I Hate Everything About You

I woke up as the credits started rolling. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, looking down and noticing Ryleigh had gotten up. I started getting up to look for her, when I heard her squealing coming from the kitchen, her 'I'm really hyper squeal'. Sure as shit when I entered the kitchen, she was mowing down on a giant ass pixie-stix.

Matt was laughing at her dancing and squirming around the kitchen table. I stopped and stood in the doorway, glaring at them.

“Gee, thanks guys. Something she doesn’t ever need to have,” I said, resting against the door frame, with my arms crossed over my chest, a smile forming on my lips as I looked at my daughter have a good time.

Matt looked at me and laughed. “Oh come on Veronica, she’ll be fine. Don’t you remember having these and going crazy when you got all hyped up?” He asked, turning his gaze back to Ryleigh, who started jumping up and down and spinning in circles.

“Um…no. Never ate those. I went crazy when I got all hyped up on drugs, Matt. Not damn pixie stix,” I said. Matt laughed. “Anyways, Matty. Can we crash here? I don’t really wanna go home tonight,” I asked.

“What? Oh yeah, you don’t even have to ask, Veronica. Don’t worry you’re not the only one who want to kill Zacky,” he said patting my shoulder on the way out of the kitchen. I smiled for some reason that made me feel a bit better.

“Hey Ryleigh. We’re gonna spend the night here tonigh, okay?” I said to my five year old.

The second I said the last word she stopped jumping, “No, mommy. I wanna go home and see daddy,” she whined. Her face got beat red, and her eyes started to well up with tears.

I sighed. I didn’t wanna deal with the stress of Zacky and her whining. “Fine, whatever, Ryleigh,” I said grabbing her hand and heading for the door. “Matt, I’m gonna take Ryleigh home for a while. I’ll be back,” I hollered through the house.

Before I had my hand on the handle Matt was standing in front of me. “No, Veronica, you’re not. Do you honestly think he’s gonna let you leave again, once you’re there?” he said, trying to keep his voice calm. I could tell it was taking just about everything he had not to scream.

I tried to side-step him, but he moved along with me. “Damn it, Matt. Just move. Stop being so damn overprotective,” I screamed at him, my impatience starting to kick in.

He clenched his hands into fists, and then he calmed himself. “Fine just hurry up, please,” he said his best trying to remain calm.

I sighed, and opened the door, stepping into the crisp night air. I got Ryleigh and myself buckled into the car, and headed on home. I didn’t wanna do this, but I can’t keep Ryleigh from her father, all the while knowing this was a bad idea, not sure why I was doing this.

I pulled into my driveway, and noticed almost all the lights were on. I grabbed Ryleigh, and started towards the big looming house. I never thought I’d be scared to go home.

I opened the door and walked inside. The second you walked in gray smoked was visible and it reeked of booze. You could hear Metallica blaring from the stereo speakers, and Viva La Bam was blaring just as loud as the music. I walked into the living room, refusing to let Ryleigh’s hand go. I noticed Zacky was sitting on the couch. He had a bottle of Jack Daniel’s in one hand and a cigarette dangling from the side of his mouth, with ashes scattered in his lap. His head was resting against the back of the couch, and his bloodshot eyes were focused on the TV.

I stood in the doorway a look of disgust forming on my face. I looked down at Ryleigh who was dancing to ‘Whiskey in a Jar.’ I laughed silently and then adverted my eyes back to Zacky, who glanced at me when I entered the room.

“You going to stand there, or actually come into the room?” Zacky asked. I jumped, I hadn’t expected him to talk. I walked into the room more, and grabbed both the stereo and TV remotes turning down the volumes, feeling relief in my ear drums.

“I’m only here because of Ryleigh. We’re not staying,” I said to Zacky, who was still starring at the TV. I let go of Ryleigh’s hand. She stopped dancing, running to jump on her father’s lap. I sat on the arm of the couch watching, I didn’t trust him when he was drunk.

“Daddy, your eyes are all red,” Ryleigh said, and started giggling.

He smiled. “I know. Thanks Ry,” he said. He took his cigarette out of his mouth and chugged some more from his bottle.

I grabbed it and walked towards the kitchen. I was about to pour it down the sink, when Zack walked up behind me and grabbed it.

“What the fuck, Veronica?” he screamed at me. His face was so close to mine I could smell the booze on his breath. He threw the bottle at the wall causing the glass to shatter, and the alcohol inside to splatter across the walls and floors.

I started shaking. I don’t think I’ve seen him this mad or drunk in a long time. I started thinking; maybe coming home was a bad idea.

I heard crying. I spun my head around Ryleigh was in the doorway crying. “Look at that, you made our daughter cry,” I screamed at him.

“Well, maybe if you weren’t so fucking stupid all the goddamn time, I wouldn’t do shit like this,” he yelled back at me.

I ran over to my daughter and picked her up. I started walking towards the door, but was stopped short when Zacky grabbed my wrist, and pulled me backwards. I tripped over my own feet and fell on the ground. Ryleigh had slipped from grasp and bashed her head off the floor.

She started screaming. I ran over to her, and picked her up trying to calm her down a bit. I walked into the living room and put Spongebob on for her. I plopped down next to her exhausted.

Zacky walked in, and plopped down beside me and muttered so only I could hear it, “Don’t try to leave the house again, or I’ll fucking kill you.”

Notes

I know it's been a while since I've written, but I really hope you guys enjoy it!!!