t h r e e
i can't handle anymore crazy...
•.•.•$•.•.•

Needless to say, my old lady muse was extremely grateful, but I was fuming that I had to sit in the park security station, next to the hobo while she made her statement for the next 3 hours.

We each made our statements before sitting and waiting for everything to be cleared.

"Next time, use your brain." I mutter at him as he held his 100 ton dog on his lap, who I was sure was in love with me because all he could do was stare at me with his tongue hanging out barking occasionally to get my attention that I refused to give.

Argh, I hated the mutts.

"You were laughing 1 hour ago. Don't blame me. You said he was a thief!" He rebuttals as I laughed out loud again. Yes it was funny, didn't mean I was happy with the situation.

"Are you always unnecessarily dense?"

"I don't know, are you always unattractively rude."

"Clearly you dog doesn't think so. Why is he looking at me like that." I pointed as the rufus barked at me again trying to ponce towards me while licking his lips.

"You should be grateful, with your rotten personality I'd be surprised if you'd only attract dogs."

"I'm sorry?"

"Apology accepted."

I glared at him, not finding any of this funny anymore at all.

"That's enough you two. I'm sorry for the hold up. You can both go, thank you for helping." The park security muttered as I stood up quickly from my seat. "Finally. It was starting to stink of trash."

I didn't even look back or hear a reply as I bolted out of there making my way home to the dinner I really didn't need or want and was already 2 hours late for. It seemed nature wasn't on my side either as the rain began to pour as I checked my phone, taking cover in a gazebo close by the entrance of the park.

12 missed calls.

Great.

I hugged my sketch pad close to my chest before making my way to the bus stop in a unwarranted hurry, the rain falling even harder.

During the entire ride home I couldn't help but wonder what the hell my father wanted to discuss with us.

Home dinners have been awkward to say the least- with mum pretending that everything was fine- and as a women who hasn't worked a day in her life, was now a assistant at a perfume making company, breaking her back to make sure we still had a roof over our heads, and my Dad coming in the middle of the night, drunk, annoyed and a completely different person. Me and Luna had never seen our Daddy this way.

The Dad we knew treated us so well, giving us everything we wanted and more. Taking us on vacations and being involved in our lives as any Dad should. But it seemed the last year, he has been getting worse and worse- and my Mother may not admit it, but she was a wits end with what to do with him.

I didn't even know what to do.

I arrived to our front door, stopping to look at the trash can that was laying open with garbage all over the overgrown lawn.

I'm seriously going to murder that cat and whoever keeps feeding it and encouraging the vermin to keep coming over our fence, tipping over our trash.

I moved to clean it up as I've been doing since we moved here- before unlocking the door with my keys to enter our home. My sister ran towards me to give me a big hug.

"Finally Gabs! Your back!"

"Hey you. Oh my goawd, your hair is amazing!" I complimented, patting her now short bob with my hands. It suited her, she looked like a cute little bitch-instantly making her mature and way older than she was. She really looked like mum, I on the other hand was my fathers daughter- with my mother's personality, thank god.

"You like?" She asked giggling looking at me with her big brown orbs, that just made you heart explode with happiness.

Luna was my only source of happiness lately and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

"I love!" I tell her, as she chuckled grabbing my, somewhat-alittle damp, sketch book.

"What did you draw today?"

"Nothing much."

"Can you draw me with my new hair?"

"Of course."

"After dinner, your Fathers on his way." My mother said, shouting at me from the kitchen.

"If he even turns up?" Luna whispered under her breath. I frowned, annoyed that this was what my sister expected from Dad now. He had let her down one to many times.

"What time is he coming?" I asked coming into the kitchen to find my mother mixing the chilli con carnie by the stove, I was almost 100 years late and he still wasn't here.

"I don't know, but he just called, said he is on his way."

I looked at Luna, sitting on our small worn out sofa in the living space flipping through my sketch book.

"Is he really coming?" I ask quietly so she doesn't hear.

"Gabby..."

"Yesterday he was passed out drunk when you left for work, smelling like Great Uncle Harry...at his funeral."

"What?"

"Yeah, I had to drop off Luna to school."

My mother sighed, a angry mask on her face.

"For Gods sake."

