Time had pasted and my mom was actually starting to accept Drake. She really just wanted to see me happy so she said as long as my grades stayed up I could see Drake. It was another Friday night another show in a dingy bar. I sat in the storage closet they called a dressing room with Drake and one of his band members Toney.

Instead of getting ready for the show they were playing would you rather I never took any of the questions seriously I just laughed at the 2 of them squirm to answer the ridicules questions the other would ask.
I drifted out of the conversation and looked at the girl using the mirror on the other side of the closet. She was one of those blonde Hollywood girls, in another state she would have been the popular girl but here she was a dime a dozen. I watched her apply more and more make up as if to cover her shallow personality with mascara. She sees me staring she actually flashes me a sly smile, she looks in the mirror one last time I watch her stand up she flattens out her ultra short skirt and pulling her leather high heel boots into position right under her knee. She liked the attention it didn't matter if it was good or bad. She walked out of the door slowly winking at Drake and Tony as she walked out the door. Tony almost fell over his own two feet running after her.

"I don't like her."I stated when it was just me and Drake in the storage closet.

Drake didn't answer he just pulled me on to his knee, he moved his fingers slowly across my face moving any loose stands that had fallen into my face.
Now I couldn't hide my eyes from him anymore, his eyes seem to speak to me. I didn't know what they were trying to say yet but it just made me lose all control of my morality. I couldn't help myself I ran my fingers through his shaggy hair placing my lips fervently on his. He started to move his hands around my waist when I heard a knock at the door and then without answering, the door swung open exposing us at our moment of weakness.

"Five more minutes Drake." Tina, the assistant manager of the bar came in she looked around the small room for a minute. I knew she was looking for Josh but he decided to stay home tonight. She totally had a crush on him you could tell because every time Josh would come with us she would find little reasons to stick around or drag him off to help her. Plus the red blush that covers her cheeks when he says hello is completely a flair in the air. Drake grabbed his guitar from the side of the room and kissed my forehead softly leaving me and Tina in the small room alone.

I smiled at Tina walked out to the bar I sat close enough that I could see without having to be the crazy girlfriend in the front row screaming "˜I love you".

Drake sang a few songs and I hung on to every word, my world melted away when he played I let everything around me fizzle out.

I felt something vibrating but I thought it was because I was sitting close to the speakers but when it persisted I checked my back pocket and of course I had about 10 missed calls. Just as I was about to put it back the screen lit up. I answered it putting one hand over my unused ear.

Phone Conversation

Jeremy - Carly you have to come home right now!

Me - Wait hold on Jeremy slow down! what's wrong?

Jeremy - Dad came home you just need to come home now!

Dad came home? I couldn't wrap my mind around the last statement. My dad left when I was seven it wasn't like he came home from work early or anything.

I looked around the bar trying to find Tina I told her to tell Drake I had to go home it was a family emergency I would call him when I could. I had it set in my mind that I had to get home as soon as possible. There was no waiting around for the end of the set. Damn Drake drove! I only live like 10 blocks I could run home in like 15 minutes.

I walked out the front door letting the warm air fill my lungs and I started running as fast as I could everything around me was a blur, people, stores. I finally reached my house I don't know how long it took because my brain was racing fasted then my feet. I barged through the front door. I waking into the living room and
Jeremy was sitting on the couch next to Dad unwrapping presents that I guess my dad had brought him. My mom was in the kitchen making tea acting like all
of this was normal; like he actually came on the weekends he was supposed to pick me and my brother up. I wonder if he thought these presents would make up
for all the times he never called on birthdays and Christmas. I cringed slightly as my dad got off the couch and walked over to me. I looked at him in complete terror and frustration I couldn't believe he came back after what he put us all through.

"Oh my little princess! you gotten so big you're a young lady now."

He said reaching his arms out to hug me; I took a few steps back shaking my head in disbelief.

"No" I mumbled under my breath almost inaudible.

"Well why don't you come sit down next to me? I got some presents for you too." He took a seat back next to my brother on the couch.

I didn'twant to sit next to him so I took a seat on the recliner across the room. I watched Jeremy struggle with the wrapping paper. I was an electric guitar and amp. Jeremy almost jumped out of his skin he has been bugging for a guitar for months. He looked at me with confused eyes, he didn't know what to do should he hate him like I did or thank him for the present. I flashed Jeremy a small smile.

"That's really cool buddy." I said animatedly. He smiled back and raced off the couch to plug in the amp.

"Please come over here to open this I really looked for a long time to pick this out for you."

"Wow that was really long!" I said sarcastically he wasn't taken back by he was still persistence patting the spot next to him. What did he think that we thought he was on a long business trip? We knew he left we knew he abandoned us. He held out the box wrapped in glittery pick paper.

