Nick's Guide to Surviving High School

Chapter 4

Nick's POV

After being woken from my peaceful nap by my dad, we started on dinner while conversing lightly.

I loved my dad, he was all I had left in this stupid world. I didn't blame him for what happened, hell, he wasn't even there.

"How was work, Dad?" I asked while cutting up some vegetables for the vegetable stir fry. My dad hummed in thought, his head stuck in the fridge as he looked for... I'm not sure. I snuck a carrot to Sally, who grabbed it and took it back to her bed.

His head popped back out, and he returned to the stove with chicken. "It was alright, son, nothing too exciting happened. What about you, how was school?" He turned to look at me briefly before he returned to seasoning the chicken.

I turned my nose up a bit in distaste. I fucking hated chicken, that shit was disgusting.

"It was...interesting. I think I might have fucked up a bit, Dad," I said while barely dodging the hand that came to swat at my shoulder.

My dad didn't like it when I cussed but he gave up on trying to stop me. He snorted loudly, turning to put the chicken in the pan that I had put out for the vegetables. He ignored the glare I shot at him as he pulled the pan closer to him.

"What'd you do, make friends?" He asked it in a teasing voice, he knew my apprehension with people, but when I stiffened and didn't respond he whipped around to stare at me with an open mouth.

My dad was an attractive man, his peppered hair more due in part to stress than age. His skin was tan in complexion, which I envied because I was pale as shit. His eyes, which were hazel, were lined with wrinkles, indicating that he laughed a lot.

He was a kind man, and I had to clench my jaw to contain the anger that suddenly consumed me.

My dad didn't deserve this shit.

I watched as his eyes softened and he came towards me. I barely registered his hands on my face before I was yanked into his chest in a hug. I tried to contain the sob that ripped its way through my body but to no avail. Before I knew it, I was bawling my eyes out in my dad's arms.

I just didn't understand it. Why do bad things happen to good people?

After a while, my sobs subsided, but my dad's grip on me didn't waver. I was thankful, thankful that he didn't blame me. Also a little embarrassed because seriously, why am I crying?

"Dad," I managed to croak out after a second, "the food." My dad just chuckled before he hugged me tighter. "I turned the stove off, Nick. Besides, you're more important. It's not your fault Nick, you hear me? I don't blame you, son." Fuck, this man is about to make me cry again. I could always start crying at the most random moments.

He pulled me away from him, his hands rubbing away my tears before he turned back to the stove and his nasty ass chicken. I sighed.

Guess I should keep cooking.

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"So tell me about these friends of yours," My dad grumbled out past a mouthful of food. I scrunched my face up in disgust, averting my eyes before sighing deeply. I spotted Sally rolling around in her bed and it brought a small smile to my face.

"They aren't friends, dad. They're just people to hang around while I'm here. Oh! Speaking of which, I got a job," I told him, perking up in my seat after I remembered Abbie.

I told my dad about her, and by the end of my little ramble, he was eager to meet her, and for good reason. I could already tell that Abbie was a good woman, someone who would be there for me.