HOME | DD

Description
Molly walked into her house, “I’m home!” she shouted, and her dad immediately jerked his head up to see her.

“Welcome back, princess!” he said, flashing her his usual smile. He was building a card tower on the living room table, he always tried to do new things. “How was school? Please tell me your teacher didn’t give you a hard time.”

“After what you did yesterday? Pfft, no.” she chuckled and put her backpack next to the couch.

He blushed a bit, “Heh... yea, I-I kinda overreacted there.” he laughed nervously, turning away to hide his embarrassment.

Molly gave him a big hug, “It’s alright. I would’ve done the same if my daughter was being treated badly by a teacher.” she kissed him on the cheek and headed towards the kitchen. “So, how was your therapy lesson?”

He looked up at her, “Therapy lesson? I don’t remembe-- oh.” he turned towards the card tower. “Uhhhmmm.... I kinda.... missed that...”

“Dad!” she scolded. “It’s important to take those lessons.”

“Nonono, I didn’t miss it as in... in... ya know, didn’t show up. I missed it as in they kicked me out.”

Molly pulled a box of cereal out of the cuboard, “Why’d they do that?”

“I-I might have... why would they kick me out for that? That makes no sense.”

She looked around the corner and gave him a quizzical glance. He was leaning two cards together for the middle section of his card tower, biting his lip. He put the cards down, and they stayed.

“Yes.” he fistpumped, “Were was I? Oh, right. I don’t know why they kicked me out. It might be ‘cause they find me annoying or somethin’. I did snap a bit at the person si’ing next to me yesterday.”

Molly rolled her eyes taking her bowl and sat at the table. “Oh really? Just snapped at him, huh?”

Her dad looked at her, then sighed and got up, “Okay, I might have yelled at them.” he walked over and sat in the chair next to her.

“Just that?” she said, raising an eyebrow.

He put on his little pouty face, one that a three-year-old would have when they didn’t get ice cream. “Fine, I hit him. Okay? I threw him to the ground and hit him. You happy?” his eyes flared with anger, he really needs those therapy lessons.

“No. You shouldn’t’ve done that, dad. That’s wrong.”

“I know! But you should have seen what he used to do me! He nearly hit me with a chair ‘cause I said somethin’ regarding Harry Po’ery or whatever!” he leaned over a bit, “A. CHAIR.”

Molly giggled, then patted her father’s head. “Good, you could use a bit of fighting in your life. Makes you stronger.”

This ticked him off, he opened his mouth to yell something, but turned away and closed it. He slapped her hand away from his head and got up, nearly tipping the chair over, and stormed over to the front door.

“I’m goin’ for a walk.” he stated, yanking his coat from the coat hangers and opening the door. “Make sure Doug does his homework when he gets back.” he slammed the door behind him.

‘I don’t think I need to tell him.’ she thought, mixed with other contemplations of what the heck just happened. Then she turned on the radio and returned to eating.

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Doug pedaled down the street on his bike, trying to get home as fast as he could. He wanted to get as far away from school as he could. Bullies constantly pestering him, girls gossiping like crazy, teachers talking incessantly about topics that he could easily learn doing a worksheet instead of listening to Charlie Brown’s teacher.

He snickered at his last thought and rounded a corner, ‘Wonder what mom’s doing right now.’ he thought, his mom was constantly flying all over the place, leaving Doug and his sister in care of their father. Who, honestly, really hasn’t gotten the hang of balancing all the things he has to do. Drop Molly off at school, then run a half mile to make sure Doug gets to school on time and safely, then go to his anger-managment class. Go pick up Molly, get home, make sure they both do their homework; then rinse and repeat. He doesn’t have a drivers licence to add onto that. Doug learned to ride a bike so he could get home without his dad’s help, and he keeps what happens at school inside. Molly’s an armful already for everyone in the family with her recent string of boyfriends that drink, her friends who constantly try to get her to try smoking (his dad’s anger problem comes in handy with them), and her being a target for muggers.

Doug crossed the street, still thinking about these things, when someone walking in the opposite direction rounded the corner a few feet in front of him. He ran into the person, his bike running off in another direction and falling over as Doug toppled onto the person, knocking them down and landing on top of them. Doug almost immediately got up,

“Oh god, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to bash into you, mate! I’m sorry!” the person rolled over and held their head, groaning quietly. “D-dad?” Doug asked, staring down at him in surprize.

His dad looked up at him with soft eyes, “H-hey.” Doug grabbed his dad’s arm and helped him sit up. “God, that hurt. Watch where you’re goin’, mate.”

Doug brushed the dirt off his dad’s coat, “You kinda came outta nowhere, and I didn’t ‘ave time to react, I’m sorry.” he smiled, a trick he learned but is still perfecting.

