New Girl {Poldark}

chapter 4

Demelza POV

Demelza walked out the school gates feeling a lot happier than she expected. Meeting Verity had made her feel more secure, and at least she wasn't entirely alone anymore. Ross, however, was a little harder to figure out. She'd let herself get dangerously close to him, closer than she'd anticipated. She just couldn't find the will to admit that she liked it. Loved it, even.

She fumbled with her keys and entered her house. A fluffy ball with four legs came running up to her with a whoof, tail wagging, tongue out. She swooped up her dog, Garrick, into her arms, nuzzling her face into his warm fur. "Hello you," she said. "Where've you been, eh?" She squirmed as he gave her a hearty lick on the cheek.

She put Garrick down as she smelt the stench of alcohol wafting up her nostrils, which became stronger as she walked towards the kitchen. Her good mood evaporated as quickly as it had come. Dad had been drinking again.

"Demelza? Is that you, you little scoundrel? Why is ee so late home?"

Despite her best efforts to try and make her dad fit in a bit more, his Cornish accent still remained. She was dreading the day when she'd have to go out in public with him and meet other parents, they'd think he was a pirate or something.

"Sorry Dad, I came home as quick as I could," she said, dropping her bag in the hall. The clock read 4:33 pm, only three minutes later than when she was supposed to be back. She was tempted to argue but she knew from past experience that it would only make him angrier.

"I don't care if ee ran all the way, I want ee back when I say, you hear me?" he spat, getting out of his chair.

"Yes Dad, I understand. I'm sorry."

"Well you better understand, because it won't happen again!" he shouted, pushing her into the wall.

She was used to this, but he still scared her. Ever since her Mum had died in a surfing accident, her Dad had been abusive. He drowned his sorrows in alcohol and his moods were entirely unpredictable; one moment he'd be the perfect father, the next he'd be hitting her.

"Dad please, I'm really really sorry. Just please, please let me go."

"You promised you'd be back on the dot!" he shouted into her face.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, just please don't..."

"What the hell is going on here?" her older brother Sam asked as he walked into the kitchen. "Get off her Dad, now."

Sam's presence seemed to have sucked all the anger out of him. His shoulders slumped and his eyes were dull as her brother forced him off her and down into a chair.

"Are you alright?" he asked her in a low voice. "Did he hit you?"

She swallowed and shook her head. "Not this time."

He squeezed her hand and smiled. "We'll get through this, okay?"

"Okay."

That was what he always said. We'll get through this. They had been trying to get through it for about ten years now.

"Hi guys," a chirpy masculine voice said from the door. Drake, the youngest sibling, walked in wearing baggy shorts and a white sports shirt. His chocolate brown hair was wet, either from exercise or the shower - you never knew with Drake. He kept his life a secret and yet still managed to be the most sociable member of the family. Demelza envied him sometimes. She wished she had his ability to stay positive 24/7, but it was so hard, especially since they'd moved to the area and left everything behind them.

"Hi Drake. What's up?"

"Nothing much, just been talking to our new neighbours. They're called Zack and Scott Flint and they live there on their own. Parents are always working apparently."