A Tale of Party Two Planners: Rewritten

Chapter 9: Better Dad

             During the ride home, Cheese was in the passenger seat of his dad's looking out the window. The air was cool and there was slight breeze the blew trough Cheese's now curly brown hair.

                   "What were you doing, alone with her?" Haggard asked as he drove.

  "We weren't alone." Cheese corrected, still looking out the window. "Soarin was there, with us."

                             "I still wanna know what you were doing." Haggard insisted.

                                  Cheese let a deep sigh. "We were skating, that's all."

                                       "Then why'd you run back to hug her?" Haggard asked, anger slowly rising.

                                            "Cause, she's my friend." Cheese replied, now turned towards his dad. Even though it hurt to say it, for some reason.

                                                    "So's Soarin." Haggard said as they stopped at stoplight.

         "Yeah, but I've known longer." Cheese commented. "You of all people should know that."

                                                 Haggard glared at his son as they continued down the street. "You're just lucky I didn't do that, again."

                                                 "About that, why didn't you?" Cheese asked, nervously.

                                                          Haggard tried his best to think of a way to say his answer. "You're mother hated me when I did it the first time. She told me that I shouldn't have even done it."

                                    "Did you regret it?" Cheese asked as his dad pulled into the driveway.

                                                       Haggard shrugged but said nothing.

                                                       "You don't wanna tell me. Why? Cause you hate me?" Cheese asked as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

               Haggard tried to put his hand on Cheese's shoulder but Cheese backed away. He took a deep breath. "I don't hate you. All I want is the best for you."

                              "But you said that I couldn't write music at the table, anymore." Cheese reminded. "You even told me that you'd let Asiago do so if he wanted."

                                Haggard stared at his son but said nothing.

                                            "And you slapped me, last night." Cheese finished. "Yet you sit here and say you don't hate me."

                                                Haggard winced. He hadn't realized just how much pain he was putting Cheese through, lately. Of course Cheese would think Haggard hated him, he has all the proof he needed. Haggard looked Cheese dead in the eyes. "Cheese, I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me. I'm actually glad you found her, again. You undid my mistake and I'm glad. You can write your music at the table. I want to mend our relationship but I can't do it, alone. Will you help me?"

                                       Cheese's eyes widened. He never thought he'd hear such things come from his dad, ever. However, his dad seemed to be genuine. "I want to mend our relationship, also." 

                                              For the first in a long time, Haggard smiled at oldest son.

                                                        Cheese noticed and smiled back before they got out of the car and went in the house.

                                                                ~Time Skip~

                               The next morning, Cheese woke up with a smile on his face. Things are looking up. He thought as he got ready for the day. It was the day of the Friendship Games triathlon. Cheese was nervous but excited all at the same time. "Hmm." he mused. "What did Pinkie call that feeling, again?" He brushed his hair as thought about it. "Aw, yeah. I'm nervousited."

                                 Moments later, someone knocked on Cheese's door. "Cheese, it's dad. May I come in?"

                               "Sure, dad." Cheese replied as he set his brush back down his dresser.

                                     "Good." Haggard said as he opened the door and entered Cheese's room. He had never in there, before. So, he looked around. He saw a poster of what looked like a Power Pony, spider web clock, Cheese's special symbol carved into the middle of the headboard and a bookshelf. The bookshelf had three shelves. Haggard glanced at each one, the last one caught his attention. "Huh?"

                         "What?" Cheese asked as got up from his bed and approached his dad.

                                "I didn't know you liked Power Ponies." Haggard replied as he pointed first the bottom of the bookshelf and then at the poster.

                Cheese rubbed the back of his neck. "He, he. Uh, yeah. Not the main series, though."

                                  "Oh, which series?" Haggard asked curiously.

      "It's a spinoff." Cheese replied. "It's all about Filli-Second and her sidekick, Topaz Tarantula."

                                      "Topaz Tarantula." Haggard repeated. "Is that who's on your poster?"

                                              Cheese nodded. "His name is on it."

            Haggard took a closer look at the poster and sure enough, it did. "Sorry, I didn't see that."

        "It's ok." Cheese said as glanced up at his spider clock. "I gotta go. The bus is gonna be here."

                                "Alright." Haggard said as he followed Cheese out of the room. "Good luck."

                                         Cheese smiled. "Thanks." He ran towards the bus and got on it.