Sam knew it from the first fight,but she never imagined it like this. The day her parents got a
divorce. The first fight was horrible, bits of glass all over the kitchen's tiled floor. Screaming
so loud Sam had to go to the attic the place she decorated when she became a freshman. There was a
beanbag chair in the corner. A lava lamp on the white side table. It was like her second room. The
fight had started when her dad came home from work on a cold evening. Dinner was set. Her dad was
mad about something at work. He had a very short temper. When Sarah,Sam's mom, forgot to put salt on
the potatoes he freaked out and just lost it. The glass plate was hurled across the room. It fell to
the ground in a matter of seconds. Sarah was fed up with this and started screaming. I knew the
reason for the fight, her dad was drunk again I felt bad. My mom worked so hard doing three jobs to
support us. Sam had to miss the last day of her junior year. Her best friend Skylar spent hours on
the phone telling her the divorce would be okay. When we walked into the office it smelled like
chestnut,there must have been fifty books all lined up in neat orderly rows on the cherry wood
bookshelf. The chair would have been comfortable anywhere but here. Sam's eyes were red from
staying up all night crying. The lawyer had a grim look on his face. He would have looked
handsome,but with all the divorces he handled I guess he had no passion for it. ' Positive you
want to do this?' said the lawyer. Sam knew he knew the answer judging by my tear streaked face.
'Sarah.' my dad asked my mom for the final time. She nodded. . 'Alright you need to sign this
forms,.'the lawyer added unenthusiastically. ' I um have to go to the bathroom.' I couldn't do
it. I knew it would be hard. In the car I rehearsed not crying. As I reached for the golden door
handle I could feel my hand trembling. I remembered the 'good years' when everyone was happy. As the
October sun set, my parents led me by my shoulders. '1,2,3, OPEN!' they shouted. There standing
before me was the bike the pink one with Barbie's face on it . 'Oh, Thank You, Thank You, Thank
You!' Later that night my dad attempted to teach me how to ride. The autumn leaves made the trees
look magical, as I zipped on by. Now nine years later this happened. In my mind the lawyer was the
devil. He was the one that would change my life. I walked down the halls,I admired the beautiful
details on the antique furniture. They will only spend a few more days as a married couple. Three
days later.... Sarah Elaine Smith and Troy Daniel Parker are no longer married. The judge looked at
me it was like looking into the eyes of a murderer . ' Who would you like to live with?' I
walked up slowly and whispered the name. That moment everything disappeared . When I turned around
everyone was staring. I could have just said the most important words in my life. One hour later....
' That's the last box.' I noted. The boxes weren't for me they were my dad's. As he walked over
to collect his things he whispered a soft sweet bye. The instant he said that I burst out in tears.
That night was the hardest night ever. I wished my dad wouldn't have left . I wished I could have
been there on my last day of school. I woke up to the sound of my alarm. My mom worked early so I
had to make breakfast. I looked at the phone,three new messages. One from mom, one from Skylar and
one from dad. I listened to the one from dad. ' Sam I really need to talk. Call back.' From the
way he said that I knew he was drunk. I also knew he could have a wicked hangover. I didn't want to
talk to him right now anyway. I called Skylar. We both just got our driver's license . We made plans
to go to the mall. Two days later..... I called my dad. He said he needed me to live with him. I
really thought it was a horrible idea because he had a tendency of getting drunk. I felt my heart
getting ripped in two. I told my mom about what my dad said. She was furious. 'He knows you live
with me the judge said so! Exactly who does he think he is?' 'My dad.' I whispered At two in
the morning we get a call from the police. They said my dad had been arrested and we had a fine to
pay. At this point my mom was boiling mad. She looked like a volcano waiting to erupt. Her brown
hair looked flaming red. Her eyes looked like a fresh strawberry. She looked like a monster .
'Where does he think I have money? If he hadn't noticed I work three jobs trying to support just
you and me!' I didn't know how he expected me to live with him, if he did this every night. I went
back up to my room. My mom was downstairs in hysterics. When I woke up I found my mom asleep on the
hand-me-down couch. I felt sorry for her for about the hundredth time this week. Later that day we
paid the fine,but not without giving him a piece of our minds. We knew he had a hard time dealing
with this. He lost his job shortly after the divorce. When I got back from Skylar's house I saw a
police car in the driveway. ' Oh no what's wrong with him hasn't he caused enough trouble?' The
officer was dressed in a blue uniform. I couldn't help but notice the gun. ' Are you Samantha?'
' Yes.' I replied 'Your father was drunk (shocker) He ran into a tree and well, died.' I
felt like heavy weights were just dropped on me. I knew he would do stupid things. But this? We
didn't expect this. 'Oh okay I will tell my mom.' I choked out the words. Later that night after
my mom's tearful hours, after calling Skylar and telling the news, I finally went to sleep. I woke
up at three in the morning screaming. I tried to tell myself it would be okay. I guess I fell asleep
because I woke up to my phone ringing. It was Skylar calling to ask how I was doing and asked if I
would like to do something. I told her it was a bad idea but she always won and now was no
exception. So off I was riding to the adventure that she had planned.