"What the HELL?" Emma roared, looking from one to the other. "Emma! I don't care who you think you are," her mother stated. "He's still your father." "OH NO HE'S NOT!!" she screamed and headed straight for her room. "I am too, Emma." he father said quietly. "You mother has forgiven me, says she wants me home. Why can't you?" he asked. "AS OF THIS VERY MOMENT I DO NOT HAVE PARENTS!!" she roared and began throwing her belongings in the only suitcase she had. When that was full she started stuffing things into large garbage bags as quickly as she could. "Emma what are you doing? Calm down, honey.." her mother tried to soothe her. Tears flowed down Emma's face unchecked as she turned angry eyes on both her parents. "I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!!" she hollered. "YOU ARE COMPLETELY INSANE FOR LETTING HIM COME BACK!!" she yelled at her mother. "AND YOU.." she pointed at her father, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH IN THE PAST YEAR??? DO YOU??" she raged. "I'll be happy to fill you in.." she started quietly. "I have worked my ASS OFF, in a bar and in school, while she sits on her ass whining about not being able to find a job because she married you right out of school. We almost wound up living in a fucking cardboard box, until Danny sleaze bag tricked me into STRIPPING my clothes off in front of a room full of drooling drunk ASSHOLES, like YOU. And NOW.." she laughed sarcastically, "YOU come in and think that everything is coming up roses, and I'll just forgive you for leaving me to almost KILL myself trying to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads? And taking my college money to boot.." she shook her head. "WHAT'D YOU SPEND IT ON DADDY? STRIPPERS AND WHORES?" she raged on. tears still streaming down her face. "OH NO!! I do not have parents anymore...and if anyone calls here or comes looking for me, you can tell them that you no longer have a daughter." she stated. "YOU.." she stared her father down with a look of pure hate. "You...because of you I had to take a job that makes me feel about a good as a pile of dog-shit on the lawn, and the best thing that ever happened to me has no idea..I couldn't even tell him. He'll find out soon, and it'll be all over. I hope you found yourself , daddy. 'Cause you have lost me, forever." she ended quietly, managed to haul all her things and stuff them in her trunk in one trip, then shoved the large stash of cash she had in her top dresser drawer in her pocket. She jumped in her car, revved the engine and sped off.

Zac paced out front of the house and pitched stones into the street as he worried about Emma. She was so late and she never had been this late before. He knew she'd never stand him up and he kept imagining all kinds of terrible things happening to her. He pitched another rock into the street as Taylor walked up beside him. "You okay, man?" Taylor asked him, feeling extremely guilty and wondering if he had anything to do with the fact that Emma wasn't here yet. "NO." Zac looked at Taylor, saw his worried and pained expression and felt instantly bad. "Sorry, Tay. This just isn't like Emma. She'd never just leave me hangin' like this, something's wrong dammit and I have NO idea where to even START looking." he said worriedly. "Every fucking time I ask her, she changes the subject or something so I still have NO IDEA where she works. And she's always going on about protecting our image. Who gives a fuck?" He pitched another rock across the street. 'Shit' Taylor thought to himself. 'I'm gonna have to tell him..' "She didn't even give you the name of the place?" Tay asked. Zac shook his head. "Don't even know her boss' name. Last time she mentioned him she called him king of the assholes and left it at that.." he couldn't supress a slight grin at that recollection and neither could Tay. "She is creative.." Tay chuckled, then turned serious again. "Zac, I..." he began then stopped as Emma came to a screeching halt in front of them. She jumped out of the car, a bottle of whiskey in her hand, and tossed the keys to Zac. "I'm sorry drummerman...you wouldn't believe what happened if I told you. And I really was in no position to call you, baby. Or I would have." she slurred. But as you can see I am in no shape to drive, so if you don't mind." she slipped her arms around Zac's neck, and gave him a squeeze. "Emma? Baby...I was going crazy. What the hell is wrong?' he asked her cupping her face in his hands and holding her so he could see her face under the streetlight. "Emma what happened? You look like you've been crying..for a week." He stroked her cheeks then looked over at Taylor, not knowing what to do. He'd never seen her this out of it before. "Oh hey...Hanson...how ya doin'?" she said when she finally noticed that Tay was there. "I'm okay, Emma. What's up?" he asked her gently, trying to get her to tell them what had happened. "Oh not a whole lot..." she slurred and hoisted herself onto the hood of the car. She slid all the way back, leaned against the windsheild and took a long pull off the whiskey bottle, swallowed it with a grimace and wiped her mouth with her jacket sleeve. "Just went home to take a shower and discovered the king bastard of all bastards standing in the living room I have been workin' my ass off all year to pay for. She let him back in the house, stupid fucking wimp of a woman. Takes my college fund and doesn't say a word when he goes... chickenshit...then comes back and expects me to go running into his open arms like nothing ever happened. They deserve each other.." she took another long swallow and wiped her mouth again. Taylor and Zac looked at each other and it dawned on them at the same time. "Em..baby?" Zac asked gently, "You talkin' about your dad?" She nodded and the tears began to flow again. She didn't even realize it, her face was numb and so was the rest of her now, she had been drinking steadily as she told her story. Zac slid up next to her and pulled her against him, and he stroked her hair. As soon as he did that she began to sob, and Zac held her more tightly, rocking her slowly. Taylor stood and watched, feeling helpless. Emma pulled slightly away from Zac and wiped her eyes. "I really am sorry, Zac. I thought I'd have it together by now.." she sniffed and took another drink.

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