Touch Down!

TOUCH DOWN| 4 MASKED SMILES

|...At the Fai'tau house...|

                                                                      |||| ˗ˏˋ 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐢' 𝐓𝐚𝐮ˎˊ˗||||

I yawned tiredly before hearing Tupu yawn softly straight after, me and my dog Tupu were on the coach minding our own business though mum would shoo Tupu off if she found out he was beside me staring up at me with those yearning-for-more-pets look I couldn't stand.

I was scrolling through tiktok watching people do whatever crazy shit they do to just gain followers, that's when my phone died....Fuck....I inhaled deeply shoving that anger straight down to the gut so it would burn to death.

Tupu sat up straight away as soon as I slammed my phone down on the cushion beside me, Tupu barked happily. "Wanting more pats I'm assuming?" I cooed before literally tackling him onto the coach-he yelped in joy before diving into a small ball to get what he thought was all-the=pats-in-the-world.

Talofa :D I know the introduction maybe cringe but how else are you supposed to get to know me? well, my name is Ferila-pronounced Feh-ree-lah, people when they read my name they don't say it right (Face-palm) my name actually means bougainvillea in Samoan and yes, I'm from the islands. While wrestling Tupu while laughing my lungs out at his reaction my mum came in, "FELILA" She said angrily, oh shit....not that nickname-Tupu pranced off the coach leaving some left over fur on me and the cushions, I sat up immediately.

"Oia-weh" Mum face-palmed with her brows arched clearly annoyed, I looked up at her with the most sheepish smile and stupid one I've ever made, at least I thought so-Mum looked down at me with her arms crossed. "Lila, what did I tell you about that dog?" She said pointing at Tupu who looked up at her with those glossy beady eyes-he panted with his tongue out.

"Mum, he's my son-what are you talking about?" I said trying to make a joke of it before it back fired because mum was giving me that look that told me I was done, she sighed while I chuckled nervously "At least tell me you got your bag ready to go to your dads?" she asked, I cleared my throat and looked away, she sighed.

"Go pack your bag Lila, and alo tapena lou potu-it's so messy," she said before looking over at the table only to spot Tupu-she groaned "And train Tupu" I followed her gaze to see that Tupu was scratching his butt on the carpet with his tongue out, mum slammed the living room door behind her and I sighed.

Mum told me in Samoan to go clean my room...freaking chores...I guess you could say I'm a fob, and a plastic? I'm an...in between? I don't know, I guess I never really fit in with other islanders at the school I go to, I was really social with the others but never the islanders, I never really got there vibe-I was only friends with some but not all of them. I went down the hallway with Tupu trotting beside me happily, I smiled down at him before going upstairs to my room.

At the moment I'm an only child-I have two parents...that are split up, when I mean I'm an only child now-I meant, I have two older brothers and mum doesn't want another child with...my dad, I had a really good relationship with him but never got to spend to much time with him now that he's got other children-my half siblings, and mum thinks guys and anything to do with love is a waste of time-she says boys are dangerous and she won't let me date one. The two never really told me why they split, I was 3 about the time when the arguments got worse, they started fighting and sometimes I even caught mum on the balcony crying while smoking, dad always plastered a smile on but he never showed what was under that mask and some nights I'd see him looking in the mirror staring himself deep in the eyes while sighing heavily and then finally, they split up because dad found someone else that made him happy.

Today I go to his place, I used to call my dad Tupu-meaning king in Samoan, but now...I guess I lost that relationship with him, maybe it's me or...him, that's why I named my beautiful Siberian brown husky Tupu, mum got me him on my 5th birthday to cheer me up, I remember that day as if it was yesterday, a beautiful casket under the tree woven with flax by my nana in New Zealand, mum gave me a collar and told me to go take the blanket off the casket and that's when Tupu crawled out onto my lap.

I sighed, I was packing Tupu's little pack pack that I put over his arms so he'd wear it, he's my cute little baby-that cheers me up when I'm sad, sometimes I give Tupu the nickname of Fiafia, it means happiness, cheer or to like.

I finally got to the point were there was nothing to do but watch my phone charge in the living room, mum came into my room and smiled-the beautiful dimpled islander smile that speaks charismatic and cool, the only thing I could do was smile back "Lila, your dad's here," She sat beside me and I leaned into her shoulder before Tupu jumped onto her lap "Sole, Tupu" she laughed while patting him, I chuckled "He loves his Nana..." I said softly my eyes watering, she looked down at me before her arms wrapped around me "I know your dads not like how he was when you were little and I understand you don't want to go to his house but you have to always remember he's still your dad" She said softly while I burst into tears, Tupu whimpered before nuzzling my arm with his wet snout, at that moment...I felt humiliated, sad...and I felt like a baby...mum kissed my four head before slapping my shoulder "Seeeh, alo fafo" she laughed I rubbed my shoulder before half crying-half laughing, I obeyed her by going outside to meet a SRT Hellcat with my dad sitting as the driver wearing shades, I secretly giggled in the inside because how stupid he looked-reminded me of fast and furious, Tupu trotted beside me and barked as I opened the door to the back seats to let Tupu pounce onto his own personal car seat before making sure to close the door carefully just in case Tupu left his tail out and I slammed it, I sat front seat beside dad and plastered on a fake smile "Hello Lila, how's your day?" He asked holding the wheel looking like a professional driver, I buckled my seat belt and smiled "Oh, good-what about you?" I asked before he nodded and started the car, mum came outside and waved us off and dad put down the window so Tupu could stick his tongue out and get some air-Tupu barked mum a goodbye and panted.

The whole drive was silence...until we drove into dad's drive way and into the garage of dads massive house... "Feel free to do anything, but not anything" dad said walking past me and leaving me alone, I sighed...How long will I be here?