Ch. 10 - A Troubled Mind
Just as Laura and Sam grasped the door handle, a deep voice came upon them and they both turned around and to their surprise saw Laura’s dad storming towards them.
“Dad!” Laura shouted, running to hug him.
“My precious Laura!” Mr. Chapman said grasping his daughter tightly in a loving embrace. “Where have you been?” He began to cry and hold her still closer. Until he noticed Sam standing on the patio smiling.
“You! You’re the one who has kept my daughter away from me!” Sam shook his head constantly, but to no avail. Laura also tried to calm down her father’s nerves, but her efforts also were unsucceeding.
“I knew it was you! I was searching for Laura everywhere, and when I finally got it out of Tessa that she was with you, I knew!”
Laura suddenly realized that Tessa had been helping her this whole time, under her very nose. She now felt so guilty for all the grief she had caused her sister. Tessa really did care about her and Sam. But Laura couldn’t think about that now, she had to focus on the image of her father trying to attack Sam, her Sam.
“No Daddy! No! It’s not what you think!”
“Oh really, darling? I think it is!” he said with such anger, even Laura was afraid to look at her father. “I bet you already had sex with her, didn’t you?” he said, drawing his attention to Sam.
“No! I would never consider doing that! I am a man of morals! I would never harm your daughter or force her into anything!”
“Man…of morals,” Mr. Chapman mumbled aloud. “I bet you are! So much that you’ve taken her from me on many occasions on the past week, without even telling me!”
“You were never home, Daddy!” Laura shrieked at her father. She couldn’t believe it. The one person she couldn’t live without was being interrogated by her father!
“You were always at the hospital! You never talked to me or Tessa! Sam has done nothing wrong!” she said, tearing up.
“Hush your mouth, young lady! You had no more right than he did! I am ashamed at you!”
Laura’s tears flew freely now and drastically sped down her cheeks until there was a puddle on the ground.
“Daddy….no.”
“You are sleeping with him aren’t you? AREN’T YOU? ANSWER ME! DARN IT!” he said, slapping her across the face.
“No daddy!” she cried out.
Sam just about fumed with anger, and ran over to Mr. Chapman, lifting him up with his hands and slightly smelling his breath.
“You’re drunk!” he said, setting him down.
“I am not! Just had a few beers to calm down the nerves of losing my eldest daughter!”
“You didn’t lose her! I was comforting her!”
“By sleeping with her? I never trusted you, Samuel Hall! You’re father is never there for you, and you’re doing the exact same thing to my Laura! You’re taking advantage of her! Well, I won’t let it happen anymore!”
“No….no……daddy, don’t,” Laura whispered in fear.
“Sir, you’re making a mistake.”
“I don’t think so. I never liked you, SAM! You think the reason she never dated you till now was because she didn’t like you! It’s not! It’s because I hated you! And I still do, and I always will! So…go! Leave! And never see my daughter again, you hear?”
Sam slowly backed away, and traveled down the steps with tears in his eyes unable to believe what was happening.
“Yeah, I hear.”
“No, don’t go Sam!” Laura shouted reaching out to him.
Sam grabbed her hand tightly and released it slowly.
“Goodbye, Laura.”
And then he was gone. The worst day of her life and his had just occurred. They were separated….and at the time, it seemed like it would be…forever.
“Go inside Laura. Take care of your sister; she’s home,” Mr. Chapman said calming down.
“How dare you?” she whispered, slightly smelling his breath. “You are drunk! You sent away my reason for living just now! And while you’re drunk too!”
“Shut up! Just go inside and take care of your sister, before she sleeps with a guy like ‘Your Sam’,” he said sarcastically.
“I will, and you know why? Because I love you, but for some odd reason you feel the need to pull everything away from me just because mom isn’t in good condition and—”
“YOU’RE MOTHER IS DYING!” he shouted, cutting her off and starting to cry. “Now just GO INSIDE!”
Laura shocked by the sudden statement ran into the house and fled to her bedroom landing on her bed and crying her heart out. Her world was falling apart: Sam was gone, her dad was drunk, her mom was dying, and Tessa was looking to her for guidance. She could only cry and wonder why……Why in the world was this happening to her, and what could she do to stop it.
