Down For The Count

Push Away the Unimaginable

Paisley's POV

"Come on, please. You can't just-"

"Go back to your seat, Mr. Miranda." The judge sighed. Lin had been arguing with the judge for minutes now.

"But she can't leave! That's not fair, we-"

"I'm calling security."

I watched as Lin sighed, turning back towards us and looking miserably defeated.

"I'm so sorry, Paisley." Lin said quietly, pulling me into a hug. I felt too numb to hug back or say anything at all. The worst possible case scenario happened. I didn't think the jury would actually make me go back with him. Why would they do that?

"Paisley!" I heard Dad call, and I felt all types of emotions come up at the same time.

I turned, still holding onto Lin for support. I watched as Dad smiled, reaching out to pull me into a hug before Lin stopped him.

"Hey." Lin snapped, pulling me into him tighter, not wanting to let go.

"She's my daughter." Dad said, smiling as the words left his lips.

Lin looked humiliated, not saying a word as Dad pulled me away from Lin, bringing me into a hug.

Dad was right. I'm his daughter, and now, there's nothing Lin can do about it except stand there and watch me get pulled away from him.

That's what's quite literally happening here, anyway. I'm just being pulled away farther and farther from Lin and Vanessa, and they have to just sit there and watch.

Dad continued to hug me while Vanessa's quiet cries were heard in the background, and this felt like an actual scene from my nightmares.

Except this one doesn't end with waking up at 3 AM to go get ice cream and everything's suddenly better. This one's real life, and it ends with me being taken away from family.

"This is incredible." Dad smiled, pulling away from me. "I'll have your room all ready by the time you come. I can't believe you're coming back home, bug."

I felt nauseous at this point. I couldn't think straight.

I wasn't going home, I was being taken away from home.

Dad cleared his throat, turning to a crying Vanessa and a very distressed looking Lin. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

Lin's entire facial expression changed; he looked absolutely pissed.

"Oh yeah?" Lin asked, putting on an extremely tight and fake smile before immediately frowning, showing Dad his finger. "Fuck you."

This is the part where Vanessa's supposed to come in, this is the part where she's supposed to tell Lin to apologize for being impolite, tell Dad that she's sorry and he didn't mean to be so rude. She never misses this part.

But she never did come in. She just stayed there, continuing to cry, because an impolite hand gesture and some bad words could be postponed for now. We had bigger problems.

"I'll see you on Saturday, okay?"

I had one week to pack, to get everything together. And then I would be on a plane to California, gone for good.

"Alright then." Dad laughed when I stayed silent. He gave us all one last look over, that stupid grin still stuck on his face. "I can't wait to have another Miles in the family."

And if I wasn't nauseous before, I definitely was now. I was about one step too close to having a full blown panic attack right here in front of everyone.