Dad, Isaac and I all sat at the dinner table, Isaac's black eye healed, but I still had my cut on my cheek.
We were telling him about our grades as we ate.
"So, um, so far it's an A in French and B- in Econ," Isaac said.
"Oh," Dad said. "Natalie, what about you?"
"A in both," I answered.
"What about Chemistry?"
I looked down at the table, lying. "I'm not sure. Uh, midterms are in a few days, so it could go up."
"Well, what is it now?" Dad asked.
I looked up hesitantly. "The grade?"
"Uh, yeah."
I looked down again. "I'm not sure."
"Well, you just said it could go up."
"It's just--uh--" I pulled my light brown hair back from my face. "I meant generally."
"You wouldn't be lying to me, would you, Natalie?"
"No."
"Then tell me the grade."
"I just told you. I don't know."
"You wanna take this little conversation downstairs?" My eyes inched up, thinking about the freezer, and I felt Isaac's hand grab mine underneath the table reassuringly, so I shook my head. "No?" I shook my head again. "Then tell me the grade, Natalie."
I looked down again. "Dad, the semester's only half-over."
"Nata--"
"There's plenty of time to--"
"Natalie," Dad said even louder, cutting me off.
I sighed, finally telling him. "It's--It's a D."
He shrugged, going back to eating. "Fine. It's a D. I'm not angry." Isaac and I looked at each other in slight shock. "You know I'm gonna have to find a way to punish you, though, you know? I have my responsibilities as a father. So let's start with something simple. Like, uh, tell you what, you do up the dishes and clean the kitchen, okay?"
I sat back in shock, Isaac and I exchanging a look. "Yeah."
Why had I been so worried?
Dad sipped from his coffee mug before saying, "Good. 'Cause I'd really like to see this place spotless." At the last word, he tossed the mug to the ground with it shattering at the impact. "You know what I'm saying? You know, I mean this entire kitchen."
He slid all of the dishes off toward my side of the table, and I jumped back, going to the wall as Isaac dodged them too.
Right. This was the reason I had been worried.
"Absolutely--" Dad said as he threw a glass bowl, and I ducked as Isaac ran in front of me, ducking in front of me so I wouldn't get hurt from the glass shattering over our heads. "--spotless."
Isaac let go of me, turning toward Dad as I looked up to the glass in his cheek.
"Isaac," I whispered as he pulled it out.
"Well, that was your fault," Dad told him.
Isaac stood in front of me protectively, glaring at our dad. "You could've blinded her if I hadn't gotten in the way."
"Shut up. It's a scratch! It's hardly even--"
Dad cut himself off, staring at Isaac incredulously as Isaac touched his cheek. He looked down toward me.
