Like Father Like Son

Hangovers are the Worst

I woke up feeling like shit. I was nauseous and my head was pounding. The sunlight flooding in through my blinds hurt my eyes, so I pulled my blanket over my head and groaned. I suddenly heard my door open, resulting in another groan.
"Morning sunshine" God, did he have to talk so loudly. I turned my body away from my door and covered my ears. I guess dad didn't get the hint cause I suddenly felt a dip in my bed.
"Go away" I whined. Dad just chuckled.
"Doesn't work that way bud. I'm sure you learned your lesson though, so I'm just trying to help"
"You're talking to loud"
"Sorry" he said, lowering his voice. "Here's some Advil and some water. Make sure to drink plenty, you're probably dehydrated" He tapped on my bedside table and I looked up to see what he mentioned was sitting there. "Get some rest. We'll talk later" He then got up and left the room. Why was he being so nice?

It took me a moment to find the energy to sit up. Once I did, I took the Advil and guzzled down the water. Maybe I drank too fast, cause next thing I knew I was running to the bathroom. Dad was standing in front of the mirror fixing his hair. I quickly fell to my knees and proceeded to get sick into the toilet. I expected dad to say something or leave, but instead he got down on one knee to rub my back.
"You're alright" he cooed. I don't get it. Did I apologize last night? Did we talk while I was drunk? Or is he hiding something?

I felt slightly better once I was finished getting sick. Dad left me to go make breakfast, so I decided to jump into the shower. My headache was still there, but not as bad. After my shower I went to my closet to pick out some clothes. I still wasn't feeling great, so I put on some grey sweatpants and a black hoodie. I really just wanted to crawl back into bed, but I decided to go down the kitchen instead and see what dad was making.

I found dad standing by the stove cooking something.
"Brewed up some coffee" he told me, not turning away from the pan. I walked over to the coffee pot and grabbed a coffee cup out of the cabinet right above it.  I filled my cup and went to the fridge for some milk.
"Feeling better?" Asked dad.
"Little bit" I mumbled. I poured some milk into my coffee before putting it back in the fridge. After stirring my coffee with a spoon, I walked over to the dining table and took a seat.

I looked up to see dad had finished cooking and was grabbing plates. I watched him pick up the pan and use the spatula to move the eggs he cooked onto the plates. He then walked over to our pantry and grabbed the bread before walking over to the toaster.
"The coffee should help" he said as he popped two pieces in. He leaned against the counter as he waited for them to cook. I still didn't understand why he was so calm. He should be mad at me, I was mad at me.

Once the toast was ready, dad placed them on the plates and carried them to the table. He handed me my plate before placing his across from me. He went back to the kitchen to grab two forks before finally sitting down with me. I took my fork from him but didn't feel like eating.
"You know" he said "you really should eat something"
I just kept staring at my plate.
"Why are you being so nice?" I finally asked, my voice weak with sadness. Dad put his fork down and reached out for my hand.
"Cause I'm your father. And it's my job to make sure your okay"
"But aren't you mad?"  Tears formed in my eyes as I spoke.
"Of course I'm upset, and a little angry. But I know if I scream and yell, you're going to feel worse. And talking to you when your not feeling well won't work cause your mind isn't clear yet"
"So I'm still in trouble?"
"Yes Parker. We'll talk about that later. Now eat before you feel sick again"

Dad and I ate our breakfast in silence. Once we finished, I agreed to put the dishes in the dishwasher while he headed to his office. I swear that man is always working. I still wasn't feeling great so I went to go lay on the couch. After putting some relaxing music on my phone, I placed it on the coffee table and closed my eyes, hoping to feel better with some more rest.

I didn't even realize I fell asleep until I saw the clock. It was two in the afternoon. Dad must still be working. I sat up and stretched my arms above my head. I was starting to feel like myself again, which was nice. I stood up and stretched my back before walking over to the office.

The office door was closed so I gave it a light knock
"Come in"
I opened the door slowly and saw dad put his phone down and close the notebook in front of him.
"Hey dad" I said as I walked in and took a seat across from him.
"Hey bud, how are you feeling" he asked.
"I think I'm starting to feel okay now"
"That's good" he clasped his hands together on the desk. "You know, you really scared me last night"
"I know dad. I'm really sorry" I hung my head down in shame, trying not to cry.
"What were you thinking? You've never acted up like that before. And I was so disappointed when I saw you were drinking, I expect much better from you" I could tell from his tone he was getting upset and tense.
"I don't know dad. Daisy said Cody would be there there and I..."
"Cody?" He asked, cutting me off. "Is that the boy I saw you with?" I forgot I was about to kiss him when dad arrived.
"Uh, yeah. I guess I wanted to see him" I said sadly.
"Son, I don't care if your in love with another boy. What upset me is that you snuck out of the house to see him, and I don't want you dating anyone who pressures you to drink"
"He didn't pressure me at all! Someone else handed me the drink and I guess I wanted to blend in. He doesn't even know I snuck out" I don't know why I was defending him, it just made me look worse.
"You know, I had a surprise for you when you graduated. If you act up again before that day comes, your not getting the surprise at all" A surprise? I tilted my head in curiosity, but he said nothing more about it. I knew better then to bug him about it.
"I promise dad, I'll behave the rest of the school year" I held my hand out for him, and he grabbed my hand and we shook. It was our way of making promises to each other. I couldn't disappoint him anymore.