12. im sorry

☆ ゜・ 。。・ ゜゜・ 。。・ ゜★

1996
𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙖

I raced home from work, trying to catch the train, I couldn't teleport since there was too many people around so I had to take it. Lucky me, school got out early. I work at a high school, teaching science. Not my greatest but it was all they had available.

"Sprite!" I yelled out as I had a bunch of bags in my hands, struggling to get in the door.

"Oh good you're home!" She hops over the couch. "Can I get $20?" She extends her arms. I dropped the bags at her feet. If I could, I would break that little arm.

"Not a hello Celeste! How are you Celeste? Do you need help Celeste?" I mimicked her voice, snapping my fingers, my magic doing its thing.

"Hey." And she extends her arm again. "$20?" I rolled my eyes and walked away. "I need it."

"What you need is a job."

"Im 13, remember." She jumps and sits on the countertop table. She played her gameboy that she begged and begged for.

"You can illustrate yourself, like how you sneak out of the house at night and turn into a 23 year old." I crossed my arms and looked at her. "Yeah, I know about that."

"Whatever." She hops down and goes to her room. Kingo sent her to me because he was busy and couldn't really take care of her, also he just didn't want to keep moving every 5 years. So, I got the short side of the straw. I don't think Sprite is hard to take care of, its just that shes Sprite. Once she came, i had to get a bigger place, in a good neighborhood because I wanted her to feel safe and feel like she belongs. But she doesn't hang with the teens here, always in her room, listening to rock and roll music.

"Sprite! Dinner." I got pizza delivered and she gathered the plates and drinks and head to the living room to watch tv. "Uh." I said as I looked at the newspaper that I had.

"What?"

"Tony Stark has a daughter, Crystal Stark." (If you know this, you are a real mvp!) poor girl, shes going to be in the spotlight all her life.

"Good for him." She ignores and watches the movie on the screen. Be cool Celeste, try not to burst. A thing about Sprite, she hates having conversations. Even small talks, she tries so hard to shut them down or make them so uncomfortable. "Okay im done, im going to my room." She tosses out her plate and locks herself in her room. Sometimes, I forget shes with me, like shes never here.

"Thanks for helping." I cleaned the place up and went to my room, showered, sat on my bed and read. It was getting late and i knew i had a early morning tomorrow so I marked my place and turned off my lights. Finally, my bed. Ive been dreaming of it since second period.

I fallen asleep, all nice and cozy until music blasted, the bed shook from the bass and the frames started shake. Sprite. I put on my robe and came out of my room, just as when I was going to yell at her, there was a banging at the door. This isn't going to be good.

"Mr. Anderson!" One of our cranky older man that lives in the building. He hated my guts for some reason. I didn't even talk to him.

"You have any idea what time it is?! You tell that daughter of yours to keep it down!" He starts yelling through the music. "Im going to have to talk to the front and tell them to have you both evicted! One more strike and youre done!"

"I understand sir! Ill tell her!"

"You better! Im not playing around anymore!" I smiled, nodding, shut the door in his face. I turned to see Sprites door. I had enough. It was 2 in the morning.

"Me either." I charged at the door, unlocked or not, I opened the door with my magic and Sprite jumps from her bed.

"Hey!" She yells as I unplugged the stereo. "I was listening to that!"

"Not anymore." I grabbed the cord and waved in her face. "We've had complaints about us, you! I had enough being the nice guy. No more stereo, no more late night stuff. Im taking it all away!"

"Thats not fair!"

"It is, this is my roof and-" god i was sounding like Ikaris. I nearly gagged. The Walkman was on the dresser and I tossed it to her. "Here, listen to that, full volume and all, I dont care. I have work in 3 hours."

"I dont want your old ass walkman, I want a CD-"

"Sprite! Shut up! Go to bed!" I slammed the door behind me and mumbled some swear words under my breath and jumped into bed. The warmth of the bed was gone, i tossed and turned, losing my sleepiness. Just count down, that helps right? 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5- my alarm went off. There no fucking way! No! It was already 5 am. I put the pillow in my face and screamed.

I was pissed, slamming my drawers, burned myself with my coffee, poked my eye with the mascara wand. I knew it was going to be such a wonderful day- NOT! I slammed the door on my way out, teleported to the school.

"Morning class, sorry for the wait. Today we are going to learn about Dissecting a frog." I clapped my hands together and turned to the kids. A few girls yelped and had a look of terror.

"Ms Von!" She points at my shoulder. There was a spider crawling up. I didn't flinch or showed that I was scared, I simply scooped it up and let it walk in my hand. I was new to the school, a lot kids, bad ones, wanted me to quit, they did mean pranks, stole my belongings, scared me. All because they are too cool, love to see a teacher break. Due to my time here on Earth, nothing scares me, i mean i fought Deviants for crying out loud.

