Chapter 14 – Papa Don't Preach

Hey, well, this is the 14th chapter; I don't really know which chapter I'll stop at so sorry if it gets too long! Anyway, just to clear a few things out again, yes – a disclaimer, Stand By Me belongs to the geniuses Stephen King and Rob Reiner, God Bless Them! I thought it would be good to explain this chapter though a song. The song is Madonna's 'Papa Don't Preach'. I thought it was a good song choice and title for this. Its like Brooke's explaining to her father. And lets clear this up, when she's talking about 'keeping her baby', Brooke isn't pregnant; she's talking about keeping Chris as her 'baby' – like her lover. Anyway I won't keep you any longer. Enjoy reading ;)

Papa I know you're going to be upset

Cause I was always your little girl

But you should know by now,

I'm not a baby…

I turned the doorknob and entered my house, slipping off my chuck taylor's by the door. I tiptoed quietly indoors, poking my head around the doors.

"Dad?"

A sound came from the kitchen, a low emotionless voice, "I'm in here"

I sighed my heart beating against my jacket, a thumping of the pulse sounding in my head, as I walked into the kitchen. My father sat at the kitchen table, hands cupped around a mug of coffee, his eyes staring at it, stone faced.

He knows.

I pasted a smile onto my face. Innocently I said, "Hello Dad" and took a seat next to him. He made no movements at all, his face stuck in a blank emotionless expression. I started to feel nervous as I repeated myself, "Dad?" I tapped him slightly on the shoulder.

He twitched suddenly, blinking several times, but his eyes never left the mug.

"How was your night?" he asked slowly. I nodded slightly.

"Good, Ace took me out to see this movie and…"

He interrupted me, "No, I meant with Chris"

I swallowed hard, my palms sweaty with nerves, a cold chill racing up my spine.

"Daddy…"

"Was he good?" he asked me, "Did he pleasure you? Did you let him touch you?"

"Dad!"

"No Brooke" his voice grew fierce, "NO BROOKE!" he roared, jumping up from his seat. I flinched. He banged his fist hard down on the table. Coffee spilled out of the mug, staining the table brown, "What were you thinking? You're sixteen years old!"

"I know, I…" there was no use trying to explain to my dad.

"Not even legal for a month and already you're sleeping around!"

I stood up from my seat, covering my ears and I screamed, "Daddy listen to me!"

"NO! I won't! YOU listen to ME," My dad pointed a finger at my face, so close I could see it shaking with anger, "SIDDOWN NOW"

Unwillingly I sat back down, looking down at the floorboards. I could hear my dad pacing the floor, breathing heavily. After about five minutes pacing the floor, he spoke.

"Why Brooke?" he asked, "Why?"

You always taught me right from wrong,

I need your help, daddy please be strong

I may be young at heart

But I know what I'm saying…

"I did it because I love him"

"No you don't, you think you love him but you don't, you're too young to be in love!" my dad wouldn't listen.

"What about mom? You fell in love with her at high school!" I yelled.

"DO NOT GET YOUR MOTHER INTO THIS!"

"Its true! Dad, I love Chris, I always have. He rescued me last night, from Ace! Ace got drunk and drove us to the middle of nowhere and tried to rape me! Daddy, Chris rescued me! He wouldn't ever hurt me, he's nothing like what people say he's like…"

The one you warned me all about

The one you said I could do without.

We're in an awful mess, and I don't mean maybe – please…

"Brooke, his family, I know all about them, so don't say he's nothing like them! His mother's a streetwalker and his father? An alcoholic, who beats his children and wife like they're punch bags! Mr and Mrs Goldsworthy warned me all about them! I can't believe I even allowed you out with this beast of a boy!"

"Oh so, you listen to those upper class snobs now? Dad, I know Chris better than any other person around these areas, he isn't bad! Where is he, dad? What's happened to him?" I shouted, as tears started to roll down my cheeks. I grabbed my dad's shoulder, "Daddy, where's Chris?"

Suddenly a force erupted onto me. My father's arms, pushing me down. I hit the floor, shocked. My father held his forehead in his hands for a moment, thinking briefly. I sat there, sobbing hard, watching my father turn into an emotional wreck. I had never seen him so angry.

