Chasing Day Series: Chasing Day & Catching Day Read Free Page B

asked.
    “Yeah.”
    “Alright. I’ll bring it to him. You just go upstairs and do your homework.” Stephanie offered as she took the cold can from his hands.
    “Okay.”
    And so it went, like most days. Chase didn’t say much, just responding with one-word answers. His mom pretended that she was okay. His dad drank till oblivion. A good day was when he didn’t shout. Today would not be one of those days.
    Dinner came too soon and Chase made his way downstairs. He was starving, but dinner was always a tense affair. It could go either way. Either his father would scarf down his food and go back to the family room. Or he’d yell. Chase never knew which it would be and neither did his mother, so they’d sit rigidly in their chairs. While his oblivious father would slouch in his seat like a king on his throne.
    Chase helped his mother set the table. Then he quietly sat at the dinner table, while his mother went to get his father. Ben stumbled into the kitchen, pulled out his chair and flopped down, waiting to be served. Stephanie placed a plate of pork chops, mashed potatoes, and peas in front of him.
    Ben cut a piece of pork and started to chew. His face turned up in disgust and he threw down his fork and knife.
    “What the fuck is this shit?!” Ben growled at his wife.
    “Its pork chops like you wanted.” Stephanie’s voice quivered, seeing what was coming.
    “I didn’t ask for this shit! If I wanted tasteless rubber, I would’ve went out to the car. Took the goddamn tires off of it and thrown it on the fucking grill!” Ben bellowed and both Chase and Stephanie shrunk back at his wrath.
    “What do you want me to do, Ben?” Stephanie asked in frustration.
    “I want you to cook my goddamn meals like I like them.” Ben stood up with his plate and threw it into the sink, shattering the plate and sending food flying everywhere.
    “Then fucking cook them yourself, you ungrateful bastard!” Stephanie uncharacteristically shouted back.
    “You fucking bitch!” Ben raised his hand to hit his wife.
    “Leave her alone!” Chase dove in front of her and took the smack directly to the side of his face.
    He fell to the floor and Stephanie crouched over him protectively as Ben raised his hand again. His eyes came back into focus as he looked down at his cowering family and he cursed in frustration.
    “Fuck this shit! I’m going to the bar. I’d rather eat their slop than your terrible fucking food.” Ben growled.
    He ripped his keys off of the hook on the wall and stormed out of the house. The only sounds left in the house were their broken sobs and the TV in the other room.
     
     
    ~~~
     
     
    Daylen and her mother heard the racket coming from next door as they sat down to dinner. Daylen’s eyes widened with fear at the language and volume of a man’s voice coming from Chase’s house. She remembered what Chase had said earlier that morning. Yeah, my dad’s a jerk. She hoped that wasn’t him yelling. Her father may have been a lot of things, namely, never around. But he had never talked to her or her mother like that. Their fights had never reached the level of disrespect like she heard now.
    “Daylen…eat your food. That’s none of our business.” Her mother said in warning.
    Daylen didn’t agree. She so badly wanted to ask her mother to call for help. That the boy that lived next door had helped her when she was in need. But she didn’t want her mother to know that she was having problems in school. Pat Daniels would either march right down to the school demanding that the girls leave Daylen alone, which would make her look like a big cry baby. Or worse, she’d tell Daylen to fight back. Daylen was terrified to fight one girl, let alone her whole group.
    Daylen decided to keep quiet and prayed the fighting would stop. She excused herself after dinner and went up to her bedroom to read one of her new Judy Blume books. It was a beautiful, end of summer evening. A cool breeze blew in from her open