“I think you should come home today. You and your father need to talk this thing out because it’s not gonna go away on its own.”
The thought of talking to him made my head hurt. “He hit me! I don’t want to talk to him!” I tried not to be upset with her for making light of the situation. It was obvious that she just wanted to make things better and for me to return. “I’m just trying to wrap my head around this and I can’t do that there……with him. Try to see my side of it.”
She didn’t speak right away. “I understand that you’re hurt. There was no excuse for your father to do what he did.” She was silent for another moment. “If you need your space, then there’s nothing I can do to change that, but you’re welcome here whenever you’re ready……no matter what your father said. He was just angry when he told you not to come back. You know he didn’t mean that.” She hesitated for another moment and when she spoke again her voice was quieter. “I put some extra money in your account this morning……just in case. Samantha, promise me that you won’t be gone too long and that you’ll call me every day to let me know that you’re alright.”
“I promise.” I hated that she was caught in the middle of this rift between my father and I, but going home right now was not an option.
“And thank Deanna and her mother for me for letting you stay for a while,” she requested just before we ended our call.
There was a soft knock at the door and then Angel peeked inside. “Come in,” I called out.
“Everything ok?” She asked.
“Yeah, I just got done talking to my mom.” I explained.
Her eyes widened. “How’d that go?” She asked “Of course she wanted to know where I was and she wants me to come home, but I need time.”
“Who wouldn’t understand that? Your dad went all Ike Turner on you last night. That was crazy!” Angel exclaimed. I knew that she didn’t mean any harm, but Angel wasn’t exactly making me feel any better about the situation.
“Have you talked to your parents yet?” I asked in an attempt to get the spotlight off of me for a while.
“Yeah, I called to check in this morning. I told you they’d be cool with me leaving. My mom didn’t even sound like she was concerned.” She was thoughtful for a moment. “Hey. Let me use your car. I forgot my cell phone at your house and I wanna get it.”
I reached into my purse and dropped the keys in her hand. “You remember how to get back? I asked.
“I think so, but write it down for me anyway.”
I grabbed a scrap envelope and ink pen from my purse, wrote the directions back to my house and handed them to her as I issued her a warning. “Oh, if it comes up, my mom thinks we’re staying at Deanna’s. And Be careful with my car. It’s a classic,” I joked.
She laughed to herself as she was walking out of the room. “Classically raggedy,” she retorted. I tossed a pillow at her, but she was out of the room before it made contact.
By the time I got back downstairs everyone except for AJ was preparing to leave. Deanna came to meet me and wrapped her arms around my neck. “We’re going home to change. Be back at six, k?”
I was definitely glad that they were coming back, but I was a little puzzled. “Ok, but what’s happening at six?” I asked.