CHAPTER 2
Emma sat on the sofa, looking relatively at home with a glass of Pepsi in her hand. It had been the only drink in the house besides the beer and the occasional bottle of wine. She sat and watched her mother chase her husband round the house waving some papers and a pen at him, occasionally yelling at him. However, Jake Perry was not a man to give in easily and gave as good as he got.
"Sign it." Mel hissed, almost sticking the pen in his mouth.
"Can't you just leave me alone?"
"If you'd just sign your name I'll go. Right now."
"I'm not signing anything. Emma get your feet off the seat."
"What do you mean you won't sign it?"
"I mean I won't sign it. Get your shoes off my furniture!"
"Emma please do what he tells you. Listen Jake, I am remarrying and I can't do it until you sign these."
"Not my problem."
Emma took her muddy cat boots off the seat, drained the last of the Pepsi and stood up. She marched up to Jake and glared at him, her neck craned as he was at least a two and a half heads taller than she was.
"It is too your problem!" she yelled indignantly "Isn't it about time you took a little responsibility for the trouble you've caused?"
"Emma." Melanie's voice was more of a whisper than an angry reprimand. Not unusually, Emma ignored her mother.
"He's such a jerk, mom. It's about time he did something decent for you."
"Listen honey, don't worry about this. Go and unpack or something. I'll handle your daddy."
"Right mess you've made of handling him."
"Mind your own business." Melanie snapped, beginning to loose her temper with her hot headed twelve year old. Emma glared and turned back to Jake, scowling.
"What happened to you?" Jake asked. "You were such a sweet kid when you lived here."
Emma slapped him. He flinched, more from shock than pain. Melanie put her head in her hands. Everyone stood still, not knowing how to react or what to do next. They were saved by the doorbell ringing.
Without bothering to wait for the door to be answered, the sheriff strode inside.
"Mel!" He greeted. "How are you? It's so good to see you again. You haven't changed a bit, have you? And, don't tell me, this must be Emma. You've grown kid."
He stopped short as he noticed the look on their faces. Melanie looked furious.
"You called the sheriff?" she snarled. Jake shrugged.
"So Jake, what can I do for you?"
Once again, Jake was at a loss for words. He didn't even know where to start. Melanie did, however, and angrily explained the situation as Emma strolled back into the kitchen and casually poured herself another glass of Pepsi. When she returned, she took a seat at one end of the sofa and listened to the adults bickering.
"So this is just a domestic disturbance then?" The sheriff said. "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about that." He turned to Mel. "He didn't hit you, did he? Or the kid? That's a big thing now." Melanie shook her head.
"She hit me though." Jake added, nodding in the direction of the girl curled up on his couch, again with her dirty shoes on his furniture. Melanie rolled her eyes, offered the sheriff an arm and took him through to the kitchen, closing the door behind them. Jake collapsed down at the other end of the couch and looked at his daughter.
"Traitor." she said, folding her arms moodily.
"Ratbag." he retorted as he too folded his arms and turned away.
Emma sat on the sofa, looking relatively at home with a glass of Pepsi in her hand. It had been the only drink in the house besides the beer and the occasional bottle of wine. She sat and watched her mother chase her husband round the house waving some papers and a pen at him, occasionally yelling at him. However, Jake Perry was not a man to give in easily and gave as good as he got.
"Sign it." Mel hissed, almost sticking the pen in his mouth.
"Can't you just leave me alone?"
"If you'd just sign your name I'll go. Right now."
"I'm not signing anything. Emma get your feet off the seat."
"What do you mean you won't sign it?"
"I mean I won't sign it. Get your shoes off my furniture!"
"Emma please do what he tells you. Listen Jake, I am remarrying and I can't do it until you sign these."
"Not my problem."
Emma took her muddy cat boots off the seat, drained the last of the Pepsi and stood up. She marched up to Jake and glared at him, her neck craned as he was at least a two and a half heads taller than she was.
"It is too your problem!" she yelled indignantly "Isn't it about time you took a little responsibility for the trouble you've caused?"
"Emma." Melanie's voice was more of a whisper than an angry reprimand. Not unusually, Emma ignored her mother.
"He's such a jerk, mom. It's about time he did something decent for you."
"Listen honey, don't worry about this. Go and unpack or something. I'll handle your daddy."
"Right mess you've made of handling him."
"Mind your own business." Melanie snapped, beginning to loose her temper with her hot headed twelve year old. Emma glared and turned back to Jake, scowling.
"What happened to you?" Jake asked. "You were such a sweet kid when you lived here."
Emma slapped him. He flinched, more from shock than pain. Melanie put her head in her hands. Everyone stood still, not knowing how to react or what to do next. They were saved by the doorbell ringing.
Without bothering to wait for the door to be answered, the sheriff strode inside.
"Mel!" He greeted. "How are you? It's so good to see you again. You haven't changed a bit, have you? And, don't tell me, this must be Emma. You've grown kid."
He stopped short as he noticed the look on their faces. Melanie looked furious.
"You called the sheriff?" she snarled. Jake shrugged.
"So Jake, what can I do for you?"
Once again, Jake was at a loss for words. He didn't even know where to start. Melanie did, however, and angrily explained the situation as Emma strolled back into the kitchen and casually poured herself another glass of Pepsi. When she returned, she took a seat at one end of the sofa and listened to the adults bickering.
"So this is just a domestic disturbance then?" The sheriff said. "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about that." He turned to Mel. "He didn't hit you, did he? Or the kid? That's a big thing now." Melanie shook her head.
"She hit me though." Jake added, nodding in the direction of the girl curled up on his couch, again with her dirty shoes on his furniture. Melanie rolled her eyes, offered the sheriff an arm and took him through to the kitchen, closing the door behind them. Jake collapsed down at the other end of the couch and looked at his daughter.
"Traitor." she said, folding her arms moodily.
"Ratbag." he retorted as he too folded his arms and turned away.