Wake Up Call

by Victora Ashley

  I heard the door open behind me, but I ignored it and kept walking.

  First thing in the morning, I was going to grab my things and call Dex. He gave me his personal number in case I ever needed a ride again. He said that he stayed on call most of the time because he really needed the cash to save up for college. I would be more than happy to give him a call.

  The more that I walked, the colder that it got, but I didn't care. I actually welcomed the feeling. It reminded me that I was alive.

  It was quite strange. The things that I had been feeling for the last few weeks were so intense and unlike anything else, I had ever experienced in my life. No matter how hard I tried to deny it, I had Jace to thank for that. I think.

  After about an hour of walking, I noticed that I had been circling the same block repeatedly. Looking up to see where I was at, I noticed that I was just down the street from Jace's house.

  I took a deep breath and threw my hands in my hair as I stood staring over at Jace's house. The place that I once called a home. Every part of me wanted to go there, just open the door, and crawl in bed. Maybe even with Jace. Just being in his arms was a feeling that I missed. To be honest there was no better feeling in the world.

  I gradually found myself getting closer and closer to his house until finally I was standing at the bottom of his steps, the cool wind whipping through my hair and smacking me in the face, as I stood there frozen in place.

  The house was dark and I got a feeling of peace knowing that Jace was inside sleeping.

  I willed my legs to work until I found a spot on the stairs and took a seat. The cement felt cool through my clothing and made me shiver up in a ball with my arms wrapped tightly around my body.

  I leaned my head back into the wooden railing and closed my eyes to rest. Just for a minute. The longer that I sat, the heavier that my eyes got. I tried repeatedly to open my eyes until finally I gave up.

  ~•~

  The porch light flickered on, waking me from my short sleep. My heart dropped to my stomach as I scrambled to get back to my feet. I couldn't let Jace find me sitting outside his house like some kind of idiot.

  I ran off his porch and somehow managed to trip over my own feet, sending me landing on my face. I quickly pushed my arms out in front of me and pushed myself back to my feet. Without looking back at the house, I took off in a sprint and made my way down and across the street.

  The walk back to Caleb's house seemed to go by quickly as I found myself standing at the end of his horribly long driveway. I could tell by the brightness of the sun that it had to be at least seven o'clock a.m. by now.

  I couldn't believe that I had let myself fall asleep on Jace's porch and not to mention that I almost got caught.

  Once I got closer to Caleb's house, I noticed a brown Station Wagon sitting toward the side of the garage.

  It seemed as if Caleb always had some kind of company. It was annoying and strange.

  Shaking my head, I reached for the door and let myself inside. The house was surprisingly quiet as I walked inside and set my purse on the table.

  "There you are," Caleb squeaked. "I was worried about you. You've been gone for hours." He stepped out from behind the curtain and threw his phone down on the couch. "I've been calling you all morning."

  I shrugged my shoulders, not caring what he thought. It wasn't his job to worry about me.

  "I was fine. My phone was in my purse. You know that I never pay attention to it." I reached into my purse and grabbed my phone out. "No one ever calls me..." My voice trailed off when I noticed six missed calls. Five from Caleb and one from Jace that was sent at 6:15 a.m. I swallowed hard. "I'm fine."

  I shoved my phone in my coat pocket and turned toward the hallway.

  "Wait," Caleb shouted.

  I slowly turned around and shook my head. "Caleb. I have places to go. I'm leaving after I-"

  "There's someone here to see you." He grinned, pleased with himself. "I wanted it to be a surprise for a later time, but I was worried about you so I gave him-"

  "There's my little girl."

  The room went silent, as my father stepped into the kitchen, with his arms out in front of him.

  My heart stopped at just the sight of him. He stood there with his old flannel jacket and graying hair, looking at me as if I was truly his little girl.

  His face and hands were bruised and bloody and he looked as if he was on a mission.

  Fighting to catch my breath, I dropped to my knees and tightly gripped the carpet for support. I placed a shaky hand over my chest and gripped my hair with the other. My body started quivering as the bile rose in my throat and threatened to spew out.

