Coffee Shop

Chapter 11

Amelia sat through all her classes waiting to go home. She knew there was no way she was going to be able to avoid the inevitable argument. She was happy however that her and Caterina weren't talking at the moment because she would be able to take the bus home. 

At lunch, Benjamin and Caterina both sat down across from her. Caterina tried apologizing to Amelia multiple times and Benjamin sat there silently. The bell rings signaling the end of second lunch. Amelia starts to stand up and Caterina stood up to throw away her lunch. Benjamin puts his hand on Amelias arm to stop her. "Hey Ami I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to get you in trouble. Caterina texted me that she was running late and asked me to come pick you up. SO I did. I'll take you home and explain to your dad."

"No. You've done enough. Thanks for trying though. I'm not mad at you I'm mad at her. She knows how my Dad is and how my mother is when he's around. So we're cool. Just don't come pick me up or take me home. I'll catch the bus." Amelia said as she nodded in understanding. She kept her head down hiding the anger, betrayal and fear in her eyes. Hurriedly, she walks away from Benjamin and into her seventh period. She hated the end of the day. Amelia had a feeling in her stomach that something ad was going to happen. What she wasn't sure but it was bad.

Seventh period came and went and she was halfway through eighth when the announcement came over the speaker in her classroom. "Is Amelia Dawson in the room?" The woman over the loud speaker paused as she waited for a response. Her teacher pressed the white button on the wall behind him stating that Amelia was in fact in class. "Will you please send her to the front office. She has been signed out." Amelia tensed as she packed her bags. She wasn't ready. 

Once Amelia got to the door to the front office she saw her father standing there and her whole body froze. She wasn't understanding why he was here. Did he have a doctor appointment her mother forgot about? Then her father saw her and bid farewell. Walking towards her, she noticed that he was not in a good mood. More like he was about to rip her to shreds.

Squaring her shoulders she pushed the doors open and climbed in the car. Her mother wasn't there of course. Why would she? As far back as she can remember, her mother always stayed home and did the cleaning and such like a nineteen- fifties wife, whenever her father was home. Amelia never understood why her mother was like that but she guessed it had something to do with the fact that her mother saw him as the man she married not the one who just got out of jail for domestic violence.

"Amelia I want all of your electronics. You are to ride the bus to and from school every day. No more of the café. Straight to and from school." Amelias father looked at her. Squirming closer to the window she decided to wait until her mother got home to pick the fight on her job and the café. She refuses to give up her second home just because he is back. However, Amelia knows her mother won't help her. So she will have to give up her job and such until she can get a backbone.

When she walks into her room she grabs her laptop, tablet, k****e, and her phone. She turns to find her Dad standing right in front of her. "Here. every electronic I own."

"Good. Glad you came clean with no arguments."

"I have one catch. I keep my job." Amelia says. However she didn't think she would stand up to him so soon. What happened to her.

"No. Get rid of it or you'll be sorry." Her father steps closer to her.

"No. I'm not leaving my job." Amelia stares him right in the eyes. Her father slaps her across the face as he grips her arm so tight she knows there is going to be a bruise. Flinging her arm away he walks out the door.

Around an hour later Amelia had finally calmed down. Her mother walks in and frowns, " Honey you know not to anger your father like that."

"Why can't you just be a damn mother for once. This is all you do mother. You worked your ass off when he was gone. You were a mother. Now you're a monster." Slamming the door Amelia winces.

Amelias' face still stings and she can't help but fling herself on her bed and cry into her pillow. After everything she did to protect her mother and brother he still came back, hates her and is causing more problems. He is still the abusive man she sent away all those years ago.  She doesn't have any electronics so she can't talk to anyone. Not like she would anyway. Caterina betrayed her, Benjamin needs to stay away and Caterinas' boyfriend doesn't know the story. 

Amelia has enough money saved up and makes enough that she can buy and pay for her own phone. Then her father can't take it away, but he will break it. Everything she thinks up seems to come crashing down due her father being home. She fell asleep and woke up to her father knocking on the door. 

"Yes." Amelia says groggily rubbing her face She looked at her alarm clock seeing it was six in the morning. The bus will be at her house in thirty minutes. Her door opens and her father sees that she is crawling out of bed. Amelia throws on her converse, jeans, shirt and does her daily care.

Lifting her bag onto her shoulder she goes downstairs to grab a bowl of cereal knowing she has fifteen minutes before she has to leave the house. She's almost done with her bowl when her father sits down and speaks up.

"Your mother and I had a conversation after last night. I decided to let you keep your job at the café but you are to help with bills and food here and there. That's it. Just help here and there and you can keep your job. Does that sound reasonable?"

"Yeah. I'll do what I've done sine I got the job while you were locked away. I'll be the other adult in the household. I need to go or I'll miss my bus. See ya." Amelia said without thinking. Her father grabbed her by the arm. Amelia turned around with a daring look and thought, " Leave another mark on me and I'll call the cops." In reality she apologized and walked away once he loosened his grip. Provoking him one right after another was not a good idea. However she knew she needed to be honest. 

Caterina shows up at the bus stop. Thank god she knew that she needed to help her out or she was going to lose her mind. 

"What happened to your arm?" Caterina asked as soon as Amelia climbed in the car. Amelia forgot the bus was around the corner from her house. 

"I talked back last night and he slapped me the grabbed my arm so tight I bruised. " 

"WHAT!?"

"He said I had to quit my job at the café and I told him no. He got mad. Took it as me defying him and being rebellious."

"Damn. I really am sorry... about yesterday."

"It's fine. I know you were trying to help. I'm just hating life right now."

"I know. I'm still sorry though. I won't be able to take you everyday though. I have a feeling he may try to check on you or whatever. I'll come by just to say hi or something especially if I see him but if I don't get in and I'll take you."

"Yeah, not a problem. Thank you for not being petty about me yesterday. I can only hope Benjamin doesn't and forgives me too."

"So you're calling him by Benjamin still?'

"Yeah it's his name why wouldn't I?"

"Ya'll did spend an entire day together the other day so..."

"Cat there is nothing going on...geez."

Amelia noticed Caterina give her a side eyed smirk.