he realize how much trouble I could get in or the person I ask to do that? Tears start streaming out of my eyes. What the hell is happening to my dad?

A year ago, I thought I had the best family dynamic. I had both parents. We were one big happy family, then reality kicked me in the ass. All of it was a lie. Everything turned upside down fast. Now I'm a senior in high school whose mom can barely spare her a second of her time and a father who wants her to buy him alcohol. Paige for the win.

My dad is out of his mind if he thinks I'm going to do that for him. It's one thing if they do it for me. I draw a line asking someone to buy my own father alcohol.

I do have a fear that if I don't bring him more alcohol, even though he has half a bottle left, he will try to leave to get some when he shouldn't be driving.

I try to think of a solution.

I look in my closet and see that I have a couple of open vodka bottles from parties I have gone to. I combine them and luckily it fills one. I highly doubt he will know the difference with the way he is going.

I leave my house hiding the bottle in my coat. I drive around for thirty minutes to make it look like I'm doing what he wants. When I got back home my father was already passed out again. I set the bottle on the table with some change.