Crestfallen novel Chapter 5

"Hey, dad?" I said from the other side of Macy's phone.

"Who is this?" He asked drunkenly.

"This is Casey, your daughter." I reminded him. He seemed to be thinking it over, so I continued, "I was wondering if I could stay at Macy's tonight."

"How can you be there if you're right here?" He asked through the phone. I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion as Macy watched my curiously.

"I'm not there, dad. I don't know who that is, but it's not me." I informed him worriedly.

"Oh." Was all he said.

"I'll be right over." I told him, hanging up. "Sorry Mace, I gotta go."

"It's okay, I get it." I really doubted that she did, I mean, how could she? Her parents were still married, she was an only child, she lived in a nice suburban home, her life was honestly nothing like mine. Even if I was more than a little jealous, I tried as best I could to make sure that it didn't interfere with our friendship.

I hurried out of the house, saying goodbye to Macy's parents as I left. I may not be athletic, but the one thing I can do is run.

I was a track star last year and the practice I get is running home to my dad. I ran a kilometre and a half - the distance between Macy's and my house. I barely noticed the heavy snowfall because I was so determined to reach the house quickly. When I arrived, I unlocked the door to find my father sitting at the dinner table with the life-sized doll that he had bought for me six years ago.

"Dad, that's not me." I told him, taking the doll to my room. His eyes were bloodshot from the alcohol that he'd been drinking, I could smell it on him. His breath reeked of the distinct smell of vodka. "C'mon, let's get you to bed." I said, helping him up. Dad was an emotional drunk as I had learned, so he just walked with me. He was too sad to put up a fight.

He really loved my mother, as we all did.

I decided that I'd go to bed too. I found a bottle of Jack beside his bed so I took it and hid it in my room so that he couldn't find it. It was eight o'clock and I was really tired. It's been a long day and all I needed was a night of sleep.

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"Sis?" I called out. "Sis!"

I walked around in the darkness of which was my home, trying to find her. Suddenly, she appeared in a beam of light, cutting through the darkness.

"Valerie!" I cried, running towards her. I enveloped her in a hug, but as soon as I touched her she disappeared. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I cried.

"Cass?" Someone called from behind me. Their voice was high-pitched and squeaky. I turned around and found Valerie right behind me.