Chasing The Moon

Chapter 26

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O-O BARK

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"This looks really good huh 'Dashi?" my dad asks, licking his lips once the waitress brings us our food. We, surprisingly, didn't have to wait that long, but there was so much food on the plate I don't know how we were supposed to finish it. She set it right in the middle of the table and nodded before leaving.

He immediately grabbed some chopsticks and stuck one right into a piece of sushi, bringing it up to his lips. I chucked at his way of eating, assuming he must have a big appetite right now and did the same thing. Well...correctly.

"So, I wanna get to know you more kiddo. Tell me about yourself," he mumbled, mouth shoved full of food. I smiled, scratching my head.

"Um...I play volleyball, and I think I'm getting better at it, although I'm not a starter," I chucked, "Um...I don't really know to be honest. There's not much I'm interested in at the moment. I kinda wanna plant a garden, I had made plans to before...before my mom died." I looked at my lap, then back at my dad, who was now focusing on his drink.

"Volleyball huh? Didn't think you'd be into that, but then again you're not like how I imagined," he laughs, fiddling with the straw wrapper in between his fingers. I could say the exact same thing about him, "But, hey you like what you like. Can't change that. It's cool that you have something you're interested in. Makes you more likable."

I nodded, staring back down at the plate of food. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to take that as a compliment or not, since it seemed very backhanded, but I just decided to ignore it. I could have just been overthinking it. He might not have meant how I'm understanding it.

As our waitress passed by our table again, my dad got her attention by waving her down. She looked annoyed, but once she saw him her expression quickly changed. I've seen that before.

"What can I get for you, sir?"

My dad squinted his eyes, thinking for a couple of seconds before turning his head back over to her.

"Some alcohol please, but surprise me. Get me some of your best one," he flashed a grin at her, and she smirked back, turning to me. I flinched at my dad's words but keeping a steady face so I wouldn't throw her off.

"And for the kid?"

"Nothing for him, still a minor you know," he laughed, giving me a thumbs-up, and the waitress left for the kitchen to grab his drink. It made me uneasy, but I felt more safe knowing I was in a public place. Plus...he seemed happy today. Maybe he would be a fun drunk for once.

We ended up finishing (most) of our food in silence until we were too full to eat anything. My dad leaned back in his seat, patiently waiting for his drinks to come. I pulled my phone from my pocket, checking to see if I had any missed messages from Kei. Before I had left I told him that I was going to have to take a rain check and that I was going out with my dad at the last minute. He seemed pretty understanding, saying that he was happy I was getting closer to him. That was true, in some ways.

After seeing the blank lock screen, I sighed and put my phone back away, looking around the restaurant. How long did it take to just bring out a drink?

Speaking of the devil, I was startled by our waitress coming in from behind me, setting down the glass bottle with a loud clank. My dad sat up with a smile, quickly grabbing the bottle and twisting it open. The bottle was bigger than his hands, and considering how big his hands were, it was startling. I questioned if he was even going to be able to drive home after this.

After popping off the lid, he poured it into a glass, just barely reaching the middle of it. I took some relaxation in this, although I'm fairly certain he was going to pour more afterward. I leaned back in my seat, tilting my head on the wall behind me, and closed my eyes.

I probably sat in silence for so long I would have fallen asleep, but I snapped my head back up when I heard another clank on the table. My dad had slammed down the bottle after, I assume, trying to chug it because he was out of breath. He wiped his mouth and smiled at me, yet the bottle was barely empty. I snickered and smiled back, propping up my elbows on the table, and laid my head in my hands.

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"This is why you shouldn't drink so much!" I laugh, carrying my, too drunk to properly walk, father with his arm wrapped around my shoulder.

"Ahhhhh don't be sucha buzz kill," he exclaimed, slurring his words together. I stopped at the curb of the sidewalk so he could step down without falling and leading him to our car.

He had trouble getting in at first, his hands slipping every time he tried grabbing something. After many failed attempts, he was in his seat, and after pausing to make sure everything was good, I ran back to my side and got in. He sighed, sitting his head down on the wheel and peeking over at me.

"Sorry kiddo, Ima probably way too drunk to-a drive. Do you mind if we just wait here until it goes down?"

I sat my head back, staring out the front windshield. I know that he was just having fun, but this was quite an inconvenience.

But, I suppose it wouldn't be too bad. I could probably rest, play some games on my phone, let my dad sober up and we'll be on our way. I propped my feet up on the dashboard and stared out the window, watching the leaves blow across the ground. The sun was still brightly shining, but there were clouds rolling in along the horizon. I couldn't say I was surprised, but I would just like one day where it didn't rain or snow.

I turned my head at two squirrels racing up the tree, both in unison, twisting across each other's paths but never hitting. I watched as they climbed up the branches, parking themselves at the top and looking around before scurrying back down. I always thought squirrels were such simple creatures, their lives only based off on finding food, mating, and sleeping. They live their lives with no worries and die. Yet, for such simplistic beings, that life sounded so serene.

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alright socrates 🙄🖐

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