Papa, don't preach.

I'm in trouble deep

Papa don't preach,

I've been loosing sleep.

But I've made up my mind.

I'm keeping my baby…

"Brooke, you will not have anything to do with him ever again, I do not allow it!" He yelled fiercely, leaning over me.

"NO!" I screamed, forcing myself up, "NO! I love Chris, and I will not leave him! Daddy, Chris is who I want to be with forever!"

"What would your mother think? Having a whore like you as a daughter!" My Dad raged on, "You will go to your room and stay there. You are grounded for a month. You are not to have anything to do with that boy, you hear?"

I stood up, sobbing hysterically, "I HATE YOU!" I screamed into my father's face, and I ran upto my room. Slamming the door, I turned the doorknob and locked myself in. Finally I allowed myself to show all the emotions I was feeling.

Sitting on my bed, I screamed, I cried, I let myself loose, bawling on the bed. It hurt so much, knowing all the trouble that had escalated after one night with the person I loved.

When someone said 'love hurts', I didn't believe it could be true. Obviously I was wrong. It didn't just hurt, it killed.

I heard the floorboards creak outside my door and I looked up at the door. My father was obviously outside, checking up on me. I sighed hard and buried my head back into the pillow and I was able to blank off everything around me when I closed my eyes and finally escaped to a deep sleep.

***

School on Monday was awful.

My weekend consisted of crying myself to sleep every night, I was tired from broken nights sleep and nightmares and I hadn't eaten anything in days. It was the lowest point I had been feeling in a while.

My father and I weren't speaking, and we weren't even allowing ourselves into the same room as each other. I thought it was best to stay well away from him over the weekend; we were still not on good terms.

The weekend dragged on without any contact with the outside world, just me sitting indoors, with my father ignoring me. By Monday, it was almost as if I wanted to go to school to get out of the house, which wasn't something, I usually admitted to. I managed to eat a piece of toast and make myself look half decent with a bit of powder on my cheeks and a brush of my hair. Coming downstairs at a quarter to 8, I opened the door and finally stepped out of the house the first time in three days.

Taking a deep breath of fresh air, the warm sun beating down on my face and I walked slowly down the path and out of the gates. I didn't look back at my house; I just continued to walk down the roads to school.

"Hey Brooke" someone tapped me on the shoulder; I turned suddenly to face whoever it was. Gordie.

"Gordie thank god its you" I started to feel all emotional, throwing my arms around him, "I've missed you"

He hugged me back, "Its good to see you, so what's the news with your dad?"

"He found out about Chris and me way before I came home that night, seems he saw Ace beating the crap outta Chris…" I stopped, "Oh my god! Chris! Where is he Gordie, what's happened to him?"

Gordie sighed, putting his arms around me, "Come on, let's get to school, I'll tell you then…"

***

"Ace beat Chris?"

Walking down the corridor next to Gordie, we spoke as we walked to class. My heart was jumping just thinking about Chris.

Gordie nodded, "I went round to Chris's house, no one was in, I think. They didn't open the door but I swear I could hear someone inside. He's injured, man. Seriously, I think he's on the verge of something serious. Eyeball told his dad, so you can guess what's happened"

Coming into class made me realise you couldn't trust anyone, not even a long lost friend who saved you.

"Look who it is!" one of the boys shouted, "Its missing virginity girl!"

I looked at him shocked, "What the hell did you just say?"

The boy smirked, "How was your night with Chris Chambers?"

Another boy spoke, "You can sleep with me anytime, easy sleaze" and gave me a vulgar sign.

"She slept with Chris Chambers" two girls whispered to each other.

"Slut!"

"Whore!"

"What was she thinking?"

"Damn that girl is fuckin' psycho!"

"Oi, back off!" Gordie shouted at the boys, "You don't know shit"

I started to shake when I got to my chair, to the echoes of 'whore' and 'slut' from around the room.

"How do they know?" Gordie whispered to me shocked, "You didn't tell anyone did you?"

"Only you and…" I started to feel queasy and out of breath, "I told Vern"

"You did what?" Gordie snapped, "Jesus Christ, no wonder everyone knows!"

