There's Something About Juvie

The Thrills (Part 2)

The audience caught me, then planted me safely onto my feet.

"AMAZING, Ash!"

"That was so cool!"

"Your outfit rocks!'

"OMG! I just love what you did with your hair today!"

"MARRY ME!"

I shrunk down a little bit. "Thanks guys, but you know...it was really Trent doing all the work.."

He shot me a glare. I mouthed "sorry" while the mob swarmed him.

I moved a safe distance from them, then sprinted away while I still could.

I sat down on the dock, then took off my shoes and dipped my feet into the lake water. I hissed with relief, then layed back on the dock, staring at the masses of twinkling lights in the sky.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" a voice asked.

"Chris?" I hesitantly asked.

He was relaxing on a float in the lake, drinking from a coconut. At night. Weirdo.

"Yep. Whatcha want, hon?"

Hon? Now this was getting really weird.

"Um, don't call me that."

"Yet, I have every right to-"

"Just because you own this show doesn't mean-"

"As your father."

I stared at him a moment, then busted out laughing.

"Oh, oh, GOD! HAhahahah! That's a good one! You're killing me-Chris?"

He hadn't joined in with my laughter, and was staring at me intently. 

I looked behind me, expecting to see gigantic cue cards or something, but it was only me and him.

"You're not serious, are you?"

He sighed, then set down his coconut.

"I wish I wasn't." 

"You're joking," I said, ogling him.

"I didn't know the right time to tell you, so I tried dropping hints-"

"So, you're really serious then?"

His grim expression confirmed it. 

I jumped to my feet, running my hands through my hair.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. No, no, no. This isn't happening. My dad IS NOT Chris McLean-"

"But I am."

"Shut it." I snapped.

I wrung my hands, pacing the dock. I had always had a speech prepared in case I ever met my real father, a nice talking-to to give him, but with this bombshell, all the words flew out of my head.

"It just..it's not..it's not real." I murmured, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Closing your eyes isn't gonna make it any less real. Grow a pair and get over it. You're a McLean." He snapped, climbing onto the dock.

"I'm a McCarthy!"

"That was an alias your mother created."

"I don't care. I could never live with you. Or be like you."

"Damn, I don't wanna live with you either! Do you know the burden of taking care of a child? It won't be the single life for me anymore! You'll be crushing my status, and then I'll be nothing. And newsflash, Ash. You already are like me. That over-confidence? Your cockiness? Where do you think you get that from, your mom?" he snorted.