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on my heel and storm up the stairs, devastated. I slam my bedroom door and fall onto my bed, forcing the tears back. I have to be strong, I have to pull myself back together. I hear my phone ringing beside me and I dig through my purse to find it. I pull it out and see it’s Lucas. Desperate for comfort, I answer it.
    “Lucas?”
    “Hey Dash, what’s wrong?”
    “Can you come over?”
    “Of course,” he says, in that soft, calming voice.
    “Thank you.”
    “I’ll be there in five.”
    I hang up and curl up onto the bed, staring out into the darkness. About ten minutes later, my door opens and I roll to see Lucas walking in. He smiles at me and waves a bag of food in the air.
    “I thought you might be hungry.”
    “That’s why I adore you, Lucas,” I whisper.
    He walks over and sits on the bed, putting the food down beside him. He takes my shoulders and stares me right in the eye, searching my face.
    “What happened?”
    I shake my head. “It’s just been a bad night, can we eat first?”
    He smiles and nods, then he pulls out a couple of burgers. I feel my lips stretch into a smile, he knows it’s the only junk food I’ll never turn down. We sit in silence, eating the burgers and moaning quietly every now and then, over how good they taste. When I’m done, I get off the bed and walk into the bathroom to wash my face and hands. When I sit back on the bed, Lucas goes and does the same thing and then joins me again.
    “Hey Luke?”
    “Yeah?”
    “I think I’m moving out.”
    He looks shocked and his eyes search my face. “Why?”
    “I can’t do it, I can’t live here and be his…go to, all the time. He’s using me Lucas, and if I don’t leave, he’s going to drown himself.”
    “I get it, I know how it must feel for your dad to use you like that.”
    “He doesn’t mean to, I know he doesn’t, but if I don’t stop, he’ll never move on.”
    “So you told him you’re moving out?”
    I nod. “Yeah.”
    “Where will you go?”
    I shrug, “I don’t know. I’ve got enough money saved to get an apartment, and my job will cover half the rent if I get a housemate.”
    He nods. “That’s a good idea, it’s always good to share the rent.”
    “Yeah, I’m a little nervous about it all. I don’t even know where to start.”
    “Well, first thing tomorrow I’ll help you find somewhere, I know a few people.”
    “It’s going to be hard, it has to be around this suburb.”
    He nods. “We’ll find something.”
    We lay down on the bed and talk for hours. We have that sort of friendship, the one where no awkward silences ever occur. The one that’s made to last forever. I’m not uncomfortable around Lucas, I enjoy being with him and we get along so well. We talk about my night, about Slade, about Payton and racing until finally I fall asleep and darkness takes me away. Just for a moment.

Chapter Eight
     
    “Dasha, please don’t leave.”
    I stare over at my father with a sorry expression, as I pull the last suitcase out the door. I have to do this, not just for me, but for him. If I don’t he will continue to drown himself and I will end up drowning with him.
    “I have to dad, I have to find myself and my own life. I’ll come back every few days and have dinner with you. I have to do this.”
    He nods weakly, defeated. “I’ll miss you.”
    I rush over, dropping the suitcase, and leap into his arms. “I’ll miss you too, dad.”
    “Please, come and see me.”
    “You know I will, maybe you could come and see me? I only live just up the road, you could walk.”
    He smiles painfully. “Maybe.”
    I hug him once more, then I walk out the door. I struggle to hold back my tears. This house has been my home since I was a child. My family had such beautiful moments here and such tragic ones too. I have to step away, to tear myself away from my father and hope he finds himself again. I stare at my beautiful house once more, and then I turn and walk towards the street. 
    I was lucky,