  "No," I spat. "No! No! No!" I said while furiously shaking my head. I wanted it to all be a dream. For the man standing before me to just disappear.

  Caleb looked between my father and me before he leaned down and gripped my shoulder. "What's wrong?" he questioned. "Your dad is so happy to see you. Are you in shock? I know that it's been a while." He smiled and ran his hand over my arm.

  I shook Caleb's hand off my arm and crawled over to the corner. My heart was racing so hard that it became hard to think straight. Why? How?

  "Avery, honey," my father said sweetly, his malodorous breath reeking of booze. "Your mother and I have missed you very much. I think that it's time you come visit your mother," he slurred, stumbling to the left.

  I refused to look up even though I knew that my father was getting closer with each passing second. I was so confused that I just wanted to scream. Why was he acting as if he cared? It was all an act and I wouldn't be stupid enough to fall for his game.

  "Go away," I stammered. "You can't control me anymore. I won't let you," I screamed. Inside I was terrified, but I wasn't going to let him take me away.

  My father bent down and placed his hands on his knees for support. The look on his face was just as distant as I had always remembered.

  He inched forward in an attempt to touch my face, but I pulled away. "I don't know what you're so upset about." He snickered. "Your mother and I have faith that you have changed your life around. You don't have to worry."

  The words that he spoke left me in a daze and a bit confused. He was trying to turn things around and make me the bad guy. "But-"

  "Avery, you're a good person," Caleb cut in. "Don't be ashamed. Your father told me everything. You're not that same person."

  I slowly tilted my head up to look both Caleb and the scum in the eye. "Caleb, shut the hell up."

  I pushed myself to my feet and waved my arms out in front of me in order to give myself more space. I felt as if I was suffocating. "And you..."I said looking at the man that was supposed to be my father.” Get the hell out of my life. I hate you," I spat while shoving him out of my way.

  My father reached out and gripped my arm. "You listen here. You are coming with me and I don't give a shit about what you say." His grip tightened as he pulled me toward him and slammed me into the wall, his nails digging deep into my flesh. "Your mother is dying."

  My heart dropped. Tears started pouring down my face and my palms started to sweat. The look in his blue eyes softened at the mention of my mother and I knew right away that he was telling the truth.

  I stood there frozen against the door as Caleb watched with shocked eyes from beside us. "Dying?" I managed to choke out.

  My father loosened his grip on me and leaned against the wall next to me. He threw his hands to his bloodied face and then up to tug on his messy hair. "She doesn't have long to live. You have to come see her," he muttered. "She misses you." He stumbled over, but smoothly caught himself before he could fall.

  My mind spun as I slowly slid down the wall and placed my hands on my knees so that I wouldn't fall on my face. I felt as if I could vomit or pass out.

  Deep down inside my mother wanted to be good. I could always see it in her eyes. The way they always softened when he wasn't around to hurt her. Shit! Hurt her. That bastard!

  My eyes traile
d over to my father's bruised and bloodied knuckles. "You piece of shit," I growled. "You did it to her." I placed my hands on the wall behind me and pushed myself to my feet.

  Caleb's eyes went wide as he reached out and touched my arm. "Your mother is dying. How can you accuse-"

  Without thinking, I swung my right arm out connecting it to Caleb's stomach. The impact hurt my hand, but it didn't stop me. Then I reached out, connecting my fist to my father’s left cheek, as he grabbed my arm again. It felt good to hit the man that had hurt me my whole life. "I hate you both," I screamed.

  My father gave me that look. The one I had grown to remember. The one that had frightened me my whole life.

  I took off running through the hall with my father following behind me. My heart raced as his footsteps got closer. I could hear Caleb not too far behind my father and I panicked.

  I reached for the bathroom door and flung myself inside, slamming the door behind me. I quickly fumbled with the lock and then fell into the sink in relief.

  My body jumped involuntarily as the pounding on the door began.

