The War With Fate

Athena 2: Code Bronze

I was right, I could only dream of coming home to find my Dad sober and smiling. That isn't to say he doesn't smile, but it's to say he is the biggest ass I've ever known. He comes home, drunk after a long day of being a grade-a jerk CEO, to pretty much collapse either on the couch or the stairs, waking me up with complaints over shitty beer, passing out again and forcing me to lug him up the stairs into his bed, leaving a glass of water and his bottle of aspirins on his dresser.

Tonight was his 'let's bring some chick over when she's drunk to have some fun with' night. Do I even need to describe it to you?  You could hear it from the foyer, and this one was a screamer. Damn it all to hell. 

I popped in my earbuds and turned the music as loud as I could before running up the stairs and to my room, grabbing the overnight bag from my dresser and running to the bathroom to put my contacts' case in. I ran back to my room and grabbed my glasses off my nightstand, shoving them into their case and putting them in the bag. the bag was already packed with basic things: Makeup bag, clthes for a few days, contact solution, shampoo, cnditioner, soap, my phone charger, and my diary. Suck it up! I called it a diary, oh dear, I have frsaken the gods! 

I ran back down the steps and sprinted to the door. I lcked it shut behind me and got into my car. I dialed up Erin's number for the second time that night. "It's a code Bronze," Was all I said before she could say hello.

"You know what window," She replied before hanging up the call. We had our codes, most of them referring to situations with my dad.

Code Bronze- sex

Code green- he passed out on the couch

Code red- he's trying to pull moves on me

Code white- Panic attack

And my least favorite, Code Black- They're doing it on the couch.

What a charmed life I live.  Not. I walked wuickly on the sidewalk, anxious to get  to the other side of my block and get to that window. I ran down it quickly, not stopping until I had reached the window to Erin's room. I knocked on the window impatiently as I saw a light flick on and a figure walk to the window. " Good evening, Bitchy Goddess. How are you?" Erin said, smirking. She pulled open the window and leaned forward, her head leaning over the edge.

"Oh, just dandy," I responded snarkily, "Not like I had a cde bronze happening in my house or anything."

"I've got a code Yellow at the moment, my parents have been yelling at each other for the past two hours. Vincent and Aria are in my room right now, so be quiet." She held out a hand for me to grab and helped pull me through the window. Code Yellow meant a parental fight. I haven't had one in over a year, unthankfully.

"Er-wen, who is that?" Aria asked sleepily.

"It's Athena, Aria. Vincent are you okay?" Her brother was off crying in the corner of her room clutching onto a small stuffed lion. 

"Why do they fight so much?" Vincent asked us. Erin walked over and pulled him into a gentle hug, whispering something in his ear. 

"Hi, Athena," Aria said, making her way off the trundle bed.

"Hi, Ari. Where's Linny?" I asked, referring to the plush lamb she carried every where. 

"I left her in my room, and I'm scared to go back and get her," She whispered. These kids have gone through so much, almst too much for their age. When I was Vincent's age, my concern would've been getting  home to watch Kim Possible and play outside. 

I looked arund the room for the one other kid who should've been in there. "Where's Simon?" I asked Erin and she flinched at his name.

"Simon's stuck in the living room!" Vincent cried, "M-mom and dad are blocking the door!"
Simon was Erin's fourteen - year-old brother. He was the pacifist of the siblings, and was scared of confrontation. He was often found in the shadows, hiding in corners of the house, rarely leaving his -or Erin's - room, except for going to school or running to the bathroom.
But.."Why is he in the living room?" The words slipped out of my mouth before I even thought about it.
"He left his backpack in there by accident this afternoon. He went to grab it after dinner and-" Erin was caught off by her father screaming, "you brat! Don't talk to me!"
Crashes of god-knows-what followed her father's yell and a slam of a  nearby door. "Make it to your window, simon. Please," Erin whispered to herself, clutching Vincent tightly.

"You guys need to get out of here, I can call up Valerie or Lauren if I need to. You guys can't stay here," I said to Erin.

"You think I haven't tried to leave? But every time I try to, not all the kids are in my room!" Erin shot back nervously.

"Catherin," Simon called from the window, "can we get to Valerie's tonight? My arm's bleeding." Erin picked Vincent up and carried him to the window.

"We can leave. I need to get Linny and Blue for Aria and Vinny," Erin lowered her younger brother out the window and probably into the arms of Simon down below. I picked Aria up and carried her to the window, handing her to Erin when she got to the ground outside. I hiked my bag over my shoulder and made my way out of the room and onto the ground below. I called up Val as I led the way to my car, opening the back door for the kids. Erin came got to my car after I had told Valerie the situation with three bags in her hands. She got into the passenger seat and tossed two bags back to Simon, saying only they were for Vinny and Aria. Simon had his own bag on his lap, resting his left arm on it and investigating a cut on his arm. "Damn, that hurts," he muttered.
"Watch your pwofan-ity," Aria said to him.
"Sorry, Ari."

"Shit! Why didn't you tell me the cut was that big? What did dad do to you?" Erin asked her brother frantically as I pulled out of my driveway and onto the street.

"Dad pulled his pocket knife on me because I was trying to ask if I could get to my room."
"Do I need to stop at the hospital or anything?" I asked Erin and simon,  not taking my eyes off the road.

"I'm done with my parents' shit. They pulled a knife on my brother! Stop at the police station, I'm going to report them."

I quickly redirected my route to Valerie's so we would could stop at the police station. Erin quickly called Valerie and only said a few simple words. "Code Super Yellow. We'll be at the police station."