Last night had been nothing like I had expected. I didn't expect to catch Jeremy taking advantage of Ella, luckily Jeremy wasn't able to do much harm on Ella before we got there.

“Time to wake up sleepy head” I smiled at Ella who had been rustling on the bed for like thirty minutes now, it was obvious she had awoken but was just too bumped up to get on her feet.

“Is this how frustrating alcohol is?” Ella groaned, rubbing her soared head.

“You have no idea, first it's starts with the banging... Then the booming”.

“Ah” Ella pretended to make a dramatic sound.

“Then the nausea starts in”

“OMG!”

“And then the worst part” I smirked and cooked up a dramatic sound crawling up to her like a monster.

“Can you guess it?” I asked, and she shook her head, shivering under the sheets.

“... You get sober” I smiled at her, and we both giggled together, it was nice to know she still had her sense of humor.

I was completely sure she had no memory of what almost happened last night, and I was glad she didn't because I had no plans of telling her, nothing drastic happened there was no reason to frighten her even more than she already was, she already had a lot on her plates. Reading for hours, trying to cramp every single line of her botany text book, she already had enough on her plates trying to secure a scholarship for college, telling her that she had almost been raped by someone who hangs around so near to her would break her.

And then there was Kelly, I hadn't seen her all night and even till this morning she hadn't called in, I just hope she was alright. She said she wanted to tell me something after the party, but we had not got the chance to talk, I doubt it had anything to do with Jeremy or else she wouldn't have told him to pick us up, I just hoped by the time I got to school she would be there all dolled up.

“Paige” I surprisingly heard my name through the window, it was obviously Casper, but he never ever called me through the window he had always pretended like the structure was never there and that there was no means of communication through the small window.

“Hey” I waved back at him, as I watched him wave at me.

“Good morning” he smiled.

“Morning” I replied.

“I wanted to ask if you'll be free this evening”

“This evening?” I repeated rather unsure of what I heard.

“Yeah this evening, I have two movie tickets and I don't have anyone to drag along and then you came in mind”

I came in mind!

I screamed in my head. “Yes! Yes!” I screamed joyfully but quickly tried to compose myself but it was already too late I had obviously embarrassed myself as my cheeks flushed red.

“So five o'clock”

“Yes five o'clock” I smiled and backed away from the window into the screaming arms of Ella.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” we screamed, bouncing on top of the bed, I felt so excited, I was finally going out one on one with Casper nothing could be much better, sometimes I had doubts about Casper but then I would see how giddy I was at the sight of him and remember whether what I felt for him was actually love or infatuation it wasn't going to die down so easily.

***
Well I hadn't complained about breakfast anymore but that doesn't mean it had gotten better, now unfortunately it had gotten a lot worst, dad was never home anymore, he was always out late at work, and then he would sleepover at a restaurant or something knowing nothing nice awaited him at home, it was hard to admit it but watching my mom sleep all alone for the past few weeks made me realize something I had been denying in my head, their marriage was slipping, it was standing on a rocky foundation and if things didn't start working for the better than It's going to be over between them sooner than I expected. I just hope mom would be strong enough to bear it, she always acted it — happy and tough, but she was far from it.

“Am off to school mom” I pecked her on her cheek as she drowned herself in a cup of coffee, she didn't force me to eat her concussions anymore, she hardly even made them, she was always just lost in thought staring at the front door as if she was waiting for my dad to walk in.

“Is your mom really going to be okay” Ella stared worriedly at me.

“I hope so” I sighed and closed the front door behind me.

***
Dad worked at a construction company, he was the directing manager, he had been promoted last two years — we were all happy about It, I would be able to afford a good college and stuffs but now I don't know whether to be giddy or not.

Back then before he had gotten the promotion we were all happier, we hated mom's dishes, but we all laughed about it, joking about how she burnt every food that landed on the gas, dad would laugh for hours and even give mom a big kiss, now he just woke up every morning and frowned at the dish, he hardly said a word, he hardly even had time to be over protective anymore. I missed my old dad... I missed him so much and so did mom.

Grandma always said there was a reason behind why mom never cooked a decent meal, and I believed there was because if dad couldn't endure the problem with mom then he should have never tied the knot... No one forces you into marriage but it looks like everyone is in a rush to tie it.

.To begin the happiest moments of their life but it's not always happy, it's not always what we dream about, it's not like in the movies, they always end at the wedding with a big happily ever after — why don't they ever show us what happens when the characters are all married and happy, why don't they show us what happens when they get a few kids and the house goes crazy, why don't they show what happens when you get tired of waking up to the same face every morning. They don't show us that because marriage isn't the happily ever after we all think it is... Sometimes it's just the beginning of a series of problems.

***
Classes had gone by normally, and I didn't pay attention to 99% of them. Kelly had still not showed up and surprisingly movie night with Casper was the last thing on my mind.

I walked through the hallway searching helplessly for Jeremy, I needed to punch him in the face, in the gut and where the sun don't shine. And as if I was surprised with where I found him, obviously that's where they always were in the janitor room getting under naive girls panties.

“Run along Blondie” I fired at the girl, who I had no desire to identify.
And in a hurry she rushed out.

“You really aren't ashamed, are you!” I spoke angrily. “I wonder what you did to make Kelly so blind.”

“Nothing” he shrugged. “Because she's one of them, your friend isn't a saint Paige the moment you get that in your head the better for you, she's just another slut-”

I slapped his face hard. “Never talk about Kelly like that and if I see you an inch near Ella I'll rip you apart!” I threatened him not holding back any of my anger.