  "Get out here you, little bitch," my father spat through the door. His voice was venomous and hateful. He pounded again, making my heartbeat skyrocket. "I will break this door down. Do you hear me?"

  I backed away from the sink and crawled into the bathtub for safety. It was something that I did numerous times as a child while trying to escape my father’s wrath. I knew that it wouldn't save me, but it never stopped me from still doing it.

  "Go away," I screamed, while throwing my hands over my ears and pressing firmly against my head to drown out the noise.

  "Maybe you should give her some damn space," Caleb said firmly. "Pam never told me that she hated you so much. This was not what I expected."

  I shook uncontrollably as I listened to them argue outside the bathroom door. Their voices began to blend and suddenly I was lost.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and frantically started searching for my phone. If it were in my purse then I’m screwed. "Where is it? Shit!" I mumbled.

  Finally, I felt the bulge of my phone through my leather jacket. I stared down at my phone, trying to see my contact list, but my vision blurry from the unwanted tears that wouldn't seem to stop.

  "I'll give you some time to cool off. I'll be out here waiting for you." My father's voice taunted me from through the door. "Told you I'd find you."

  I let out a deep breath and relaxed against the cool tub as I reached up to wipe away the tears. The mascara streaked my hand as I pulled it away and continued my search.

  Dex told me that he would always be available if I needed a ride. I really didn't have many other choices unless I wanted to wait for taxi service.

  It took me a few minutes, but I finally found his name. My whole hand shook as I firmly pressed the call button.

  The phone rang three times before he answered. His voice sounded half asleep.

  "Hello. It's pretty early. How-"

  "Dex," I cut him off. "I need you to get me. I need to leave right now. Please hurry," I cried into the phone. As hard as I tried to hold back the tears, I couldn't. “It’s me… Avery.”

  "Shit, Avery." he said in a panic. "Are you okay?"

  I reached up to wipe my face off as I continued to cry into the phone. "No. I need to get out of here. Just hurry."

  "You're at the same place as before?" he questioned with worry.

  "Yes. Call me right when you pull up and I'll come out," I whispered, trying to think of a plan. "Come now." My voice shook as I struggled to get the last words out.

  "I'll be there." He hung up.

  I hung up the phone and clutched it to my chest. I couldn't believe that he found me. I thought that I was free of him for good.

  A few minutes later, there was a light knock at the door.

  I sat on the edge of the tub and kicked it with my boot. "Go away," I screamed. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

  "Avery," Caleb said softly. "It's me. Can we talk?"

  There was no reason for me to talk to him. After seeing my dad and hearing that he knew Aunt Pam, it became very clear to me that he was dealing drugs. That would be the only thing connecting them.

  "There is nothing to talk about. You don't know shit about me and I want to keep it that way. Go away," I growled.

  It was silent for a few minutes before I heard noise outside the door again. It sounded as if someone had fallen against the door.

  "You listen here you, selfish little girl," my father hissed. "Your mother is going to die and you won't even go and see her. What kind of a person does that make you? You're no better than me." He laughed. "That's why no one will ever love you and you will never know what love is,” he sang his voice teasing and hateful.

  The tear stopped and suddenly I felt like exploding. How did he know what I was capable of when I didn't even know myself?

  "Go to hell!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I screamed so loud that it hurt. It took everything in me not to cover my ears from myself. "You are wrong."

  I heard laughter on the other side of the door that made my blood boil. "You are still that stupid little girl. I thought that you grew out of that stage." He slammed his fist into the door and then fiercely turned at the knob. "Stupid little-"

  I lost it. Something inside of me took over and I ran over to the door and yanked it open, body shaking and heart pounding in my chest.

  My father stood there unsteady on his feet as he glared up at me with shock in his beady eyes. "I'm not that same girl," I said bravely. "I'm all grown now and I'm not going to take your crap anymore."

