They were both already sitting, and already eating. My father glanced at me. "You can go upstairs," he said. "I'll deal with you when I'm finished with dinner."
"Mark," my mom said to my dad, in a pleading tone. "Couldn't she…"
"No," he interrupted. "I'll be up in a little while."
I slowly headed upstairs. I tried to start my homework up in my room, but I couldn't concentrate. All too soon, I heard my father's footsteps.
He opened the door. "What were you doing?"
"I was, just, I was just walking with Craig."
"You know dinner is at six o'clock."
"Yes sir."
"So you deliberately broke a rule?"
"No! I just lost track of time, I swear."
"I don't think so. I think you did it on purpose." He took a step closer. "Just like you became a lesbian. Everything you so is ON PURPOSE!" With the last two words, he hit me. Then he grabbed my arm, and jerked me up. "You just," he said, hitting me with every word, "don't respect anyone! You don't care!"
"No, Dad, it's not like that. I swear, its not."
"You're making me do this, you know," he said, shoving me to the ground. He picked up a handful of the tapes I had put on my dresser. A moment later, they rained down on my head. One caught me hard in the temple, and I saw stars. "I love you, and this is what you do to me!" He kicked me hard in the head. "Damn you! You're making me do this to you!" He gave me one final kick in the head, and I don't remember anything else.
I woke up the next morning, still on the floor. My back hurt, and my neck was stiff. It was 5 o'clock in the morning. The blood from the cut on my temple had flowed into my hair, making it sticky. I could taste blood on my lips. Quickly, I grabbed a change of clothes, and headed into my bathroom to take a shower before school.
"Mark," my mom said to my dad, in a pleading tone. "Couldn't she…"
"No," he interrupted. "I'll be up in a little while."
I slowly headed upstairs. I tried to start my homework up in my room, but I couldn't concentrate. All too soon, I heard my father's footsteps.
He opened the door. "What were you doing?"
"I was, just, I was just walking with Craig."
"You know dinner is at six o'clock."
"Yes sir."
"So you deliberately broke a rule?"
"No! I just lost track of time, I swear."
"I don't think so. I think you did it on purpose." He took a step closer. "Just like you became a lesbian. Everything you so is ON PURPOSE!" With the last two words, he hit me. Then he grabbed my arm, and jerked me up. "You just," he said, hitting me with every word, "don't respect anyone! You don't care!"
"No, Dad, it's not like that. I swear, its not."
"You're making me do this, you know," he said, shoving me to the ground. He picked up a handful of the tapes I had put on my dresser. A moment later, they rained down on my head. One caught me hard in the temple, and I saw stars. "I love you, and this is what you do to me!" He kicked me hard in the head. "Damn you! You're making me do this to you!" He gave me one final kick in the head, and I don't remember anything else.
I woke up the next morning, still on the floor. My back hurt, and my neck was stiff. It was 5 o'clock in the morning. The blood from the cut on my temple had flowed into my hair, making it sticky. I could taste blood on my lips. Quickly, I grabbed a change of clothes, and headed into my bathroom to take a shower before school.