“It’s alright.” his dad stood up and grabbed Doug’s bike, pulling it up so that he could get back on. “‘ere, you can get on now.”

Doug took the handle bars and shook his head, “Nah, I’ll walk with you. What are you doing out ‘ere anyway?”

His dad let go of the bike and sighed, then leaned over and whispered, “Remember my past? How I betrayed that person and tried to kill ‘em?”

“Yea, you told me, ‘member? Are you depressed about that again, dad?” Doug walked the way his dad came.

His dad scurried over to catch up with him, “No, but. Molly scolded me for hi’ing a person who messed with me all the time in AMC, then when I told her that he tried to hit me with a chair she said it was ‘good’ and that ‘you need some fights in your life’.” he clasped his hands together unconformably. “I-I... it reminded me of.... of... of her.”

“Which one? The robot?”

He shook his head.

“Chell?”

He nodded, then said rather quietly, “Yes.”

Doug smiled and pushed his dad’s arm, “Don’t worry. I’m sure she knows you didn’t mean it.”

“No. She still thinks I’m a monster! You know what I did, how would you feel if I did that to you?”

“I’d first be angry, but given time common sense would kick in and I’d understand.”

“I don’t have any common sense.”

“Sure you do. You’re human now, remember?”

“Y-yea, I guess.”

“So, race you home?”

His dad stopped and got his usual playful smile, “You bet! And I’m goin’ to win this time!”

Doug laughed and got ready to run, holding onto his bike, “Ready?”

“Set.” his dad replied, getting ready to run.

“GO!” Doug shouted, bolting down the street alongside his dad. They raced down the sidewalk, and soon they were near the house. Doug glanced at his father, who was keeping up surprisingly well, then turned away and bolted across the front lawn. He jumped on the welcome mat in front of the door. “I WIN!” he threw his hands into the air, then turned around. His dad walked over panting like a dog on a hot summer day.

“Good-- good job.” He said flashing a smile, then stepped up to the door and knocked. He then stepped back down and sat on the step. “Geez,” he said, then paused to catch his breath. “You’re fast.” he laughed weakly, “Can’t tell you how much energy that took to keep up.”

Doug sat next to him and smiled, “Really? I thought your long legs would help.”

He laughed, “Pff, no.”

The door opened and Molly was there. She looked down at the two and smiled, “You two had another one of those races?” she sat down next to Doug, then leaned over and whispered “Make sure you do your homework, by the way.”

Description
Molly walked into her house, “I’m home!” she shouted, and her dad immediately jerked his head up to see her.

“Welcome back, princess!” he said, flashing her his usual smile. He was building a card tower on the living room table, he always tried to do new things. “How was school? Please tell me your teacher didn’t give you a hard time.”

“After what you did yesterday? Pfft, no.” she chuckled and put her backpack next to the couch.

He blushed a bit, “Heh... yea, I-I kinda overreacted there.” he laughed nervously, turning away to hide his embarrassment.

Molly gave him a big hug, “It’s alright. I would’ve done the same if my daughter was being treated badly by a teacher.” she kissed him on the cheek and headed towards the kitchen. “So, how was your therapy lesson?”

He looked up at her, “Therapy lesson? I don’t remembe-- oh.” he turned towards the card tower. “Uhhhmmm.... I kinda.... missed that...”

“Dad!” she scolded. “It’s important to take those lessons.”

“Nonono, I didn’t miss it as in... in... ya know, didn’t show up. I missed it as in they kicked me out.”

Molly pulled a box of cereal out of the cuboard, “Why’d they do that?”

“I-I might have... why would they kick me out for that? That makes no sense.”

She looked around the corner and gave him a quizzical glance. He was leaning two cards together for the middle section of his card tower, biting his lip. He put the cards down, and they stayed.

“Yes.” he fistpumped, “Were was I? Oh, right. I don’t know why they kicked me out. It might be ‘cause they find me annoying or somethin’. I did snap a bit at the person si’ing next to me yesterday.”

Molly rolled her eyes taking her bowl and sat at the table. “Oh really? Just snapped at him, huh?”

Her dad looked at her, then sighed and got up, “Okay, I might have yelled at them.” he walked over and sat in the chair next to her.

“Just that?” she said, raising an eyebrow.

He put on his little pouty face, one that a three-year-old would have when they didn’t get ice cream. “Fine, I hit him. Okay? I threw him to the ground and hit him. You happy?” his eyes flared with anger, he really needs those therapy lessons.

“No. You shouldn’t’ve done that, dad. That’s wrong.”

“I know! But you should have seen what he used to do me! He nearly hit me with a chair ‘cause I said somethin’ regarding Harry Po’ery or whatever!” he leaned over a bit, “A. CHAIR.”

Molly giggled, then patted her father’s head. “Good, you could use a bit of fighting in your life. Makes you stronger.”

