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Chapter 9: Daddy/Daughter Time

"Okay, time to go do whatever it is you guys do when we have daddy/daughter time." My dad says kicking out my mother and brother. Nick grabs the car keys and walks out followed by my mom. Dad closes the door and smiles at me, devilishly. "What shall be our movie this time, dear daughter?" I laugh as he proceeds to look at me manically. "How about Michael Myers?" I say, giving him the same devilish look. "Bwahahahahaha! Good choice." He says stepping into the kitchen. I walk into the family room and pop the DVD into the DVD player. My dad jumps out of the kitchen and grins. "Can I interest you in some...HUMAN EYEBALLS!!!" I let out a scream and my dad continues to laugh like a manic. "Dad, you can stop doing the eyeball thing? It's getting kind of played out." I say abruptly. He stops laughing. "Okay, but tonight we're watching the movie in the dark. No light whatsoever, Miss scaredy cat." He smiles at me. I shake my head and take a seat on the couch. He sits next to me and presses play on the remote and we begin watching Halloween: H2O.

***

"Ahhh!!" My dad screams as he picks me up and shields himself from Michael Myers. "I can't believe you." I scoff while he's still holding me up in the air, crookedly. "What did I do?" He whines. "You were using me as a shield against Michael." I chuckle. " No I was not. I was protecting the- uh children from- something." he stutters. He puts me down and I take some popcorn and stuff it I my mouth. I curl up into my dad's arm and he rests his chin on my head as we go back to watching Jamie Lee Curtis's character run away from Michael. "So, are there any boys you have your eye on?" He breaks the precious silence. "Dad, don't ruin the moment." I say, shushing him. "I was just asking you because, your mom told me that she saw you chatting it up with some guy at the costume store." He picks up some popcorn and I sit up. "That was just Ethan. He- he's just some guy that I go to school with. No biggie." I assure him. He nods his head. "Okay, but, are there any more guys? Anyone who you've "got the hots for" as your mother says?" I shake my head. "Dad, your making Daddy/daughter time very uncomfortable." I scoot away from him. He laughs. "I was just wondering because, your brother has already had 4 relationships-" "That didn't end well." I point out. "That didn't end well, but he's always had a girlfriend. I want you to have someone besides your mother and your friends and me. Someone who makes you smile wider." He tickles me and I laugh. " And someone who can make you laugh. Have you ever considered having a boyfriend?" He asks with a serious face. "I have, but, whose gonna want to go out with me? I picked out a pumpkin for a costume today. Even mom said that wasn't sexy and last year she went as a ketchup bottle." I say eating popcorn. "I know a lot of guys who would love to have a girl like you." He says, playing with my hair. "Dad, I didn't have any friends until a month ago. What makes you think I'm ready for the boyfriend stage?" I sit the popcorn down on the coffee table and look him straight in the eyes.

"Why not? You're in your last year of high school. You should spend it with your friends and your boyfriend. Or... another lady-lady friend." He scratches the back of his neck. "You think I'm...? Really dad?!." I make a disgusted face and stand up. " What? It's okay if you are. My love for you will never change." "You actually think I'm a lesbian?" I scoff and walk out of the family room. "I'm just asking if you are. I mean, Carolyn's not so bad, I've seen better." "You just called my friend ugly!" "No! I'm just saying that I have seen a prettier shade of green in your cousin May's hair, that's all." He smiles. I roll my eyes and go upstairs to my room. I can't believe he just said that. I bury my head in my pillow and scream. When I feel like I've screamed enough, I close my eyes. Just as I am about to drift off to sleep, I hear a knock at my door. "Come in and I kill the next door neighbors kid." I say referring to the little boy who once threw a rock at my car, while I was driving, and dented it. I would've killed him. If his dad wasn't a cop, we would be at his funeral today. The door opens and I am hit with the fading smell of cologne. I turn around and see my dad holding to cups of chamomile tea.

"Heard your muffled scream, thought you might need this." He hands me one on a saucer. " No, I was just in here making out with my girlfriend, Carolyn. Have you met?" I say with loads of sarcasm. "Honey, I didn't say you were a lesbian. I just said that if you were, my love and your mother's love will always be the same. I just want you to be happy." He says in a softer voice. "Dad, I am happy. The best years of my life are being spent with some of the most funny, brave, and outrageous people that I am happy to have in my life. I don't need a boyfriend to make me happy." I say kindly. Dad wraps his arms around me. "But I got this gun," I look up at him with concern. "For your mother's book." I ease back down. When my mom works on a book, she likes to have experience with the object she's talking about. "And I really wanted to threaten someone with it." He whines, causing me to smile. "You don't need a gun for that. Just tell them who grandma is and what she does. I'm sure they'll be pissing their pants when you say her name." I pat his hand.

My grandma is Elizabeth James, trained spy for the Navy. She taught my whole family how to defend themselves if the time ever came. She was really good at her job, but she retired a couple years ago. My dad laughs. "So, am I forgiven?" He raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, you're forgiven." I pull him into a hug and out of nowhere, my mom and Nick come bursting into my room and join our hug.

"How long have you guys been listening?" I ask mom. "The whole conversation, but be quiet or you'll ruin the moment." She laughs softly. I snuggle into the hug and hear snickering coming from Nick. "Dad thought you were gay." He sings. I break away from our hug and punch him in the gut. "Ouch! Mom did you see that?" He screeches. "Oops, guess I didn't." She says, not breaking the hug. My family is definitely something else.