The Scoreboard

Chapter Nineteen: I Fall On My Butt...Again

    Travis's truck is still parked in front of Dolly's. I climb into the passenger side. Travis slides into the left-hand side of the bus seat. "I have a favor to ask before we go to your house." I fiddle with the pendant on my necklace. Really, I doubt meeting my dad is going to bother Travis. He is a hit with my mom and my sisters.

     "Ask away." The truck sputters to life. The radio blasts country music through the speakers. "Sorry 'bout that a good song was on earlier." He fumbles with the knob that belongs to the radio volume.

    The truck is silent except for the sputtering in the background. "Um, do you mind swinging back by my house to meet my dad? I forgot to ask you earlier. I can go, but my dad would like to meet you first. It will be really quick I promise –"

    Travis holds up a hand to stop me, "I understand. My dad is the same way with all three of my sisters." He smiles, "and anyway, it does not bother me. If anything, it saves us from Katie putting us to work peelin' potatoes or somethin'." Travis puts the car in drive.

    At the stop sign, we go right until we hit Amber Avenue, where we turn left down my street. Travis parks in the driveway. Dad's car sits in the driveway, nervously waiting for my arrival. I open the garage door; mom and dad are at the kitchen table with a cluster of grocery ads from Mel's Market clipping out all the great deals. If you ask me, the whole thing looks staged, as if my family wants to seem perfect. Generally, at five–thirty, my mom is busy cooking dinner; dad is usually still at work. Travis stands beside me.

    Dad rises from the table in his work attire, which consists of a business shirt, tie, and trousers. Mom wears a nice blouse, leggings, and flip-flops. "You must be Travis." Dad sticks out his hand.

    Travis nods, "yes, sir." Travis clasps my dad's hand in a warm handshake. Mom stands next to dad, beaming from ear to ear. "Would it be all right if Caroline spends dinner with my siblings and me tonight, Mr. Sloane, sir?" Travis releases my dad's hand but does not disappoint with his movie-star smile. Gosh, if I were a parent in the twenty–first century, I would certainly be stunned by Travis's rarely-seen decorum.

    Dad grins, "that would be okay. Just have her home by eleven–thirty.

    Travis nods, "sure thing, sir."

    "Thank you for introducing us, Caroline." Dad gives me a fatherly smile with a warm look in his eyes. "Have a good time tonight."

    "Thanks, Dad." I hug him and mom bye, then Travis and I step out the garage door back to Travis's truck. That went smoothly.

     Travis turns on the ignition, causing the truck to purr awake. "Are you ready to go?"

     I check my pocket for my phone. "Should be."

     The truck rolls out of my driveway; Travis twists halfway backward to make sure it is clear to back out. He looks adorable, with the sun playing across his hair, making it almost white in the bright light. The front door closes. I feel like dad was the one who closed the door, peering out the window to make sure his little girl is okay.

    "Thank you for meeting my dad." I look out the window as we leave Amber Avenue toward the gravel road.

    Travis shrugs, "no problem at all. Your parents seem nice."

     "They are, just a little overprotective sometimes." We zoom by Dolly's Diner and halt to a quick stop at the stop sign before taking a right turn down the gravel road. "You live down the gravel road?"

     "Yup, not by the highway, though." Travis turns up the volume of the radio. "Anything you would like to listen to?"

     "Nothing in particular."