Guarded Heart (Student/Teacher Relationship)

Chapter 2- Potential Stalker?

Malory’s P.O.V.

Disappointed would be an understatement compared to what my dad felt. Once I had told him that I got fired he just left. He literally got his car keys from off the kitchen counter and drove off, and that was about 4 hours ago. I was sitting on the ‘L’ shaped black couch staring at the black screen of our plasma screen TV and rubbing my feet on the white carpet in our lounge room alone waiting for my dad to come home when the phone rang.  I shuffled across the light brown wooden floors, avoiding the little tables with lamps and other stuff on them and yanked the black cordless phone up off of the charger and put it to my ears quickly.

“Dad?! Dad, where are you?” I yelled into the receiver before anyone on the other line said anything.

“No, I’m sorry, this isn’t your dad, but I don’t mind if you call me daddy at all” Said a deep, rustic voice that sounded oh so very familiar and amused while I felt my anger flare up.

“My God! How did you get my house number? What the hell, so now you’re a pot head and a stalker? What the hell do you want creep?” I yelled, appalled that he had the audacity to call my house and say such vulgar things.

“ Um, I called to tell you that your boss is going to give you your job back and to apologize for you getting fired because it was my fault.” He said, sounding very nervous

“I don’t need your help getting my job back and I don’t want it.” I said still upset but less at him and more for the fact that my dads been gone for 5 hours.

“I was just trying to help you out a bit, but it’s obviously unnecessary.” He said sounding a bit angry

“No, no. I’m not upset with you. Thanks for your help really, but if it only took your lie to get me fired, anyone else could have gotten me fired too.” I said while releasing a big sigh.

“Uh it’s ok. Look I gatta go, but maybe you’ll reconsider taking your job back.” He said as someone else was talking to him in the background.

“Yeah, maybe.” I replied my answer

“Oh, and your boss wants to see you tomorrow, maybe we’ll bump into each other. Bye” he said

“Yeah, bye.” I said then hung up. Still thinking about whether I’d take my job back or not I just barely heard my dad stumble through the double glass doors of our house. I dropped the phone back on the charger and then ran to the front door to see if he was ok.

“Dad?” I asked quietly as I watched him stumble around the little walk-in room.

“What?” he said looking at me as if he was agitated

“Are you ok?” I asked even though I know it’s stupid. I could smell the alcohol on him from 10 feet away.

“No, I’m not ok. The house is going under foreclosure now that you lost your job. The fact that I didn’t have to take care of you was the only thing keeping us above water, besides the fact that I’m behind on our mortgage by 3 months.” He said swaying into the lounge room and falling back on the couch.

“What? Why didn’t you ever say something?” I asked as I watched my dad

“What was I supposed to say? What do you expect me to do?” he asked turning his head in my direction but his eyes were clearly closed.

“I expect you to act like an adult, not go out and get drunk over stupid things. Look at yourself. We both know it wouldn’t take much for me to get another job and my boss called and offered me my job back anyway. What about that? Are you gunna sober up? Are you ready to wake up and act like an adult now?” I asked my voice rising in a crescendo.