"You know." I walked around the classroom. "A lot of people have tried to scare me in a lot of different ways." I still was playing around with large spider, girls backing up as I got close. "And you know what I learned?" I looked up. "Im a lot braver than people think." I put the spider on Teddys desk. It was his pet tarantula. He did talk about it once. "Next time Teddy, if you really want me gone, bring in my family, that scares me the most." He gulps and I headed back on the lesson.

★

I decided to take Sprite out for dinner. There was this sandwich place around the corner that she wanted to try. She pretended to be all cool with her sunglasses and strutting into the restaurant, while I was behind her. She slouches in her chair, and lazily looks at the menu.

"Is this an apology for yesterday?" She puts her sunglasses on the tip of her nose.

"Nope. Still mad about that." I said without looking at her. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Are you and your daughter ready to order?" Sprite hated it when they referred her as my daughter. HATED it.

"What makes you think we look alike pal?" She turns to him. The waiter stood there stunned.

"Sprite." I growled.

"Fine. Ill have the grilled cheese with Pepsi." She hands him the menu. I gave him a smile as it was my turn.

"Ill have the blt with lemonade, thank you." He nods and walks away. "Listen, I know you are mad because of Kingo leaving you and me treating you like a child, just know that I want whats best for-"

"I'm moving in with Ajak." The words hit me. She didn't look at me or move, she just sat there.

"Oh..." it all that slipped out. This did hurt me. I was going to say more but the waiter was coming our way. I didn't want to be awkward.

"Here you go, pepsi and a lemonade." The waiter comes in setting our drink down. I forced a smile and he left. I gave it a moment so I can start again.

"When did this happen?"

"Last week. Im moving with her next week."

"Wow..." i was trying to wrap my head around this. "Is that what you want?"

"Yes."

"And that makes you happy?"

"God Celeste." Sprite pinches her nose, done with everything. "Just be happy that you don't have to care for me anymore. Stop treating me like a child." She slams her hands on the table.

"Sorry that i care about you!" I moved closer to the table, trying not to get attention to us.

"Heres some ketchup and ranch for the fries." The waiter comes by again, i just nodded my head.

"If you are doing this-

"Just because you couldn't get Druig to stay with you, doesn't mean you have to do it to me." I sat back, stunned., hurt again. She knew how to push it.

"Thats not fair." I said, trying not to cry. "Leave Druig out of this, he has nothing to do about anything of this. This is  between me and you." I pointed to her and me. "Say it, you hate me."

"I do hate you!" She explodes. "You live a perfect life! Men drooling over you, perfect smile, you know what to say when you flirt, you dont get red, youre pretty, im stuck in a child's body for the rest of eternity!"

"You think im perfect? Nobody is. Its not my fault Arishem made you this way, I don't have the answers for that. Im trying my best here, but you are so-"

"Do you need more-" the waiter pops out of nowhere and I just snapped.

"Dude! If we need anything we will call you over!" I closed my eyes from what I did, apologizing right away. He later leaves and i finished my sentence. "You are so selfish!"

"Oh yeah!?"

"Yes!" I yelled. Now everyone was turning back, whispering to each other. "You are so jealous of me, the relationship between Sersi and Ikaris, you just love to hurt us, but you don't see that you're the one hurting."

"At least I didn't push away my feelings because I was so scared of hurting them, thats why you stopped talking to Druig and started dating Loki!"

"Stop that!" I pointed at her, angry.

"Or at least I dont sob over a stupid photo and wish everything is back to normal! Or cry to sleep about Druig!"

"Enough!" I slammed my hands on the table.

"I cant wait to leave you! No wonder Druig never came back for you!" Right there, right there shot me. I leaned back, putting myself together. My nose was burning, eyes teary, throat throbbing from trying not to cry.

"Here's your food..." He sets the plates down. Sprite looks away from me.

"Excuse me." I managed to get up and go to the bathroom. I got into a stall and silently cried. Sprite definitely pushed it too far when she even brought up Druig.

★

"Are you sure you dont want to come with us?" Ajak asks me as she shut the trunk. Sprite was actually leaving and I didn't want to stop her.

"No, ill be okay." I put my hands in my sweater. "Just let her do her thing." I saw her in the passenger sit, playing with her gameboy, barely acknowledging me.

"She will apologize one day." Ajak came closer to me, putting her hands on my shoulders.

"I dont care." I really didnt. I just want her to be happy and if she isn't happy here then what more can i do? "Take care of her."

"I always have." Ajak takes one last look at me, placing her hand on my cheek, smiling softly. "Goodbye Celeste, you be good. You're doing amazing." I haven't heard those words in my existence, and it felt good.

"Bye Ajak." She gets in her car, waving. Sprite glanced at me but didn't meet my eyes. I awkwardly waved but out my hands back in my pockets. I watched them drive off, left alone again.

I headed back upstairs to my quiet home. It was weird in a way, no loud music, no Sprite asking ridiculous questions. Her room door was closed so I went open it and saw that she left the stereo, some rock posters, and she left a note on the bed.

Im sorry

I teared up and held the note and looked around the room again.

"Me too."