The Neighbor

Chapter 24: The Call

"It sucks that you have to leave, "I said.
"I know but it's only a summer tour, "Brendan said, "I'll be back before you know it."
"So Lani's going to Guatemala with her grandma, Kahoni's going backpacking through Europe, and your going on tour, "I said, "I'm going to be all alone."
"You know you could come with me, "he said.
"What?" I asked.
"Come with me, "he said.
"You can't be serious, "I said.
"I am, completely, "he said.
"Brendan my mother would never let me leave, "I said.
"I actually wanted to talk to you about that too, "he said.
He looked at me as if daring me to leave, but I stayed put. "Danny...I want to adopt you."
"What?" I whispered in disbelief.
"Danny your an amazing girl and you've helped me so much, "he said, "anyone would be lucky to have you for a daughter. Your not appreciated enough."
"Brendan, your a rock star, "I said, "you can't have kids. You go on tours and I have school."
"I don't tour as much as I used to, "he said, "only in the summer."
"Brendan, I know it's nice to hang out with me sometimes but to live with me. I'm still a teenage girl, a moody, bratty girl. Do you really want to live with that?"
"Yes, I do, "he said, "look you don't have to decide now and I know I'll never replace your real dad, but I'd really like to take of you. I'd really like to be the kind parent you never had."
I looked down at one of the boxes Brendan was taking with him. There were pictures of his family and his band, but most of the pictures were of me and him. I always had a good time with him, wouldn't it be amazing to live with him all the time? But I couldn't, he had no idea what he was dragging himself into.
"I'll go pack up the rest of your guitars, "I said quietly. I ran to his music room and started putting his electric guitars in their cases.
It was completely silent, giving me time to think. This was quite possibly the biggest decision in my life. Right when I was thinking that this would be the biggest decision I would ever make I was proven wrong.
The silence was broken by a loud ringing. I took my phone out of my pocket and looked at the number. I almost didn't recognise it. It was the call I had been waiting almost three years for.
I put the phone up to my ear and said quietly, "Dad?"
"Danny, it's so good to hear your voice, "he said. It was really him! The man I had been waiting to hear from for years! I had talked to his picture every night and never got a response but now I did.
"It's good to hear from you too, "I said.
"I saw you published some sets for Fashion Freak, "he said, "I am so proud of you. You did a wonderful job."
"Thanks, "I said.
"Look I have a proposition for you, "he said, "you see I have a fashion business in New York City. I live in a nice apartment with my new wife Jocelyn. And we were wondering if you would like to come live with us. Just like I promised, I came back for you."
This was what I always wanted. Part of my wanted to scream yes! To run home, pack, and get on a plane to New York right now. But, another part of me thought about him. He abandoned me, left me to live a miserable life. He said he would come back for me and it took him three years. And he didn't even come back, he just called. He didn't call on my birthday or even apologise for the ones he missed. I hated him and there was no way I was going back to him.
I could feel hot tears fall down my face. I said, tearily, "You abandoned me, you left me to live with the most horrible people on the planet. I waited every night for you to call. I harmed myself, I made a cut for you. But you didn't deserve a cut, you don't deserve me. Not once did you call on my birthday or send me some money as a present. You never did anything for me. On that night that you left you said you would come back for me. It took you three years and you just call and expect me to forgive you? Did you even remember me?
"Of course I remembered. Danny I love you, "he said.
"Don't lie to me, "I said, "I know you don't love me or you would have taken me with you that night. I don't want to go live with you and Jocelyn. I already have a great father...named Brendan."
"Danny be reasonable, "my father said.
I looked up at Brendan who had been standing in the doorway the whole time and said, "A wise man once said I have the potential to be anything I want, and that man wasn't you."
I ended the call before he could say anything else. Brendan sat down beside me and wiped away my tears with a gentle hand. A hand like a father's should be.

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I just want to say to anyone who cried while reading this and is embarrassed, don't be. I cried while writing it. You are not alone.
~Hermione:)