Pleasantly Raising Cain

Sex and Booze

"Hey Dad!" Bella Pleasant called as she skipped down the stairs. Skulduggery looked up and smiled.

"What do you want?"

She rolled her eyes. "I need to ask you something."

"Fire away."

Bella grinned at his choice of words and plopped down beside him on the couch.

"Can I go to a party tonight?"

Skulduggery didn't answer for a moment and Bella's pulse started hammering. She swallowed, worrying that she'd asked too much.

"Are there going to be adults there?" He asked.

"Uh..." Bella started. "Um... No..."

"Who's party is it?"

"Just that guy... The one who was... Here... Last week... Weird kid but he's alright."

Skulduggery sighed. "Bella..."

"Please!" She begged, putting on the puppy dog eyes.

"I don't know... You're only fifteen... When I was a kid we never had parties, we never got wasted. And teenagers these days are always on their phones."

Bella slowly put her phone that she had been holding into the pocket of her jeans, grinning sheepishly.

"Oh, and did I mention drinking red cordial straight from the bottle? What type of parent raises a child like that?"

Bella bit her bottom lip, trying not to show her amusement.

"Can I go?" She asked again, playing with her fingers. Skulduggery sighed.

"What will you be doing?"

"Uh... Sex and booze...?" Bella replied.

"As long as you're home by ten."

"Twelve."

"Ten."

"Twelve."

"Ten."

"Twelve."

"Eleven."

Bella grinned. "Works for me!" She cried, hugging Skulduggery. "Thank you Dad!"

"Don't mention it... And if I find out that you've been drinking red cordial straight out of the bottle, I'm taking away your phone. So for Gods sake mix it with water..."

Bella grinned and walked out the door.