Every Night (Part2)

As I turned the corner she stood there in the entrance of my room, listening carefully.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want you to hear that.” I told her while trying to hold back the tears.
“What happened?” She looked confused.
“Oh, nothing we’re just not allowed to disturb my dad.” I said with a relieving breath.
She pranced into my room, excited, and sat down on my bed. She had already changed into her pajamas and was ready to play games and explore my home. I however was ready to sleep, ready to disappear under my sheets and never return again.
“So, what happened?” She asked noticing my red face.
“Nothing, just tired I guess.” I replied trying to convince her everything was fine.

It was her very first visit to my house, and I didn’t want it to be the last. She was the only friend that I could trust at my house. She was the only person I truly believed wouldn’t judge me or my family. Just then my sister bursted into my room.
“They’re at it again,” She said before realizing Patty was over.
“Oh, sorry I didn’t know,” She said then ran right out of my room.
“What was that about?” She had anger in her voice by now.
“Nothing, I told you it’s fine,” I told her with the most reassurance I could scrape up.
“Mhmm, sure,” she said using those big brown eyes I typically cherished.
We had hours to kill before it would be anywhere near bedtime. At least dinner would be ready soon I told myself.

Sure enough my mom called upstairs, “Dinner’s ready!”
It was just what I needed, “Come on, I know you’re hungry, like always,” I said to Patty.
I knew that would distract her. We left my room, her first as a curtisy to all guests. As I shut the door behind me I saw my sister coming out of her room. She caught my eye with her expression of worry. We were both worried that Patty wouldn’t like what she saw. “It’ll be fine,” I told her with that same scraped together reassurance that she could already see through. “I promise,” I said even louder as if it would make the statement somehow more valid.

Dinner was awkward because every five minutes my dad would need something else and just shout it across the house for my mom to bring to him in the living room. Otherwise it was fine, I looked at her with this eye of mystery how she could sit there, happily eating dinner as if nothing was amiss. It seemed to mystify me, but either way I had to do the same. After dinner we went back upstairs immediately. At last the night was almost over, and I could relax in my room with my best friend, away from trouble.
“Come help your dad,” my mom said just in time to ruin my spirit.
“Coming,” I replied unwillingly.
My mom needed help moving my dad so that his back wouldn’t hurt in the morning. Paty tried to follow me downstairs and help, but I told her she couldn't.

Walking down the last step was always the hardest task. I already knew what was coming. There would be no ease that night. But I still had to smile and pretend like everything was fine, or like nothing bad would happen again.

“Take his boots off,” She whispered.
“Mom, please can I go upstairs,” I wined.
“I need your help, maybe we won’t wake him like last time,” She said as calm as always.
I slid one shoe off, then as I grasped the other, I saw him stir. Automatically I flinched. Sure enough he woke up just to see me curl into a ball of fear.
“What’s wrong with you? Can’t even help your mother?!” He yelled angrily.
“No, I swear,” I cowarded.
“Oh, and now you’re scared? Ha, I’ll show you what scared looks like.”
“No, please dad I’ll help.”
It was too late to plead. He was drunk as always so I could barely hear his slurred comments. He used the one boot he still had on this time. As I peeled myself off the floor I saw Patty at the bottom of the stairs, staring.

As soon as I could, I went back upstairs to my room. I didn’t know what to expect. Would she be mad at me? Would she want to leave? MY head was hurting maybe from confusion, or maybe from the hard hit on the ground. I opened the door slowly, I was more afraid of her than my dad.
“What’s going on?” She looked nervous.
“Nothing I’m not used to.” I said holding back my guilt for bringing her here.
“How long?” She said with strength this time.
“A while.”
“Why?”
“All different reasons, I never know why, it just does.”
“Well, are you ok, do you need to leave, or something?” I could tell she was still confused a little.
“No, I’ll be fine, I always am.” I looked down now because I hated these questions, the ones everyone asks when they don’t understand what kind of family you have. Typically when someone started to ask these questions, we would consider transferring schools again, but Patty was different. She wasn’t asking to be angry, she was asking because she genuinely cared. I know it’s hard for most normal people to understand me, but that’s what I liked about her, she always could no matter how strange or wrong I sounded. It wasn’t her fault she came over. It wasn’t her fault she saw me get hurt. It wasn’t her fault for asking those questions that I hated, she just cared, which I guess is a good thing.

“What does he do?” She was so curious, and it bothered me.
“Why do you want to know? It’s fine,” I was so used to avoiding questions like this is was almost second nature. There was a long pause as she began to understand. After a while she looked up at me with her final question.
“How often? “She asked uncomfortably.
“How often what?” I was aggravated and trying to avoid it.
“You know what I’m talking about, just tell me, how often?”
“Every night.”