No Letting Go II

12

"Where you been?" Aaliyah asks as Riley walks back into the school office.

"I just took a look around."

"Like what you saw?"

"Do I have a choice? I'm gonna be stuck here either way."

"Please lose the attitude. You're here and that's it."

"I don't have an attitude though....can I go wait in the car."

"Here." Aaliyah says handing her the car keys.

"Thanks."

Riley gets up and goes to the car to wait for Aaliyah to finish all the paper work. Once she's done goes back outside, catching looks from some of the football boys trickling out of the building. Some had enough in them to go up to her and ask for a picture. Riley looked through the window of the car and shook her head. Usually she didn't care that people asked for autographs from her parents, but she was annoyed and ready to go home.

After taking pictures with everybody she gets to the car. "There are some little cuties on y'alls football team." She says as she gets in the car.

"Really?"

"What? I was saying so you can be on the look out."

"I'm not interested...and besides...we don't want daddy to have a heart attack, now do we."

"Daddy will get over it. He's gonna have to at some point."

"I guess so. I don't really care." She says then starts texting away on her phone and Aaliyah takes it.

"MAMA!"

"You'll get it back when I feel like giving it back. I'm sick of this selfish ass attitude you have."

"Selfish? How!?"

"You're not the only one who had to move Riley. We all did. You're not the only one that had to leave friends...your brothers did too. So stop acting like you're the only one that has to go through this transition." Aaliyah says, leaving her with nothing more to say. She places Riley's phone in her purse and leaves the school parking lot.

They get to the house and Riley's the first to get out of the car and into the house.

"Hey bear."

"Hey daddy." She says walking passed him.

"What's up with her now?" He asks Aaliyah as she walks in.

"What do you think..."

He nods. "I'll be back."

"Okay, where are the boys?"

"In their rooms taking a nap." He says the walks away. He makes his way upstairs and goes into Riley's room. He lightly knocks then walks in. She's laying in bed, watching tv.

"Don't worry. Mom already read me for filth in the car."

"As she should have. You can't have everything go your way Riley...and until you realize this, and stop giving me, your mother, or anyone else this unnecessary attitude, your ass is grounded." He says, causing her to quickly sit up.

"Okay, now y'all are seriously over reacting."

"No. We're not."

"Whatever. It's not like I have friends here anyway. Grounding me isn't gonna do much...can you close the door on your way out, thanks."

He stands there and thinks about what more can he do to purposely ruin her life. It comes to him and he walks out the room.

"Baby." Colin calls out.

"Yeah." She says from downstairs.

"Where'd you end up placing my tools."

"In one of the cabinets in the kitchen...why?"

"Gonna teach that girl a lesson."

"Lesson on what, how to build a birdhouse with your tools." She says as he rummages through the tools in the cabinet, letting out a small giggle.

"This isn't funny." He grabs his drill, checks to make sure the battery in it is good, and makes sure he has he proper drill bit.

He goes back to her room and without saying anything he begins to unscrew the screws that hold together the hinges of her door.

"DAAAAD!!!" She yells over he loud drilling and he stops. "What are you doing?"

"Well...since you don't have friends and me grounding you won't have that big of an effect on your life, I figured I'd find away to make it effect your life...by taking away any type of privacy you have, unless you have to shower or go to the bathroom." He says then continues to drill and she walks out of her room.

"Mommy. Daddy's taking my door." She whines.

"Okay."

"He can't do that."

"Yes he can."

"You already have my phone!!"

"And daddy has your door."

"Oh my God!!" She walks back to her room and watches Colin dismantle her door. When he's done he takes the door into his room then goes back to collect her cable box, MacBook, Beats and anything else electronic.

"Game room and theatre is off limits, but you may go go outside. That's about it. Any questions?"

"No." She says flatly.

"Good."

"I can't believe you took her door."

"Yeah, well, one of us has got to be the parent right?"

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?"

"It means you'd rather be her friend than her mother."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really. She thinks she can say and do anything she wants because you can't draw that line."

"I have drawn that line, and I discipline her the same way you do, so don't you dare come at me with that bullshit."

"I'm just calling it as I see fit."

"Fuck you."

"Yeah, alright." Colin says walking back downstairs.