(2) Overnight Sensation: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 79: Serious

        The ride to the house was quiet, but it was how I always remembered it. We didn't have to fill the space in with unnecessary chatter about things that really didn't matter to either of us. But I did have this nagging feeling int he back of my head to sort out what had happened before I left. I didn't want to leave it as it was; it really killed me ot think that we would have only a week to be together before he was shipped off. I didn't want this driving on his mind, or even mine. I couldn't handle it if I never got the cance to hear what he had to say.

        "Dad?" I started, staring out the window of the car at the familiar streets as we passed them. I was looking at the 7/11 that was downtown, a smal smiling creeping to my lips while waiting for my dad's response.

        "Yeah" He was distracted by the traffic while he switched lanes, turning on to a side road that would lead us towards the high school. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that I wouldn't have to go there anymore. I didn't have to sit in a class that I didn't want to be in with terrible teachers.

        "Can we talk about what hapepned?" I murmured softly, glancing over at him. My fingers gripped the handle of the door, sort of scared of his response. His eyes flickered in my direction for barely a second before his face turned down slightly.

        "What's there to talk about?" He offered an opening for me to start conersation. What killed me was the fact that he didn't know how to talk about things. And for a really long time, I didn't either. My dad didn't really hang out with people outside of...well, me. We were with each other so much there wasn't anything too important to talk about unless it was school or relocating. We got along because there was no room for a real conflict.

        I felt like that before my mom left, he was able to hold a conversation with someone else. That when we had family friends come over, he could argue, and debate, and smile without having to force it. But ever since then, he distances himself from people. And I guess over time, I started to do that too. I saw my dad as a wonderful person because he is. Why wouldn't I want to be similar to him? He had all the right qualities of a fantastic person. I was too blind to see, though. I couldn't understand what it meant to really talk with someone because I never had to. There were no secrets between us. When Kelly left, she left us to collapse. But we lapsed on each other to the point where we never left each other's sides.

        "I didn't mean the things I said," I looked down at my eyes, fiddling with my zipper of my sweatshirt. I kept it on because my dad preferred to blast the air conditioner int he warm weather. I looked over towards his hands tense around the steeting wheel. I knew he didn't want to talk about this, really. It was obvious in his stressed body language. But we had to, I couldn't let it go.

        "It's fine, Stella. It's in the past, so don't worry about it," he said, turning onto our street. I had less than a minute before I would lose him inside the house. I already knew that he would retreat to his 'man cave' upstairs or into the living room to watch ESPN.

        "No Dad, it isn't," I started, straightening my back into my seat. I looked at his profile, and he was careful not to look at me. I ran my fingers through my hair. "You're a great dad, and you did the best that you could with what you had left."

        He chuckled at my words, and I didn't realize how wrong they had come out. I meant it though, and that was the best thing he could have done for  me. He gave me a good life and just because I didn't make anything of it until a few months ago didn't mean he wasn't a good parent.

        "My best isn't the best that could've been done," he sighed, turning into the driveway. I shook my head incredulously as he slid down the short drive, and parked in front of the basketball hoop that came with the house that neither of us have ever used.