Disclaimer:

TW (Domestic Violence) This is a work of fiction, nothing in this chapter is based off of real events. Reader's discretion is advised.

I laid in bed around the same time every night, nine-thirty. It takes me about an hour to fall asleep, which is usual for me. As I lay on my mattress, I begin to doze off into sleep. The sensation of falling hits me and I jolt awake. When my eyes flicked open, I turn to face the door as I hear muffled talking through the walls.

In the dark, I slip out of bed and shuffle to my shut door. I gently grab the cold knob and turn it, pulling the door towards me and I peek my head out into the hallway. I hear the muffled noise coming through the ceiling. Upstairs is my parents bedroom, where I hear both of their voices after listening for a minute. I sneak down the hallway and to the stairs near the entrance. As I begin to step up the carpeted stairs, I jump to a loud thud and a crashing noise that sounded like glass breaking. 

My mom’s voice loudened after the noise, and followed by her response was more thudding and crashing. Never before had I heard this. My heart began beating, making the veins pulse hard in my ears. The noises and screaming continue, and suddenly the door is thrown open and slammed against the wall. Loud footsteps come down the hall upstairs and I back away quickly. I retreated into my room as they both came down the stairs, one of them tumbling down onto the ground. I peek around the corner of my door, seeing my dad stumbling to get up off the wooden floor at the front door. 

“And this is exactly why I didn’t want you to fucking drink again!” My mom shouted as if I wasn’t in the house. 

“Well you’re the reason why I want to drink again!” My dad slurred back as he stood right up and leaned back against the door.

“You were supposed to quit for Kim’s sake!”
“Kim’s going to leave soon, who fucking cares,” my dad rumbled and motioned towards the living room to his right. 

“She’s still got the rest of the year left. Don’t fucking walk away from me!” My mom shouted and grabbed the nearest coat by the door. She chucked it his way, but it caught air and barely hit him. 

I grip on the door I was leaning on and slowly closed it, hoping it wouldn’t creak. I closed the door and continued to listen to them argue back and forth with more things being thrown by my mom.

I crawled back into my bedsheets and curled up into a ball. As much as I wanted to fall asleep, I couldn’t with them fighting. I panicked. I grabbed my phone off the side table and opened up my texts with Justin. 

Me: Hey, you there? It’s urgent.

I wanted no longer than five minutes before sending another text.

Me: Parents are arguing over something. It’s freaking me out… Never seen them do this before. You there? Please, Justin, respond…

Nothing. No read, no response. My only guess was that his parents grounded him again, or was holding onto his phone at night for some kind of punishment. Despite him being back at school, it didn’t mean he wasn’t in trouble, it was just because he needed to finish high school strong.

I opened up my other texts, one with Claire. I began texting out the same thing I sent to Justin, but instantly deleted it all as asking Claire for help was pointless. The sleepover we had the other night would repeat. She would complain about her issues and ignore me… Or tell me how she has it worse. I mean, she might since her parents are divorcing too.

The noises in the living room intensified and I felt my palms sweat badly. I was shaking, trembling. What if they decided to come for me? Blame me? It’s clearly my fault my dad stopped drinking, thanks to my mom. What else did I ruin for either one of them? 

I felt desperate, wanting to get away from it all. They started making their way to the kitchen, and after the kitchen back to the stairs, but they didn’t go up them. What if my room was next?

I opened Facebook messenger and online was Parker. The one person I also didn’t want to be around. My thumb hovered over his profile picture that had the green dot on it. Thumping noises were outside my door. I had shut off my phone screen as I heard the floorboards creak right outside my room. I hid under the covers as my door knob twisted and cracked open. 

Nothing. Just the hallway light shinning into my room. The door closed and my mom began speaking at a lower tone.

“She’s sleeping and you’re disrupting her!” My mom hissed and the footsteps went back down the hall. I didn’t hear my dad respond. 

I opened my screen again and clicked on Parker’s profile. I began typing.

Me: Hey, its urgent. Are you there?

I waited. My heart paused and I felt all the blood stay put. My limbs felt heavy. His icon moved and signaled he read my message. The bubbles appeared as he typed.

Parker: What?

Me: Dad’s drunk. Mom’s screaming. Things are being thrown and breaking. It’s scaring me. Never happened before. I don’t want to be here…

Parker: Omw. Sneak out your window.

Then he went offline. 

He’s on his way? I thought and jolted up from underneath my covers. I felt my heart pound hard and harder on my ribs. I didn’t want him to come, I just wanted him to keep me company and talk to me. Why would that tell him to come here? Already my mom was mad seeing him walking me home. Already my mom was arguing with my dad. If Parker was seen, she would be livid beyond the point she was already at. I sent him a message in response.

Me: Not a good idea, I don’t want you angering my mom anymore if she catches you here…

He was still offline. He didn’t read my message.

I freaked out. I began breathing quicker. I turned on my flashlight on my phone and snuck over to my dresser. I opened it up, grabbing pants and a better shirt. I changed quietly as I could and slipped on my shoes with my socks I wore earlier today. I grab my house keys and then sat on my bed. I held onto my phone tight. 

Pillows under the sheets if she checks again, I heard myself think out of instinct. I remembered watching it be done in teen shows, but I never thought it would work. It was worth a shot. I grabbed my pillows and tucked them under the bedding to appear like I was asleep under the covers. I deemed it good and sat back down a the foot of the bed. 

My phone vibrated.

Parker: Here, across the street a few houses down the left. Come on.

I stood up and walked over to my window. I hadn’t ever snuck out of my room ever in my life, ever. I unlocked the window and slid the pane up. I felt the screen cover. I pressed but it only bent the fabric. Out of panic, I put my hands on the edges and pressed hard until I heard it snap and fall out onto the ground. I froze in place. My ears listened to the hallway, which no change came from my mom and dad making their way up the stairs once again.

I bent down and slid my feet out the window first. I fell and slammed my head on the opened window and my feet it the cold gravel outside. I almost twisted my ankle and winced. I reached up and grabbed the edge of the window and slid it back down. It creaked lightly and I booked it to the wooden fence gate. I fumbled in the dark, not risking turning on my flashlight, and found the lock. I moved it, gently opened the gate, and closed it shut. 

I got to the sidewalk and looked left and right. The lights in the neighborhood were dim, no LED lights to see perfectly. At my right, I saw a figure in someone’s driveway. 

“Parker?” I whispered loudly.

“Here,” the figure whispered back. 

I crossed the darkened street and approached the figure. It smelt slightly of cigarettes and was as tall as Parker. It was him. 

“You hurt?” Parker asked and gently set his hand on my right shoulder.

“No,” I said and my body fell into a tremor. 

“Good, let’s go for a walk.”

“Where? It’s so late…”

“Anywhere but here. Don’t worry, I got a knife on me,” he assured me, but really it scared me more. My jaw chattered uncontrollably.

Parker shuffled and wrapped his leather coat around me and we walked away from my house.