The Color of Darkness COMPLETE NOVEL

Hurricane

The night before we left, I still hadn't told my dad about any of it.

I wasn't sure quite how to break it to him without him freaking out and/or absolutely refusing to let me go with them. Due to the vitality of our mission, I opted instead to just head out on the road and deal with the consequences upon our return. The thought made me nervous, but I couldn't really see any other option. My friends needed me--especially Nova--and I wasn't about to let them down because my dad thought he couldn't trust me.

I also avoided packing until almost midnight as well. I wasn't sure if I hoped they would decide to back out or not, but I, for one, still wasn't a hundred percent committed. I wanted Nova to have closure, of course, but something about her being near her father--living, or not--made me uncomfortable for some reason. The Nova that existed before we met was a variable I had never experienced, and a variable I wasn't sure I wanted to see.

I was sorting through my laundry, trying to decide what all I needed for colder weather (Seattle was rainy, right?) when my dad appeared in my doorway. I didn't notice him at first. he must have stood there for a few minutes before he finally cleared his throat and I jumped nearly a foot in the air as I turned around to face him.

"Going somewhere?" The question was simple and his tone was even, but I instantly felt my blood run cold. I mumbled something about staying over at Rick's place. He let me fumble around with my lies for a moment before he finally put his hand up and sighed. "Mike called me and told me what happened. So, when were you planning on telling me about your little escapade? Tonight? Tomorrow morning? Or were you even planning on telling me at all?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it. I found I couldn't look him in the eye, so I just looked down at the floor instead. Dad came in a couple steps and gestured to the bed.

"Sit."

"Dad--"

"Andy, please. Sit."

I sat down, still looking at my feet and dreading the worst. My dad never really got mad. He never yelled, and he had never physically punished me in my life. The disappointment in his voice made me want to crawl in a hole, though. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat but my mouth was a desert.

"Why?" He sat down next to me and settled his knees on his elbows, hands clasped together. "Could you just tell me why you weren't going to say anything? Considering everything that could go horribly wrong if I never found out where you were?"

"I'm pretty sure you were going to refuse to let me go," I said, hoping my voice didn't sound as small as I thought it did. "You've never trusted me to look after myself even though I'm not a kid anymore... you didn't even let me stay here alone for Christmas!"

"Did you really want to spend Christmas alone?" My dad asked pointedly, giving me a look. "Besides, leaving you alone in the house for almost a week with Natalie right next door? I wanted Sandy and Mike to keep an eye on you two." I felt my face turn red and I stammered for words. He just chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not blind, you know. Your mother and I were teenagers once, too."

That thought struck me as very odd, for some reason. I knew they had started seeing each other in high school, but I had never imagined that my own parents could have been my age, it was too hard to imagine.

"Aww, come on, Dad! I'm not... no way!" I threw up my hands and then buried my face in them, wondering just how much he knew.

"I know you're not stupid, Andy. That's the problem: you know exactly how much trouble not to get in. Your mother and I had plenty of talks about this when you were a kid. I don't even bother asking you where you're going, or even what you're up to anymore."