Ruin Me

45. Surprise me

Grey and I entered the dormitories with my hair still dripping and mouth turned up in a smile that I couldn't push down however hard I tried. Until I saw my dad that is.

He stood in his doorway at the end of the corridor with a stack of papers tucked under one arm and a serious expression. I knew even before he opened his mouth what would happen next.

"Cara, can I speak to you for a moment?" he called and I groaned internally.

"I'll catch up with you," I told Grey who's eyes were flicking back and forth between me and my dad like he was watching a tennis match.

"'Kay," he mumbled and slunk off as I made my way over to my dad. Slowly he moved over to one side so I could pass by into the room. Then he shut the door behind him and stood in front of it. I couldn't tell whether this was subconscious or a deliberate attempt to stop me leaving but I suspected the latter.

"What's up?" I gave a forced smile that crumbled in the sour air between us.

"What's going on with you and that Grey boy?" He cut straight to the chase and I was glad for that.

"Nothing," I replied simply, "we're just friends."

"Are you sure because if I find out you're lying ..," he trailed off.

"You'll what?" My voice came out a lot harsher than I intended.

"Well," he shuffled clearly uncomfortable with this conversation, "we'd have to move you to a different corridor because it wouldn't be appropriate."

His face was even more red than mine, "you don't need to move me nothing's going on so I don't need this talk. Mom beat you to it anyway, I know all about the birds and the bees. Can I go now?"

"Umm..," he was trying to think of something else to say that could make me stay longer but I think his distaste for this conversation was winning out. "I guess that's everything so yes you can go."

"Great," I smiled cheerfully as I marched to the door behind him then I remembered the promise I'd made Mina, "actually I need to ask you something."

"Yes?" dad said a little too quickly. He was so eager to please me it hurt. I instantly felt awful because I could see how hard he was working to have a relationship with me and all I was doing was pushing him away out of no fault of his own. I just couldn't work out a way to let him in among all the chaos.

"A friend from school has asked me to sleep over this Friday, can I go?"

"Which friend?"

"Her name's Mina."

"I don't know," he considered thoughtfully, "I don't know this girl."

"She's not an axe murderer and she's a girl, I thought you'd be happy I was going," I went in for the classic guilt trip, "cause I'm stuck in here all the time I wanted to do something outside for once."

"Okay," the guilt trip never failed and my happiness at being allowed to go over shone my guilt.

"Thank you," I smiled gratefully as I tried to ignore the guilt that was twisting up my stomach. My manipulation burned like acid in my stomach and throat. Maybe I cared more than I initially thought I would.