You Are My Mockingjay- Watty's Finalist 2013

A Meeting With Dad

Clove grabs a hold of another cookie as she heads goes up stairs. 

Walking up she texts her dad back:  "Sure where do you want to meet?"  Not even a minute after he texts back:  "How about that old diner I use to take you when you were little say in about ten minutes?"  Clove kinda grumbled about that idea but she texted back and said she would see him then.  Just before leaving she brushes her hair out and grabs her jean jacket pulling it on as she skipped down stairs.  "Mom I'm heading out." 

Her mom who was watching the news and reading the latest Sunset magazine.  "Wait, what your going out, but you just got home."  She had a feeling this was going to happen for she knew she figured she should just be home for awhile.  "You just got home I mean not even a half hour ago and your still want to go out?"  Her mother looks irritated and stands up reaching for Cloves shoulder.  "Just stay home with me for the night ok?"

Clove stomps her foot in a annoyance!  "Mom it won't be long I PROMISE."  Clove really wasn't sure how long she would be gone but it was the only thing she could think of so that her mom would let her go.  

Grace slightly strokes her daughters long hair that rested on her shoulder.  "Ok I guess, but don't be too late and promise me tomorrow you'll do something with me ok?"

Clove nods and quickly hugs her mom as fast as she could and starts to take to the front door until her mom turns around.  "Who are you meeting up with?"  Clove freezes and jolts back as if she was being pulled back from a harness of strings.  With just the turn of her toes that made her twist around she gives out a serious look because it sounded that her mom still had no clue her father hadn't talked to her yet.  "Um, just someone I met over the trip, her name is...is Macie, Macie German"  She said quickly at the tip of her lips.  Trying to avoid any eye contact she stares into the door instead. 

"Oh ok, well have fun sweetie but don't be too late remember?"  Clove rolls her head around a bit with a tad nod.  By now she knew she had wasted like five minutes already to get to the diner so she jumps in her car and without putting her seatbelt she backs out of the drive way and drives down the street.  

 In arriving to the diner only a few cars remained in the parking lot.  Clove gathers her purse and that rested on her passenger seat and climbs out.  Clove was a nervous reck for she didn't know exactly how things would go with her and her father.  Would it be a time to really reconnect, or would it be like talking to a stranger?  She truly  had no thought in what would happen but it wasn't long till when she saw him sitting alone in a booth far from the entrance.  A man that looked so familiar yet a man she hardly knew about.  "Hi miss can I help you?"  Said the lady at the front who seated people to their tables.  Clove slightly jumped up and looked swiftly at her then at her father who saw her coming in. 

"Um no thank you, I'm with someone who is already here but thank you."

"Hey you made it!"  Said her father galloping towards her.  Clove clings onto her jean jacket in her arms and slightly smiles at her father who swoops her off the floor.  "I'm so happy you made it, you don't know how much I've missed you." 

Clove sweeps some of her dark hair out of her face and smiles.  "Glad I could make it, at first I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to."

Her father then leads her to the table where he sat waiting for her.  A cup of coffee was the only thing that laid on the table with a pair of sugar packets.  Clove slid on the opposite side of her father as he pulls himself in on the other.  "Can I get you anything to drink sweetie?"  Said a waitress you looked to be about fifty. Clove hated to be called sweetie, cutie pie, or dumpling but she knew it was all intentional by those who called her that so she had to pretend she could care less. 

"Can I just get some hot tea please with the side of lemon?"  The women nods greatly and writes it down on her little paper.  Clove watches the lady leave and walks into the kitchen. 

To start things off Daniel starts the conversation.  "So how are you?"  

Clove was still watching the waitress when she twisted herself to face him.  "I'm good, a bit tired from my trip.  I haven't been home for long."  Her father nods slowly.  In Cloves eyes she could tell her father looked a little rugged.  Maybe things were rough on him with his new job and trying to make ends meat.  "You look different then when I last saw you." 

He chuckles and puts down his coffee.  "Yeah with my new job I've been tied down a lot and keeping rent has been hard."  Just then Cloves tea comes to the table. 

"Here you go darling, be careful it's really hot."  Clove carefully pulls the hot brown mug closer in to herself and starts to breath into it.

"So you liking school?  Made any new friends yet?"  He says as he watches her blow into her mug.

Though Clove just shrugs her shoulders.  "School is school and no not really.  I still have the same friends I've known growing up." 

Daniel eases himself back into the red headboard mattress in a less of an ease.  "Oh so that would mean your still friends with Cato Marshall then huh?"  Without lifting up her head Clove raises her eyes at her father.  "Yeah is that a problem?"  He shakes his head innocently and unfolds his arms together.  

"No I guess not, I just figured you would have given up on him to being friends that's all.  I mean I always looked at Cato as someone was there for someone and then would leave.  Like he was just a player."

After breathing on her drink a couple more times the tea was the perfect temp to sip on with splash of lemon inside it.  "Well he's not like that and besides the last time you saw him he was like eight years old."  She said confidently.  "He's my friend dad, he's always has been there for me." 

In somewhat agreeing to this philosophy of Clove's he nods and looks out at the window on the left side of him.  "Okay well I just thought, but I guess I'm wrong."  Clove places her hands underneath the table with them clasped together.  She wasn't sure if this conversation was going to take them anywhere and she already was starting to loose on what to talk about next. 

"So how is the house coming?"  Holding under her breath.  

"It's going, I have a few things, a couch, some tables and chairs, a bed and some personal things.  I really haven't been there long but it's coming along."  He then pauses afraid to ask her the next question.  "You should come by sometime." 

Right away Clove answers in a strong yet confidant voice.  "Not sure if I can, it would be hard to let mom know I'm going to the house."  She then stumbled herself.  "Dad, why haven't you told mom about you being back yet?