INTRUDER

21 DAYS BEFORE THE INTRUSION

I wake when I hear the jolt of the door bursting open. Garred is finally home. I get up and slowly look into the crack where my door is slightly opened. It is definitely Garred, I can tell because of the muscular form and the thick black boots that he alway wears. They, for some odd reason, are always muddy. I never dare to ask. Never. I slowly try to not make a sound to jump to my bed but I fail when the floor creeks. Fortunately, Garred does not hear me and I am safe. I hear him slam the door behind him to his room and then I hear him screaming at my mom. I don't understand why but all I hear are filthy words coming out of Garred's mouth. I go back to sleep, hoping that my mom is ok.

I wake up again at around 6 in the morning and I start to wander around the house like I always do and get cold water. I have to get ready for school. I have already missed first period.

I get ready and get into my car, praying to God that everything with Ellie and Maggie is going to go O.K. and that they make it to work and school safely.

When I arrive at school, the teacher asks me if I am fine since I wasn't here first period and he was worried. I tell him that everything was fine and that I had to run some errands which was a complete lie but I knew better then to tell him that I had slept in and I really didn't care if I went to school or not. If I told him that, he would flip and send me to the principal's office immediately. I sat down at my desk next to Ben and smiled at him.

I feel a vibration in my pocket and notice that I got a text.

Hey, what's up?

I look at who it is from and I smile once I see the name. The text was from Ben. Wow, we are such rebels texting in class.

I'm fine, I skipped first period so I could sleep more. I woke up on accident at three in the morning.

I had never told Ben about Garred and I wasn't planning to because I just don't know how he would react to something like that.

on accident? Wtf does that mean?

Accident: an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally.

Your so funny...

lol

I smile at Ben and he smiles back. I put my phone away and sit down to listen to the boring teacher explain algebra which was my easiest class, one of the only classes that I could maintain an A in. All of my other classes were B's. There has just been so much stuff going on at home and ugh, I know it is an excuse but I just have to much stuff to worry about than just homework. My family comes first.

Once the day has been halfway over, we go to lunch where it is the only place where I don't have to worry about anything and I just can sit back and relax.

Ben comes up to me and we start to talk about some random things and then we start having a good laugh. Ah, how much I needed a good laugh. I could tell this morning when I woke up that it was going to be a bad day now that Garred was back, but this proved me wrong. This was proven wrong when I had this laugh. Sometimes there is light even in the darkest of darkness.

The rest of the day is pretty nice and no one really bothers me after that. Ben texts me in class throughout the day and I guess that's what kept me happy today. I arrive home from the bus and enter the house. Garred is, of course, already home and her yells at me to go fetch him some beer. I oblige to it and give it to him. He doesn't say thank you and I roll my eyes. I slam the door to my room and start crying my eyes out. I wait and wait for Maggie to come so I can run up and hug her. When she does arrive, I jump out of my bed and race up to her to kiss her. I am out of my misery with Garred, I feel protected now, I feel safe now.

Maggie cooks some delicious food, but what I focus on the most was the fact that Garred seems much, much different than the Garred that threw a beer bottle at the wall.

He has been quieter, maybe Lynn told him to be quiet. Maybe he is thinking of leaving us and going off with Lynn. I hope this is true, I can't wait until he is out of this house for sure. I am sick and tired of having to look at his face any longer. I can't stand looking at him and see my life just passing by with day after day of misery because of him. Hatred because of him.

I hate him.