Polar Opposites

The Downfall

I wake up next to Alyssa's armpit in my face the next morning. I could smell her deodorant, but it smells good so it doesn't bother me. I take her arm out of my face and sit up. It was 6:15AM. I shook her awake. 

"Alyssa..." I whispered. She grumbled something and then flipped over on her stomach, snoring softly. I walk my two fingers up her back and tickle her neck. She jolts awake. 

"Huh!? Where are my noodles?" she asks sleepily, looking around the room. I raise an eyebrow at her in puzzlement. 

"What? Were you dreaming about noodles?" I ask. Her stomach rumbles loudly in response. I laugh loudly. She just looks at me with droopy eyes and a grumpy frown.

"I'm hungry.." she mutters, laying her head down on my lap. I brush the flyaway hairs and run my hands through her silky blonde hair. 

"Wanna go get breakfast?" she nods her head and so I help her up, walking downstairs. Mom isn't home but dad is sitting at the table, reading a magazine. He chuckles at something he reads then he looks up at us. My dad was one of those guys that you could mistake for a dirt biker. He stood at 6'2, hovering over anybody that comes his way. His hair was a shaggy dirty blonde that went over his eyes, covering his forehead like a blanket. He had on his glasses and he lowered them a bit to give a good stare at me and Alyssa.

"Good morning girls" he says politely. 

"Good morning uncle Richie." Alyssa greets, smiling. "I haven't seen you in a while." my dad takes off his glasses and rubs his tired eyes. 

"Yeah.. I've been working hard these past few days." he explains, giving a great big yawn. "Girls listen, I don't have time to make breakfast so you won't mind McDonalds for breakfast would ya?" my dad was from The Bronx so occasionally his accent would come out of the blue.  

"Yeah, that's fine dad" I say, nodding my head. Alyssa follows along. 

"Oh and another thing.. your mother told me that you were caught doing something you shouldn't have been doing.." I smile weakly at my dad and look at my bare feet. Alyssa just shuffles her feet shamefully. Dad puts down his magazine. 

"You know girls, Mariana is extremely disappointed. She said she's going out of town a bit to clear up her mind so she won't be back till Friday or Saturday" dad explains, wiping some of his hair out of his face. Without my dad's hair in the way of his eyes, he had emerald green eyes that went right through you. His eyes looked like real emeralds, ones that you would find in a deep cave. 

"What? Dad, that's crazy.. she..." my voice began to fade and I suddenly felt horrible. Alyssa took my hand and rubbed around the palm. Dad just looked at us as Alyssa attempted to calm me down. 

"Girls, I don't mind you two being together but please don't do public affection when mom comes back home okay?" my ears perked up. Did my dad just say it was okay to be with her? I wanted to shout for joy and do a musical number right here in the kitchen.

"You mean it dad?" I ask, smiling really big. 

"Of course pumpkin. If you're happy, then your tough ol' father is happy too." he said, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiles back at me. My dad may look like a tough cookie but he had a soft side to him as well. He looked hard on the inside, but was so chewy on the inside. I go over to my dad and give him a giant hug. 

"I love you dad..." I whisper in his ear. 

"I love you too cinnamon bun" he whispers back. My dad loved to give me food nicknames. Some days, he called me pumpkin or cinnamon bun. There was one time where he called me sugar plum or chocolate chip.