"Please Carly." I didn't move I didn't even make eye contact.

"Fine I'll open it up for you."I turned my head focusing my eyes on anything else except him peeling back the pink paper ever so carefully.

"Carly it's a laptop; you needed one of those for school!" Jeremy squealed with excitement.

"Mom told me you like fashion I had them put a program on it so you can design clothes. It's one of the best computers out there right now."

I knew he didn't just get lucky with the presents, he was talking to my mom again I wonder so how long. I wonder how long she had been hiding this for. I stared at my mom with such hate in my eyes it made he look away. She cleared her throat and tried to flash me a smile I just shook my head in disgust.

"Don't you like it Carly? I mean if you don't like it I can get you something else."

"Well Frank if you're asking if this makes up for the ten years you were gone, No it doesn't! Its not gonna make me forget you always coming home drunk and then left without a warning with this bleachblonde-more-boobs-than-brains chick and now you come back and act like nothing ever happened? 10 years Frank! 10 years. I could have really used a dad in those ten years, but where were you? Somewhere across the country doing whatever you wanted with no strings attacked with Debbie or what her name was.
You never called! Not one card on my birthday or Christmas. If you really wanna do something for me then just leave. Just leave me alone a let me live my life like I have for the past ten years without you." I said with such spite it left a bad taste in my mouth. I saw my moms and Franks face's drop when I mentioned Debbie, I guess they thought I was dumb enough not to know the real reason he had left.

"I'm sorry Carly I didn't have your number or your address how was I supposed to get in touch with you."

"Wow ten years and that's your excuse you would think that since you had all that time you would have a better excuse then what most college boys tell there one night stands. But it is you Frank so I guess I should expect much." I said smiling at my own wit then turning and walking up the stairs that led to my room.

I heard the mom and Franks hush talking through my closed door. He ruined a perfectly good night tonight. Why did he have to come back tonight, why did he have to come back at all?

I laid in bed with the pillow over my head trying to block out the world around me. My mom came up once or twice banging on the door in protest of my attitude, but I could care less at this point. About an hour later he protest turned into pleading she wanted me to go out to dinner with all of them I didn't say a word she finally caught on and just left.

I heard the door slam I knew I was alone at last. I held the pillow over my head and scream as loud as I could. I needed to let out some of the frustration it was starting to boil over.

I ran down the stairs to call my older sister who was away at college I paced back and forth in the kitchen listening to the ringing and trying to open a pop tart package at the same time. Then I heard the front door creak open.

"" I let out angrily. Why were they home so soon? I turned around in protest but only to find Drake standing in the foyer. I put the pone down on the counter.

I ran over to him with open arms letting myself fall into his arms. I needed him now more then I had ever needed him.
"God I am so glad you're here you left without saying anything to me and Tina just said it was a family emergency, you forgot your purse in the dressing room so

I couldn't call your cell phone."

"Drake please just hold me for a minute." He could hear the sadness in my voice and see the dispersion in my eyes.

"Carly whatever it is, its gonna be okay baby." He said wrapping his arms around me as tightly as he could.

"No its not, my dad came back after ten freakin years and now he expects to be one big happy family. We were finally getting along without him here."

"Where are they now?" Drake asked leading me over to the couch.

"They all went out for dinner; I refused to go with them." I said a little depressed I felt like my mom was picking him over me.

"You know he used to drink he would come home in the middle of the night and start a fight with my mom. One time he hit so hard she was knocked unconscious. The next day he would come crawling back begging forgiveness he always promised he would stop and change but he never did. Then he started cheating on my mom and would just never come home at all. When he did decide to come home it was worse than ever. Once I woke up in the middle of the night because I heard them screaming at each other down the stair. He yelled at her cause she didn't do his laundry right or something that stupid like that. I just hid on the steps not being
able to move because I was so scared. I saw him make a fist and then hit her so hard it was like I felt it she fell to the ground and he just kicked her and walked out the front door. I didn't help her; I didn't even scream I just sat on the steps crying, watching her squirm in pain."

I don't know if much of the story was recognizable beacue of how hard I was sobbing but the look of pure terror on Drakes face meant that I got my point across.

Drake didn't say anything he probably didn't know what to say. He just held me tighter rubbing my back. I push my body closer to him feeling protected in his arms I calmed down a little and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"And know he shows up here and tries to buy our love with expansive presents." I said pointing to the laptop box still sitting on the coffee table unopened.

"And the worse part about it is my mom acts like none of what he did ever happened or ever mattered. He might have been hitting her but we were the ones who always got hurt."

"It's going to be okay Carly. I'm gonna be here with you. I promise I won't let him hurt you again." He kissed me softly on the forehead patting my hair. I laid on his chest listening his heart beat until I feel asleep in his arms.