Dork Diaries: Next Generation

Welcome Home

Recap :

Josh, Brandy's ex, had blackmail against her and has been holding it over her head for months.

Jessica tried helping Brandy retrieve and delete the blackmail, but used it as revenge instead, releasing it to the press.

Trying to seek comfort and ease her boredom and Jessica's rudeness, Brandy goes to Taylor, trying to have some bf/gf fun (wink wonk). He turns her down, admitting to cheating on her with Vanessa.

Brandy and Rick end up falling for each other, and Josh won't stop harassing her.

After filming in another country for a while, Brandon and Nikki finally come home. Brandon releases his own blackmail on Josh to finally get him to leave... But how did he get the blackmail in the first place?

It's 2:47 when Mom and Pop-pop get home and start shooing out the party guests. Mom had called each and every guests' drivers an hour in advance at the country club to make sure they all got home safely. Everyone was an emotional, drunk mess. That's what Pop-pop told me. I laughed at the thought of perfect, posh people falling apart in a drunken stupor. They weren't so perfect anymore.

Rick had fallen asleep in the game room. One of those juvenile horndogs drew all kinds of lewd things on his face. And as rude as it was, I didn't want to clean it off. I want to see his reaction in the morning when he's hungover and sober. I call his mother and tell her he'll be back tomorrow. Then I head into the livingroom to help clean.

Bob hands me and Pop-pop a trash bag, and we both get to work on picking up stray Solo cups.

"That was a funny thing you did tonight," I say. "Interesting. A little rude. But funny."

"You think so?" he asks tiredly.

"Yeah. I can't help but wonder where you got the projector from. It couldn't have been from the theater room."

"No, it was not." I narrow my eyes at him.

"And Josh's texts. You never told me you had those on stand-by. You're supposed to tell me everything."

He pauses from cleaning and laughs. "Not everything, Powerpuff."

I roll me eyes. "Where did you get the texts from, Dad?"

He stops in his tracks, dropping his bag of trash. "What did you just call me?" he says quietly... threateningly.

"Dad." His Adam's apple bobs in an angry gulp. "How long have you had his messages? And how did you get them?"

He doesn't answer immediately, and I can't help but think the worst. Did he know Josh was blackmailing girls before tonight?

"You knew, didn't you? And you wait until tonight to out him? Dad, you know how bad I look in the press," I yell. "Hell, a family went bankrupt, and you just sat idly by with the solution. You didn't do a damn thing about it."

"Brandy, honey, listen —"

"No." I drop my trash bag. "Fuck this. Fuck you."

I grab my jacket, phone, and car keys and walk out of the door.

*~*~*~*

No one is awake. Not Terra or Erin. They were both at the party and could barely stand up straight when it was over. Not Rick. Not any of my aunts or uncles... or so I thought.

I drove to the nearest park and sat in the grass. Not to look at stars. I'm too angry to relax and look at stars. I stare at a swing, pushing back and forth as a small breeze moves it.

Out of nowhere, Auntie Mac sat next to me. I almost pepper sprayed her.

"He knew the entire time, Mac. Did he think it would be a funny way to punish me or something?"

She lets out a heavy sigh.

"I think he was just trying to build his case, you know? Get just enough dirt on Josh to make him seem that much more terrible," she says.

I scoff. It didn't make any sense. He could have saved so many people so much trouble if he'd done something about it earlier. And on top of that, he never told me a thing.

Jessica leaked my blackmail; Josh was harassing me; my reputation was shot. And it was all Pop-pop's — Dad's — fault. I can't trust him anymore. Hell, I can barely stand living in the same house with him. The thought of going back home makes my stomach sick. But the night isn't over, and I would give almost anything just to finish the day out.

*~*~*~*

Auntie Mac drove behind me on the way home; she is spending the night as well. Dad is waiting for me at the door, ready to justify himself. I walk right past him and up the stairs, not caring for anything he had to say. If he didn't want to be close and tell me things, I'd give him exactly that.

I emphasize my anger with a slam of my bedroom door. I packed a few outfits and hygiene essentials into a small suitcase. I'll be staying with Terra for the next few weeks starting tomorrow, I've decided.

Welcome home, Pop-pop.