% CHAPTER 32 %

"You can do it Maddy!" Amanda yells while draped over my body and clinging on like a leech. Who knew such a petite girl would have such a tight grip? We're at the bowling alley, with a bunch of prep kids Amanda used to go to school with. Turns out she had just moved to our school 5 months before Taylor and I came along due to her sister being in the movie. Sucks to be me. I give her a look of disgust. She catches it and sends me a sickly sweet smile.

"You better sell it actor boy or the picture's going out," she says through clenched teeth.

"I get it okay?" I turn my frown upside down and give her the most dazzling smile I can muster. "This good?"

Amanda smirks. "Perfect." She gives me a quick peck on the lips before hopping out of her seat to bowl on her turn.

I arrive home completely worn out. Amanda is an insufferable bitch. I think this is a lesson to teach me never to hook up with a random girl again. This is how much grief its causing me. When I open the door, I hear the sound of feet shuffling. They're heading to the stairwell pretty quickly. I guess Taylor's trying to hide from me.

"You may be fast, but I'm not deaf," I call out.

The shuffling pauses for a second before it continues. It proceeds up the steps until I hear a door shut softly. I sigh and head upstairs. I knock on her door gently before opening it slowly.

"There's a thing called privacy." Taylor scowls before typing away on her laptop.

"We both know I'm not a fan of that," I say.

"Well you better get acquainted," she states coldly.

I give a small smile. "How was it with Whitney?"

She turns. "Wow you actually remember her name. I thought you'd forgotten seeing as proceeding your plans with me and her was suddenly less important than going on a date with a girl you don't give a shit about. Really thoughtful, unlike you."

"I'm sorry I had to cancel okay? Amanda's just really demanding sometimes and-"

"I could care less about Amanda and unlike you, I'm going to make it clear. I will say it straight to her face! I'll say, 'Amanda, I don't give a fuck about you so what I want you to do right now is get out of my fucking life.' You could have done the same you know? It's not that hard."

If only she knew. "Tay..."

"Don't call me that. You lost the privilege when you cancelled the frickin invite to see my best friend. I met your best friend! Why couldn't you just be a dear for once and return the favor?"

"Taylor I think you're going a little overboard with this."

She sets the computer down from her lap roughly and stands up to come to me. "Oh am I?!" she asks as she takes fast strides towards me. "Am I really making a big deal out of this?! Am I not supposed to, considering the fact you're making a very little deal out of all of this? Maybe I should follow your lead, like the whole lot of the bimbos do at our school. It may be kind of fun! Oh wait I totally forgot. I have another meeting with this meaningless person so I'm going to have to cancel!"

"Taylor-"

"Get out!" she yells into my face. "Just get out."

As she turns away, I grab her wrist. "Now you listen to me for once okay?! Because all you're doing is blabbing on and on about how its all my fault and I did this and I did that. Are you not human or something? Do you not make mistakes?! Because I do! But at least I learn from them. I've already learned from this one so don't tell me what's wrong and right. I can find my own way. And don't act like you know both sides of the story because you sure as hell don't! Taylor I'm not asking for forgiveness, but I'm definitely asking for you to shut the hell up, at least until you've figured out the truth behind this which I will be trying to reveal to you this entire weekend. Then you can blab all day long about my careless mistakes, okay?"

Taylor's hair is in her face to where I can't see her eyes. I slowly let go of her wrist. She immediately brings it to her body and rubs it gently with her other hand. I turn and leave. She doesn't stop me. I know she wants to, but her stubbornness is getting in the way. I let it get in the way. It's not like I can stop it. I have nothing else to say.

Once I'm in my room, my phone beginsto ring. How odd. I look at the number. My cell doesn't recognize it. Should I answer? I begin having a little debate on whether not to. Then I finally shrug it off. Can't hurt to try. I answer. "Hello?"

"Hey is this Bret?" a girl asks timidly.

"Yeah that's me."

"Oh good. This is Aurelia. Remember me?"

"Oh hey Aurelia. Did that bastard give you my number or something?"

"Well yeah. He understands you won't talk to him now."

I immediately respond. "Hell yeah I won't! Do you know if he has any other kids I don't know about or was this all?"

"Well he hasn't exactly brought it up. I actually sort of need your help. He's drunk, like really drunk and I have no idea how to calm him. He keeps saying he's sorry to some woman named Mandy. You used to live with him. Help me please? I'll do anything in return!"

I pause. "Mandy is my mother's name," I finally whisper. He's saying he's sorry. Is it an act? No I got my acting skills from my mom. My dad may have skills but when it comes to full out acting, he sucks. "Okay I'll be over in a sec," I decide.

"Thank you so much Bret!"

"Yeah anytime. I mean we're family right?"

I can practically hear Aurelia cracking a grin. "Good one. See you then."

"Yeah see you."

I hang up my phone and grab my jacket. Nothing sucks more than to be in a room with my drunk father.

"I'm heading out Taylor! Don't have too much fun without me!" I call and rush down the stairs. She doesn't reply, but I know she heard me because her door creaks open slightly.

I pretend not to see her peeking through the tiny slit and open the front door, walking out casually with the car keys. I get into the car and then drive off towards the house I never wanted to see again.

I keep my eyes on the road, but there are not too many cars. After all, its nighttime. The headlights of the cars shine on the reflectors that are stuck on the road. I can see the dark pavement turning light as the beam of light shines. After a couple minutes, I turn onto a back road. Staying on the highway will take too long. Taking a back road might be a bit more dangerous. The roads aren't as clean, but they're less packed.

I finally arrive. I park the car to the side and dig into my pockets for the house keys. I still have them since I'm obviously still in my dads custody. Maybe I could become emancipated.

"Soooo soorrrrreeee!" my father sings very off key as I enter the house.

"You didn't look sorry when you told me," I grumble.

"Oh thank God you're here! He's been like this for like half the night now!"

I nod. "Sounds very like him."

"So what do we do?"

"Lonely! I'm Mr. Lonely! I have nobody...I'm on my own!"

"We lay him sideways on the couch just in case he pukes. Never lay a drunk man face up or else they might drown in their throw up."

Aurelia curls her top lip up in disgust. "That's gross!!"

"Well its a life or death situation Aurelia. Which would you choose?"

"Life," she mumbles.

"Okay."

We grab him together and on three, hoist him up onto the couch. Halfway up, he's already snoring. Then we lean his body so that he's turned slightly and step away from the body. Aurelia steps back a couple times more than I do. I snort.

"Never seen a vulnerable drunk man before?"

"My mom never let guys in the house. No male species allowed."

"Wow. Talk about strict."

"Yeah so this lifestyle is sort of a handful for me. Everything is different. I have way more responsibility here than I ever did and its driving me towards insanity."

I chuckle. "You just gotta get used to it. When I get back from starring in this movie, I'll help you out a bit."

Aurelia's eyes widen. "You're starring in a film?!"

"Yeah. The movie's almost finished. My co-star is sort of mad at me right now though and we're taking a break. We actually start filming again on Saturday."

"That's so cool! Has acting always been your dream?"

"I guess. I never thought I'd make it this far though."

Aurelia grins. "That's awesome."

I glance over at my sleeping father and give a slight smile. I'm not ready to forgive him yet, but when I am, I know I'll come racing back into this guy's arms. After all, he's my father. He's the person I grew up with. Relationships like that can't be severed in such a short amount of time.

I just hope the relationship Taylor and I had is enough to bring her back to me when its time.