“Dad!” Laura shouted, running to hug him.
“My precious Laura!” Mr. Chapman said grasping his daughter tightly in a loving embrace. “Where have you been?” He began to cry and hold her still closer. Until he noticed Sam standing on the patio smiling.
“You! You’re the one who has kept my daughter away from me!” Sam shook his head constantly, but to no avail. Laura also tried to calm down her father’s nerves, but her efforts also were unsucceeding.
“I knew it was you! I was searching for Laura everywhere, and when I finally got it out of Tessa that she was with you, I knew!”
Laura suddenly realized that Tessa had been helping her this whole time, under her very nose. She now felt so guilty for all the grief she had caused her sister. Tessa really did care about her and Sam. But Laura couldn’t think about that now, she had to focus on the image of her father trying to attack Sam, her Sam.
“No Daddy! No! It’s not what you think!”
“Oh really, darling? I think it is!” he said with such anger, even Laura was afraid to look at her father. “I bet you already had sex with her, didn’t you?” he said, drawing his attention to Sam.
“No! I would never consider doing that! I am a man of morals! I would never harm your daughter or force her into anything!”
“Man…of morals,” Mr. Chapman mumbled aloud. “I bet you are! So much that you’ve taken her from me on many occasions on the past week, without even telling me!”
“You were never home, Daddy!” Laura shrieked at her father. She couldn’t believe it. The one person she couldn’t live without was being interrogated by her father!
“You were always at the hospital! You never talked to me or Tessa! Sam has done nothing wrong!” she said, tearing up.
“Hush your mouth, young lady! You had no more right than he did! I am ashamed at you!”
Laura’s tears flew freely now and drastically sped down her cheeks until there was a puddle on the ground.
“Daddy….no.”
“You are sleeping with him aren’t you? AREN’T YOU? ANSWER ME! DARN IT!” he said, slapping her across the face.
“No daddy!” she cried out.
Sam just about fumed with anger, and ran over to Mr. Chapman, lifting him up with his hands and slightly smelling his breath.
“You’re drunk!” he said, setting him down.
“I am not! Just had a few beers to calm down the nerves of losing my eldest daughter!”
“You didn’t lose her! I was comforting her!”
“By sleeping with her? I never trusted you, Samuel Hall! You’re father is never there for you, and you’re doing the exact same thing to my Laura! You’re taking advantage of her! Well, I won’t let it happen anymore!”
“No….no……daddy, don’t,” Laura whispered in fear.
“Sir, you’re making a mistake.”
“I don’t think so. I never liked you, SAM! You think the reason she never dated you till now was because she didn’t like you! It’s not! It’s because I hated you! And I still do, and I always will! So…go! Leave! And never see my daughter again, you hear?”
Sam slowly backed away, and traveled down the steps with tears in his eyes unable to believe what was happening.
“Yeah, I hear.”
“No, don’t go Sam!” Laura shouted reaching out to him.
Sam grabbed her hand tightly and released it slowly.
“Goodbye, Laura.”
And then he was gone. The worst day of her life and his had just occurred. They were separated….and at the time, it seemed like it would be…forever.
“Go inside Laura. Take care of your sister; she’s home,” Mr. Chapman said calming down.
“How dare you?” she whispered, slightly smelling his breath. “You are drunk! You sent away my reason for living just now! And while you’re drunk too!”
“Shut up! Just go inside and take care of your sister, before she sleeps with a guy like ‘Your Sam’,” he said sarcastically.
“I will, and you know why? Because I love you, but for some odd reason you feel the need to pull everything away from me just because mom isn’t in good condition and—”
“YOU’RE MOTHER IS DYING!” he shouted, cutting her off and starting to cry. “Now just GO INSIDE!”
Laura shocked by the sudden statement ran into the house and fled to her bedroom landing on her bed and crying her heart out. Her world was falling apart: Sam was gone, her dad was drunk, her mom was dying, and Tessa was looking to her for guidance. She could only cry and wonder why……Why in the world was this happening to her, and what could she do to stop it.
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