The Prompt: I had been watching them quarrel from the window.
I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I’d
heard it all before. They would fight about schedules, whose turn it was to
keep me for the weekend, why he was late, and how dare he come early.
They would fight about money, where were those
child support payments he was supposed to send and why wouldn't he help with
the college fund.
They would fight about where he was living and whether
it was safe enough for me to stay on the weekends and holidays.
But no matter what the subject was, it always came
back to me. Everything was always about me. I remember when I was young Mama
would always yell at him for being drunk. How could he do that to Kaelie? It
was always me, never her.
When they finally divorced three years ago and gave
me the talk, they fought about how to tell me. In the end, I found out from
their screaming. This was after they stopped hushing their voices.
If it hadn’t been for their fights, I would have
been shocked the day I came from school and Daddy was gone. They called it a
break, but it never ended. It got longer and they ended up in court, fighting
over me. I’m all they ever fight over.
Mama gestured toward the house, her eyes flashing
dangerously. I ducked down so they wouldn’t see me watching. They’re not
clueless, they know I know about the fighting, but they’ve never said a word.
When I glanced back out the window, Daddy was
standing there alone, looking angrier than usual with his hands jammed in his
pockets. The front door slammed and I immediately closed my blinds and grabbed
a book from my bed.
Mama walked into my room with a scowl on her face.
“Are you ready yet?” She snapped.
I nodded and grabbed my weekend bag. I already had
a few things stored at Daddy’s apartment, but Mama refused to buy me two of
everything. “Tell him not to feed you anymore junk food. It keeps you up at
night and makes you break out.”
I nodded again. Daddy always bought us junk food. He
said it was because I needed a treat when Mama wasn’t around, but I knew it was
because Mama told him not too.
“Kaelie, are you listening to me? No more R rated
movies, either. Not unless he wants to drive over here every night when you can’t
sleep.”
“I promise,” I said, keeping my eyes on the
ground. If she knew that Daddy let me watch whatever movies I wanted she might
not let me go back. I didn't want them to go to court over me again.
“And keep your cell phone on.” She leaned in and
gave me a kiss on the cheek. “See you on Sunday.”
I left the house as I did every other Friday
afternoon and Daddy grinned at me from his car. I smiled back. “Heya squirt. Ready
for some fun?”
“I’m thirteen, Daddy,” I said, although I liked it
when he called me squirt.
He laughed and my phone vibrated in my pocket. I
pulled it out, already knowing who it was from.
What are your
plans for the weekend? –Mama
“Is that her?”
He asked sounding tense.
I shook my head. “Shannon,” I lied. “A friend from
school.”
He wasn’t fooled. “Tell her you’re thirteen,
plenty old enough to hang out with your old man without her needing every
detail.”
I nodded, but knew I’d never tell Mama that. It
would only make them fight more. They did enough of that without help from me.
I found this prompt on a random plot generator here:
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