"His going batshit crazy mum. He's my dad and all, but I'm sure he is mental. He lays around doing nothing..."

"Gabby-"

"...and goes out spending money- which we don't have by the way, on alcohol..."

"Gabby I know-"

"...coming home at odd hours and can't even drop his 10 year old daughter to school!"

"I get it!" My mother shouts, causing Luna to look up at us, concerned.

Keys jingle and my Dad strolls in through the front door.

Surprisingly...sober.

"Dad...?"

"I'm home. Something smells delicious."

This was the first time my father was home looking clean, sober and making coherent sentences in a whole year.

What had happened?

"I'm making chilli con carnie. Get changed and come down so we can eat." My mother told him, smiling at him deeply. He nodded and walked up the stairs.

"Gabby, I know it's been hard to be with your father lately- but give him a chance. He is back now, and things are getting better." She encourages as she walked up to Luna.

"Luna, you didn't show Daddy your new hair." my mother says.

"Should I?" She asks scared.

"Of course!"

She smiled and nodded as she walked towards our small dining table to sit down fixing her bob nervously. I joined her at the table too confused at the rabbit hole I had fell in.

My father came down the stairs, before sitting down next to Luna and directly in front of me.

"Daddy, do you like my hair?" She whispered embarrassed. My father looked at her for a full minute, expressionless before breaking a huge smile and patting her head adoringly.

"You look like a kick ass Princess. It looks wonderful on you...did you ask for it?"

"Yes, It was the first time I went to the hairdressers in ages. I was soo excited." She giggled making my father chuckle and look at her with light in his eyes.

I eyed him through slits.

I don't trust this voodoo in front of me.

"You have news for us Dad?" I suddenly ask, folding my arms.

He turns his head to me, as a sad forced smile landed on his face. Ghee, what a nice reaction to my face.

"I have, first I have a gift for you though."

He stood up, grabbing his bag by the entry way.

"Call it a early birthday gift. Happy birthday, my little angel." I eyes him suspiciously as he handed me a red glitter covered box with a black bow at the top.

A gift?

Was he trying to bribe me? Probably.

Was it working? Yep.

I haven't had a gift in one and a half years.

By anyone.

The glint in his eyes as he saw me hastily grab the box from his hand confirmed my suspicious that I was being bribed but at this point I was too excited. I loved presents. My Dad knew me well.

I opened the box, lifting it up slowly to not ruin anything inside.

There on a velvet pouch glistening in the the cheap indoor light, that didn't do it justice, was a little hair pin sparkling as all the crystal covering what looked like a sunflower reflected light.

It was freaking gorgeous.

And too damn expensive.

"Dad, how did you afford this..."

He sighed, as my mother came into view, setting the table and joining us.

"It's beautiful Ted. It suits her so well..."

"Return it."

"Gabby..."

"That's got to be our rent for 6 months!"

"Gabby..." my mother warns.

"We can afford it now. I got my business back- or at least a part of it. We can move out of this-"

"You got the company back? Oh my god how?" I screamed, excitement and hope clearly in my voice.

"Gabby, it's not guaranteed. But your father has a deal with the person who bought the Company from the Goodes.

I snorted.

"Are you sure this isn't a trick to lure you to kill yourself?" I asked.

"I'm about to kill you!" My mother whispered harshly.

My dad laughed, while my mum looked ready to go ahead with her threat. I- on the other hand- was completely hypnotised by the hair pin in my hands.

"It's not. I'm meeting with the son of the women who bought the company tomorrow. I closed the deal with his mother, but his son deals with the paperwork and everything else."

"What's their motive?"

"I'm not sure. I heard rumours- they hate the Goode family and want revenge on them."

I totally could relate. My favourite people.

"So why bring you back?"

"Because I know how to run it well."

"Hmmm."

It sounded fishy. But plausible.

"Anyway, I'm sorry Angel. I've been...distant and...difficult. But I'm back now. You don't have to keep working at that place- take a break. Hopefully soon I can pay for you to go to that art school you dreamed of going."

I looked at my dad, he seemed like a completely different person.

Did I get my Dad back? Or was he still going through another batshit crazy episode.

God, I couldn't handle anymore crazy.