  He stumbled into the wall while reaching out for my coat. His hand missed and he nearly fell to the ground. His eyes burned into me as he pursed his thin lips, the graying hair covering most of his mouth. "You get back here. I drove a long way to get your ass," he hissed.

  "Go to hell," I shouted, as I brushed past his drunken body. I was getting out of there. I had to.

  I ran past Caleb as he attempted to grab my hand. "No Caleb."

  Caleb shook his head and wiped something off his nose. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was drugged up. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I didn't know."

  I threw my arms up in the air and then reached for my purse. I hated Caleb for this. I hated him for bringing hell back into my life. "I'm out-"

  "Stop!" My father cut me off as he reached for my purse. "You're not going anywhere." He yanked me by my purse so that I was in his reach, then he reached for my hair and yanked me down to the ground.

  A screech escaped my parted lips as my head bounced off the table leg, sending a wave of pain throughout my head.

  I could see Caleb behind my dad as he attempted to reach for his arm to pull him away, but my dad shook him off and came at me anyways.

  Before I knew it, his hand was around my throat and squeezing. "Let go," I whined, fighting for breath. "Stop-"

  We all froze as the door to the house swung open to Jace standing there. The look on his face was fierce as he looked down at me on the ground and then to my dad that still had his hand on my throat. His strong jaw clenched as he stepped into the house.

  My heart pounded at the sight of him.

  "Let go," Jace demanded. "I won't hesitate to fucking kill you, you piece of shit."

  My dad looked up at him as if was just his imagination. Then a smirk crossed his twisted face. "Screw off. It's none of your business." He pushed me further into the floor as he began to dig his nails into my neck.

  I desperately grabbed at his hands attempting to pry them from my neck.

  "You piece of..." Jace's words trailed off as he gripped my father's neck, placing him in a headlock. "Let go or I will snap your fucking neck."

  My dad’s grip on my neck loosened, but then suddenly his fist connected with my right eye as a smirk crossed his face. I winced back in pain and covered my face as I watched Jace tackle him to the ground and hold him down by his neck.

  Everything around me blurred
as Jace's arm continued to swing never letting up on my father.

  Caleb attempted to stop Jace, but not even that would get Jace to stop.

  "Stop," Caleb shouted. "You're killing him."

  I shot up from the ground and that's when I noticed all of the blood that surrounded them. Looking at it made me feel dizzy. Then panic set in. I couldn't let Jace kill him. "Jace," I shouted.

  As soon as the word came out, he froze. He dropped his arm to his side and looked up at Caleb. "You idiot. I should kick your ass for letting her get hurt."

  Caleb stood there in shock as he watched Jace get back to his feet. Not another word was spoken between them as Jace brushed past Caleb and stood before me.

  His handsome face looked pained as he reached for my hand and helped me to my feet. He slowly reached out his hand and delicately caressed my swollen face, as he looked me in the eye. His green eyes were strained and full of hurt.

  "I promised to never let you get hurt," he whispered. "I failed you and I'm sorry."

  My heart beat rapidly in my chest as his fingertips softly touched my face and trailed down to my lips. The touch of his skin made me feel safe and all that I wanted to do was curl up in his arms and get lost.

  "It's my fault," I whispered. I threw my arms around his waist and buried myself in his firm chest. The smell of him was so familiar and calming. Being that close to him made me realize what I had been missing all along. Why had I been so stupid?

  He squeezed me close to his chest and tenderly pressed his lips to the top of my head. "I will never let him hurt you again." Jace promised.

  "Shit," Caleb mumbled, interrupting the moment.

  We both looked over to see Caleb standing above my dad. He bent down and held his hand above his mouth. "He's barely breathing," Caleb panicked. "You better get out of here. Now, before I call the cops."

  A small part of me wanted to run to my dad. To make sure that he was going to be fine, but the bigger part of me told me that I needed to get Jace out of there. He was only protecting me. He never meant to hurt him.

  "Jace." My voice shook as I reached for his arm.

  Jace took a deep breath and bit his bottom lip. "I didn't mean to hurt him that-"