This ticked him off, he opened his mouth to yell something, but turned away and closed it. He slapped her hand away from his head and got up, nearly tipping the chair over, and stormed over to the front door.

“I’m goin’ for a walk.” he stated, yanking his coat from the coat hangers and opening the door. “Make sure Doug does his homework when he gets back.” he slammed the door behind him.

‘I don’t think I need to tell him.’ she thought, mixed with other contemplations of what the heck just happened. Then she turned on the radio and returned to eating.

-------------------------------------------------

Doug pedaled down the street on his bike, trying to get home as fast as he could. He wanted to get as far away from school as he could. Bullies constantly pestering him, girls gossiping like crazy, teachers talking incessantly about topics that he could easily learn doing a worksheet instead of listening to Charlie Brown’s teacher.

He snickered at his last thought and rounded a corner, ‘Wonder what mom’s doing right now.’ he thought, his mom was constantly flying all over the place, leaving Doug and his sister in care of their father. Who, honestly, really hasn’t gotten the hang of balancing all the things he has to do. Drop Molly off at school, then run a half mile to make sure Doug gets to school on time and safely, then go to his anger-managment class. Go pick up Molly, get home, make sure they both do their homework; then rinse and repeat. He doesn’t have a drivers licence to add onto that. Doug learned to ride a bike so he could get home without his dad’s help, and he keeps what happens at school inside. Molly’s an armful already for everyone in the family with her recent string of boyfriends that drink, her friends who constantly try to get her to try smoking (his dad’s anger problem comes in handy with them), and her being a target for muggers.

Doug crossed the street, still thinking about these things, when someone walking in the opposite direction rounded the corner a few feet in front of him. He ran into the person, his bike running off in another direction and falling over as Doug toppled onto the person, knocking them down and landing on top of them. Doug almost immediately got up,

“Oh god, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to bash into you, mate! I’m sorry!” the person rolled over and held their head, groaning quietly. “D-dad?” Doug asked, staring down at him in surprize.

His dad looked up at him with soft eyes, “H-hey.” Doug grabbed his dad’s arm and helped him sit up. “God, that hurt. Watch where you’re goin’, mate.”

Doug brushed the dirt off his dad’s coat, “You kinda came outta nowhere, and I didn’t ‘ave time to react, I’m sorry.” he smiled, a trick he learned but is still perfecting.

“It’s alright.” his dad stood up and grabbed Doug’s bike, pulling it up so that he could get back on. “‘ere, you can get on now.”

Doug took the handle bars and shook his head, “Nah, I’ll walk with you. What are you doing out ‘ere anyway?”

His dad let go of the bike and sighed, then leaned over and whispered, “Remember my past? How I betrayed that person and tried to kill ‘em?”

“Yea, you told me, ‘member? Are you depressed about that again, dad?” Doug walked the way his dad came.

His dad scurried over to catch up with him, “No, but. Molly scolded me for hi’ing a person who messed with me all the time in AMC, then when I told her that he tried to hit me with a chair she said it was ‘good’ and that ‘you need some fights in your life’.” he clasped his hands together unconformably. “I-I... it reminded me of.... of... of her.”

“Which one? The robot?”

He shook his head.

“Chell?”

He nodded, then said rather quietly, “Yes.”

Doug smiled and pushed his dad’s arm, “Don’t worry. I’m sure she knows you didn’t mean it.”

“No. She still thinks I’m a monster! You know what I did, how would you feel if I did that to you?”

“I’d first be angry, but given time common sense would kick in and I’d understand.”

“I don’t have any common sense.”

“Sure you do. You’re human now, remember?”

“Y-yea, I guess.”

“So, race you home?”

His dad stopped and got his usual playful smile, “You bet! And I’m goin’ to win this time!”

Doug laughed and got ready to run, holding onto his bike, “Ready?”

“Set.” his dad replied, getting ready to run.

“GO!” Doug shouted, bolting down the street alongside his dad. They raced down the sidewalk, and soon they were near the house. Doug glanced at his father, who was keeping up surprisingly well, then turned away and bolted across the front lawn. He jumped on the welcome mat in front of the door. “I WIN!” he threw his hands into the air, then turned around. His dad walked over panting like a dog on a hot summer day.

“Good-- good job.” He said flashing a smile, then stepped up to the door and knocked. He then stepped back down and sat on the step. “Geez,” he said, then paused to catch his breath. “You’re fast.” he laughed weakly, “Can’t tell you how much energy that took to keep up.”

Doug sat next to him and smiled, “Really? I thought your long legs would help.”

He laughed, “Pff, no.”

The door opened and Molly was there. She looked down at the two and smiled, “You two had another one of those races?” she sat down next to Doug, then leaned over and whispered “Make sure you do your homework, by the way.”