ALEX'S POV
I was in my room blasting music through my speakers while getting ready for volleyball practice. I put my hair in a messy bun and put makeup on my scars after I put on my practice uniform. I'm pretty proud of myself for being two months clean. Mom doesn't know I'm not eating, or whenever I eat that I'm purging after.
"Alex! It's almost time to go!" Mom yelled from downstairs.
"Hold on!" I grab my volleyball bag and run downstairs.
"Here's a snack, baby girl." Mom tossed me a granola bar. I tossed it back to her.
"Not hungry." I say nonchalantly. She gives me a worried expression.
"You're going to be practicing for 5 hours.. you need food in your system." She gave me back the granola bar and I reluctantly put it in my bag. "Also, I got ahold of your Dad. He's going to come and watch you practice!" She said smiling at me.
"W-Wait really? What if he doesn't like me? He left for a reason! I'm the reason he left! I.. I.." My breathing started to quicken. Mom made me look into her eyes.
"Baby, breathe. It'll be fine. I have to leave halfway through practice, but he said he'll drive you home." She hugs me and I nod. "Let's get going!" She grabbed her keys and we went out the door.
We arrived at the gym where we practice at. Some guy with light brown hair approached us.
"Demi." He said nonchalantly.
"Aaron." She said the same way.
"I'm assuming this is Alexis?" He points to me and mom nods. "Hello, Alexis. I'm your Dad. Ha, that sounds weird saying." He laughs slightly.
"Alex. Call me Alex. Please." At first we didn't know if we should shake each other's hands or hug. I mean, what do you do if your Dad hasn't been there in your life for 14 years?
Volleyball practice went by pretty quick. I was sweating my nonexistent balls off. We gathered in a huddle talking about our first game of the season which was this weekend.
"We are the Panthers, hear us roar!" (A/N: Currently editing this story and realizing how cringey some of this story is) We shouted breaking from the huddle. I slowly walked up to my Dad since he's taking me home.
"I want to take you somewhere special, darling." He said as we got in the car.
"Okay?" I was nervous. We arrived and pulled into an alleyway. He forced me out of the car with him.
"Listen here, brat. I never wanted you to be born. Your mom thought otherwise. You're just a mistake. A piece of shit. You ruined my love life! Everyone finds out that I had a kid with someone else! Then they don't want me! It's all your fucking fault!" He pushed me to the ground.
"W-What-" I started to talk but then he kicked me and punched me. He smashed an empty beer bottle over me and then drove off and left. I curled up and whimpered slightly.
I eventually got up and looked at my phone to see where I was. I was about two blocks away from Dallas's house. It started to rain, just my luck. I quickly got up and ran to her house. Tears were pouring down my face.
I arrived and repeatedly knocked. She opened the door, confused who would be knocking. Once she saw it was me and saw the state I was in she had a worried face.
"Alex! Get inside! What happened, bug?" She let me inside and I instantly just fell into her arms and was uncontrollably sobbing. "Does Demi know you're here?" She picked me up and brought me to the bathroom to clean up my wounds.
"N-No.." I whimpered. "I.. It stings!" She gave me a sympathetic look.
"What happened?"
"I.. I wanted to meet my D-Dad.. and he came to my v-volleyball practice a-and he h-had to drive m-me h-home and-"
"Alex, breathe. Breathe, baby." She held me in her arms as I continued to explain.
"H-He took me to an a-alleyway and called me a m-mistake.. he pushed me to t-the ground and b-beat me.. he h-hurt me D-Dallas! M-My Dad h-hurt me!" I was screaming and crying at that point.
"I'm calling Demi." Her voice was serious and she was clearly upset with my dad. "Hey, Demi. I have Alex with me. Can you get here as soon as you can? She's an emotional wreck. Something happened, but we'll tell you when you get here." She hung up. "She's on her way." Ten minutes passed as we heard the door open and close downstairs. Dallas and I were cuddling in her bed.
"Dallas! Alex!" Mom shouted looking for us.
"In here!" Dallas shouted back. Mom rushed in with a worried look on her face. I instantly start crying again when I saw her face.
"Aww.. baby, come here." She cooed and I went over to her and she picked me up. Dallas explained everything to her and I hear her mumble the words fuck him. I started hyperventilating and I clung onto her shirt.
"M-Mom.." I whimpered and struggled to breathe.
"Baby, breathe. Breathe in and out. In and out." She sat on the floor with me in her arms. I tried but it didn't work. She even tried singing something but it didn't work like it always did. I let out a choked sob. Mom then did something she used to do when I was younger. Skin to skin contact. She quickly took off her shirt and held me. I hid my face in the crook of her neck. Once I calmed down, she put her shirt back on. She picked me up again and kissed my forehead.
"I.. I'm sorry.." I whispered quietly.
"Don't apologize, baby girl. He's just a lowlife jerk." She pushed some hair out of my face. We said goodbye to Dallas before leaving. Mom carried me out to the car as I was clinging onto her.
"I love you, Mom." I said as I got in the front seat.
"I love you more, baby girl."
"I love you the mostest."
"Impossible." She smiled at me. I quietly laughed and fell asleep on the way back home.