The Girl with the Gryffindor Hoodie

Geeky Nerdy Boys

The drive from Utah to Idaho is not interesting to most. With nothing but hills, mountains, and grass to look at, one would get fairly bored with only a select few seeing it's true beauty.

Ariel was one of those people.

As she sat in the car, looking out the window, she could see the great beauty and majesty of each tan or yellow grass that passed by. She looked up into the sky and saw nothing but clear blue along with playful white clouds. They made the deep purplish mountains in the distance look like the tops of pencils that were drawing out the sky. The deep forested areas made her think of fairies, dragons, and elves as they raced through the woods; each waving a hello as they pranced away.

Ariel's father was also in the car, driving. Both he and she had stayed behind when the rest of the family had gone up to Island Park (in Idaho) to celebrate her mother's father's birthday. This grandpa had also attended her graduation just three weeks ago, but he looked nothing like a warthog; more like a teddy bear with glasses that skipped leg day. Both Ariel and her dad had had work to do at their home, so they couldn't come to Island Park until two days after the rest of the family went. The party up at the cabin had gone off with a great hit; the whole group of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents going to Yellowstone National Park. Ariel's father, at least to Ariel, seemed a bit annoyed at this.

"I thought they'd at least wait until we got up there!" he vented while turing down the road, "I really wanted to do Yellowstone."

"Hmm..." Ariel hummed, not wanting to agree or disagree with her father. She often did this when she and he talked. Her dad wasn't exactly the kind to tell your opinions to. He either didn't listen or wanted to 'fix the problem'; a trait Ariel found was in pretty much every male she met. It wasn't like she couldn't talk to her father about anything or couldn't share her opinions; it was that she needed to be careful about what she told him, especially when he was venting or ticked-off at something out of his control.

They stayed silent for a while; Ariel looking out the window and her father focusing on driving and shaking his head disapprovingly. 

Ariel thought about her dad a lot.

He was a good dad. A lot better than most dads she had heard during her school days. Her father had once told her that he was failing as a father, but she didn't think that was true. He was a good dad. She remembered during senior year when prom was going on and she wasn't asked to go with anyone.

"You could always go stag." Her mother had suggested.

"I guess..." Ariel had said, "But my plans for going stag are ruined! I was going to invite all of my friends and then have a movie night after, but... they were all asked by someone. Even Izzy was asked! She told me about it today!"

Ariel frowned as she remembered what had happened at the beginning of school:

"Hey Izzy! Can I ask you something?"

"Sure Ariel, but first, guess what?!"

"What?"

"I was asked to prom today by my neighbor!"

Three seconds of utter surprise and heartbreak, "Oh...! That's awesome!"

"I know! He was all cute when asking me! I'll tell you about it later! What did you want to ask me?"

"Uhm..." Franticly thinks of something to ask, "... you know, I forgot." Weak smile.

"I'm sorry sweetie." Ariel's mother had said, "You could always go by yourself, though."

"It won't be fun." Ariel sighed, plopping onto her bed. Her mother went out of her bedroom, looking sadly at her eldest daughter. 

Ariel had stayed up all night thinking about prom that night. She couldn't quiet her mind, finally crying herself to sleep in early morning the next day.