French Rose

Chapter 21

The ride home was quiet, very quiet. Painfully quiet in fact. Our car got fixed and Lucas drove it while the driver took both my father and I in the other car. I sat next to him in complete silence, no one made any effort to talk and the rain, it stopped too right after I got myself in trouble. Immediately after, not a second before I decided to go in the rain. You see what I mean when I said life was totally against me?

He didn't look mad, not a single bit but I didn't trust it. You see, my father wasn't the type to get all mad in public or even show it at all. He would keep it all in till we were alone and then a free lecture about responsibility. Let me tell you, it didn't matter if he he was busy or had any work to do. He would always make time.

He was tapping away on his phone and with the way it looked, he was doing something very important. At first, I thought it was work but he looked way too serious. Besides, he did most of that in his office back at home. I was beginning to think something very bad happened cause if it didn't, he could've said something to me so when I decided to take a peep, I discovered it was just candy crush.

Which is a very good reason to be so serious if I might add.

Anyways, we made it home and I was the first to exit the vehicle. It was when I saw Lucas walking into the building that I realised how much trouble I caused for him. I mean, even if the worst happened, I would still be my father's daughter but he could lose his job and I would be the cause of that. I pushed him into it. Maybe if I'd stayed back in the car, I wouldn't have been in so much guilt in the first place.

If only someone told me it was a bad idea before I jumped into it. Someone like you, for example.

There was only one way to help and it was to face the one thing I really didn't want to at that moment. I had to bring myself to talk to my father regardless of the ten year long speech I was going to get before it. If it meant Lucas was going to keep his job, it definitely was worth it and no, I'm not always that nice.

I first took my wet clothes off and pulled on a fresh pair of pajamas and yes, I knew very well it was afternoon but who cares? I had a very long day and I deserved a break from everything. Besides, who even came up with the rule we all had to wear pajamas at night only? Why not mornings and afternoons or to work? Don't we get the right to be comfortable? Why isn't this apart of the human rights? Why aren't we protesting?

The government needs to hear about this.

"Sunshine! I'm on your bed!"

I heard the familiar sound of candy crush from the closet and he proceeded to increase the volume to what felt like the highest. The door was partly open and I could see him sprawled across my bed holding his phone up in the air. The fact he still wasn't mad was freaking me out, could it mean I wasn't in any trouble?

Nah, that's impossible.

Since he wasn't willing to say anything concerning what I had done, I decided I could just go ahead and say all on my mind first and if things went my way, he could forget about it. I had just as much hope as I had doubt. Not that I was so scared of him or anything but it wasn't just about me. Lucas's job was the real deal, I couldn't bear the guilt of him losing it just because you guys didn't tell me it was a bad idea to leave the car at the first place. Also, I wasn't sure I could get such a chef ever again.

"Father, I'd like to speak with you"

"You sound like an idiot" He laughed with every of his attention still on the phone. I was right in front of him at that point with both my hands behind me and my head up which is a way to look more serious, right?

"I'm tired of this silence and I think it's finally we both talk"

"You're distracting me sunshine, I'm doing something really important here"

"You're playing candy crush"

"That's what I said"

"So what you're trying to say is that your stupid candy crush is more important than your daughter?"

"Well, that's insultive"

"We need to talk dad and I can't wait any longer"

"Fine, can I at least complete this level?"

"No"

He let out a long frustrated sigh and gave me one last look before sadly ending his game. He placed the device beside him, sat up and stared up at me. "This better be important"

"I have no idea why you've been so quiet but it's really freaking me out and I need you to be a father and tell me stuff about my health that I don't care about, just like you used to before. Oh, and I also need you to know Lucas isn't at fault. He only left the car because I did and he wanted to take me back inside like a really good person should so if you think I'll watch you fire him for doing absolutely nothing wrong, then you have to think again cause I'm not going to let that happen!"

"Yeah sure, whatever"

He fell back on the bed and took his phone up to continue with his game while I stood there trying to catch my breath. I went on and on for seconds, minutes even just to get a 'yeah sure, whatever'.

All the time I spent thinking of the perfect words to say and the energy I built up for that was just a waste of time? No way.

"Why aren't you mad?"

"I don't get it, do you want me to get mad?"

"No but yes also cause that's what you're meant to do. Get mad and say stuff that'll make me bored"

"Sunshine, you're all grown up now. At least, that's what I thought. If your chef did something that made you this way, only you have the right to fire him, not me"

"So you're okay I stayed in the rain"

"You did what?" His attention went from his game straight to me and that look I'd been expecting for minutes was stricken on his face. He finally gave the reaction he was meant to and even though it wasn't what I wanted, it made me relieved my father wasn't broken.

"You didn't see me?"

"How could I have seen you? I was busy"

"Playing candy crush?"

"Don't try to change the topic here"

"I'm not actually, it's just th_"

"I gave you just a few days of freedom and you thought it'd be great to run around in the rain? First, you risked your health. You're not immune to cold, you know that, don't you? You can get sick and what were you even thinking? You're probably the most popular thing on earth right now and you exposed yourself to the public_"

"It was raining though"

"It doesn't matter if it was raining or not. The point is you could've had anyone filming you and you wouldn't even know it."

"But what's so wrong with the rain?"

"Have you ever seen your mother do it?"

"No"

"Have you ever seen me doing it?"

"No"

"So what made you think it was okay for you to do it?"

"I didn't think of it"

"Of course you didn't. I'm so disappointed in you Sunshine. You know, I thought I could finally make myself believe you were actually mature enough but right when I thought I could let you go, you mess things up. Things could've been worse and who's going to be there eto clear the mess up? Me. I wasn't like this when I was your age"

"I know this might be a wrong time to bring this up but you were kinda worse than I am at eighteen"

"Don't you dare bring that up"

"You dedicated your high school days to pranking people dad. A very irresponsible act if I might add and you weren't even so good cause mom took that title away from you with just one try"

"You just pushed the wrong button"