“If only you knew the friend you had you wouldn't be so protective of her, you would be ripping her out not me” Jeremy smirked.

I didn't understand what he meant but I didn't want to, he was probably only trying to poison my mind about Kelly, she was my best friend she would never do anything to hurt me I was sure of it.

“Oh and make sure to also keep your dad in check, seems like everyone around you has a whore lifestyle”
“What did you just say” I grabbed him by his collar, my hands already stationed in the air ready to punch him.

“Go ask your dad he knows it better than i” Jeremy grinned and shoved my hands off walking out the door with his hands in his pocket, whistling happily in the air.

My whole body trembled in fear, what had he meant. I knew my dad wasn't really himself right now but could he really cheat on my mom?

***
The construction company wasn't too far from school, and I was already seated on the bus on my way to get things straight for myself, I would never forgive dad if he was actually cheating on mom, how could he think of doing that, the problem wasn't something they couldn't settle if they wanted to.

I placed my cap on as I got down from the bus, a lot of people already knew me over there, I didn't need any unwanted attention or unnecessary delay. I walked briskly into the tall glass building taking an elevator straight to the seventh floor.

His secretary greeted me warmly and I smiled nicely in return, I had no idea what to expect as I walked through the door and I really hoped it wasn't like in the movies, I just hoped I would walk in and find everything beautiful and happy, and so I took a deep encouraging breath, turned the door knob and walked in.

I almost felt so relieved at the sight, dad was with a lady, but they didn't seem intimate, there was a big distance between them, and they seemed to be only talking about work related stuffs.

“Paige!” dad exclaimed, “What are you doing here?”

“Well you haven't been coming home for a while it's human for me to check in” I answered dryly, he had signalled the lady to leave, and she complied without any objections.

Dad looked well, he looked rather healthy unlike mom who he had left all alone to die of worries, the thought of it made my blood boil even more.

“I see you prefer work now to family” I frowned at him taking a seat In front of him.

“You of all people should understand paige” he sighed, placing his pen down.

“Understand what? She's your wife! My mom! I hate the food just as much as you but you don't see me running off and leaving her all alone”

“I just needed a break”

“Yeah a very long break” I said dryly, “While you leave my mom to panic to her death, dad we used to be happy, even if we ate baked pizza everyday we were happy now we're just nothing I've been turning a blind eye to it but I don't think I can anymore, so tell me frankly now — is there another woman or not?”

I stared blankly at him, with the most serious face I had ever worn in years.
We stared at each other silently, I waited for a reply, while he waited to give me one.

“No” he answered, but he was too hesitant... Too hesitant.

“Are you telling me the truth?” I raised a brow.

“Cross my heart and hope to die” he promised but I still just couldn't believe him.

“I'll come home, I promise darling I just need time to sort myself out when am done I'll be back home once more” he assured me and even if I wasn't half convinced I just hoped he meant it.

Walking out of the office I thought of how to rush over to Casper, he was probably waiting for me but then as I was about to leave a familiar charming face caught my eyes, I could never forget that face, mother had spent a lot of her charming life cursing her, Amanda Micheal — my dad's ex. And now I couldn't help but wonder what she was doing here, was she the lady Jeremy was talking about.

I glanced at my watch 4:59, I would have done anything to be beside Casper eating popcorn and laughing hard but I needed to get to the bottom of this and that meant sacrificing something so important to me.

I sat quietly by the corner for hours, trying to remain unnoticed as ladies and gentlemen walked past me, I had been ignoring the ringing tune of Casper's desperate calls, I had stood him up, not intentionally but I did and I didn't feel too good about it. I didn't want him to get the wrong idea, picking the call may only tempt me to run flying into his arms but for now my family was more important than all the Prince Charming in the world.

After almost falling off the seat with my dropping eyes, they finally left the office together and I ran after them hot on their trail, I had to take a cab to follow them exactly where they were off to, I wasn't surprised to be stopped at a hotel where else would dad be sleeping but having Amanda wrapped around him wasn't in the criteria, was that how he wanted to clear his mind by sleeping with the lady mom had thought she had triumphed over... She would be heart broken if she hears this.

I didn't need to follow them all the way to the hotel room to understand everything that was happening, I felt torn into pieces but then the thought of it began to make me wonder if Jeremy was telling the truth about my dad then was he also right about Kelly, was there something I really didn't know of her, was there really an unknown scene that was going to ruin our friendship forever?

***
I rushed over to the cinema as fast as I could but the movie was already over, I felt so miserable as I watched the crowd all laughing out of the room, hoping to find Casper walking out of the room I stood patiently but nothing, I didn't see the sight of him. Maybe he didn't watch the movie again ...I had made him waste his tickets, I had ruined his night, I hoped his night wasn't as fucked up as mine, I sadly strolled out of the cinema.

“So you were really going to bail out on me” a familiar voice called out to me and I turned happily unknowingly wrapping my hands around Casper, I felt relieved to know he hadn't left and most especially that he wasn't completely mad at me.

“I'm so sorry, I thought you would have already left” I hugged him tighter.

“I would have, but then a little bird told me to hold on much longer, I was the guy she crushed on for years, she wouldn't just bail on me”

My eyes flickered in shock, so he knew all this while how crazy I was about him, and he never reciprocated it, not even once.

I punched him angrily. “If you didn't like me back you could have just said it” I frowned at him and punched him again.

“If you knew how much I've wanted you, you won't be punching me right now” he grinned at me and that was all I needed to hear.

A/N: ☺ 😂😂