"I couldn't help it, I was out cold and I was dizzy, I must of told him when I was out of it" I shook my head at my own stupidity, "He must of told that cow, Gina, she spreads everything!"

Gordie patted my back sympathetically, "No one believes her anyway"

"But Gordie, look!" I looked around the room to the many pairs of eyes that were still attached to me, "Everyone in class knows!"

It wasn't just in class. Everyone in my entire year knew!

"Come on, please Brooke, don't do anything you'll regret" Gordie called after me as I approached the bitch known as Gina Goldsworthy and her 'army of skanks' in corridor at lunch. They stopped gossiping as I walked up to them, arms folded, a frown attached to my face.

"Good afternoon Gina" I said through gritted teeth, "A word, please?"

"Excuse me, I'd rather not talk to people like you" Gina smiled innocently, "So if you turn around now and go find another lowlife to sleep with, I wouldn't be bothered"

I felt my arms push her up against the lockers, banging her against the hard metal, she squealed uncontrollably.

"I don't appreciate you calling Chris a lowlife, you know" I pressed my face against hers, "And I don't appreciate you spreading shit about me around school when you have no clue about what happened to me over the weekend"

"Get off her Brooke, she's not worth it!" Gordie tried to pull me off her. My face was still against hers, watching it crumple slightly. I dug my nails into her shoulders.

"If I ever have to talk to you again about this, I swear you'll be in thousands of little rich bitch pieces by the end of the day. So quit now, or regret later" I drew a small growl from my lips, "Understand?"

Closing her eyes, Gina nodded as she bit her lip nervously.

"Good" I let my arms slide off her, but still pressed her to the lockers.

"MISS COLLINS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

The sound of my teachers voice made me jump, as I turned around, my face still as scarred with anger as it was before.

"Sorting out this little shit spreading bitch!" I couldn't stop myself in time to stop the sour words escaping my lips. The teacher wasn't impressed, hands on her widened hips, she opened her mouth and bellowed, "GO TO THE PRINCIPLES OFFICE. NOW!"

"Why don't you come over here and make me?" I bellowed back at her. Her face shone a brilliant shade of tomato red; it almost looked as if she was about to burst. If I had a camera, I would of taken a picture to share with everyone.

"THAT'S A MONTHS DETENTION!"

I threw her daggers as I spat out a response, "Fuck. You"

Almost as soon as I had said that, I turned around from the teacher, ignoring her screams, and calmly walked off. I didn't know what had gotten over me in the past minute and a half of mayhem. I just continued to walk down the corridors, murmuring curses to myself, ignoring the looks I was being given and the fact everyone was still whispering about Chris. I walked straight out of the school's big main doors and down the path. I waited for someone to follow behind me, screaming at me to come back, but nobody did. I wondered if anyone cared that I had just left school and I was walking off, but by the fact no one had come looking for me made it obvious what I was wondering was pretty much untrue.

My stomach gave a loud rumble from under my jumper and I sighed. Digging into my jeans pocket, I found a five-dollar bill and some loose change, hopefully I could get something to eat somewhere.

There was a small shop at the end of the road that I found myself walking into. The shopkeeper, a big burly man with greased back hair and a stained t-shirt looked up from his magazine and gave me a slight smile. Picking up a root beer and a packet of Twinkies, I took it over to the counter and handed him my money.

"School finished early, eh?" he smirked. I just gave a slight nod, "Yeah"

I payed and left him to read his magazine. Within minutes of buying the products, I had already consumed it. I was getting my appetite back and I could feel the colour come back into my cheeks, and a smile creeped onto my lips.

I was free; I was away from the places I hated, like home and school. I was just on my own, walking down the streets, and somehow I felt better than I felt all weekend, standing up to the people who were looking down on me.

And that's when I decided to go against what my father had said to me.

I decided to find Chris…

Hii! It seems like I took forever writing this up, I struggled with it. If its crap compared to the other chapters, I'm sorry. I just struggled immensely with this chapter. Anyway, thanks for the reviews, and the review-ees (big shoutout to Ace's Quinn especially! YOU ROCK WOOP WOOP!) :D Keep up reviewing, I really appreciate all the nice comments! LOVE YOOOOOOH!