Back In Your Head

“You just wait until November.” Kennedy said warningly as I got out of his grip to walk over to the chair to grab my cardigan off of it.

“Why November?” I asked as I slipped the material on and took out the hair that was tucked in it.

“I’ll be participating in ‘No Shave November.”

“Ugh, Novembeard.” I groaned and slouched a bit in exaggeration.

“You got it, babe.” He said winking at me.

“Whatever.” I said playfully rolling my eyes.

“So, what shall we do in the meantime?”

“I don’t know.” I said all of sudden without an idea of what to do before the dinner I was dreading to have with my dad later tonight. Then I remembered about Garrett and everyone else that Kennedy already knows that live here. “Oh! I know.”

“What?” He asked.

“Let’s go meet up with some people.”

“Some people? What’d I tell you about strangers?” Kennedy said trying to act like a parent.

“Oh, cut it out, Kenny. I mean Garrett, um, Jared, and um, Pat!” I said trying to remember names.

“You know them?” He asked surprised that I knew other people than himself. It seemed kind of rude, but I guess I could see why he reacted like that. I wasn’t really a social person without him or tried to get to know anyone for that matter. I’m surprised I even made an attempt to get to know everyone that night.

“Yeah, I actually met Garrett when I used to live here and turns out he helps my dad around. Then he invited me to hang out the other day and he introduced me to his friends that apparently know who you are.” I explained.

He nodded and approved of that story then said: “Okay, I wish you told me you knew someone named Garrett I might’ve brought you along with me here whenever I had a show.”

“Well, it never came up to my mind.” I shrugged and picked up my phone texting Garrett to make plans. A few minutes later he responded with plans.

Kennedy and I got back maybe twenty minutes before the dinner with my dad from our hang out with Garrett and Natalie. The other guys were busy today, but we all agreed to meet up on Friday anyways where the guys would have some as Garrett said and I quote: “fucking awesome news.” He seemed really excited about it and it only increased my curiosity about what they had to reveal.

“Ugh, I really don’t want to do this.” I groaned as I lied down on my bed with my arm covering my eyes. I felt the bed dip to my left and I peeked from under my arm to see that Kennedy had lied down next to me. He removed my arm from my face.

“It can’t be that bad.”

“It will. He’ll try and find some flaw in you, which I believe there isn’t a single thing, but knowing him he will try and make you seem like the bad guy.” I frowned knowing my father’s quick judgment.

“Stop worrying about that. All dad's are like that. I’ll take care of whatever he may have against me.” He reassured as he cupped my right cheek to face him. I just nodded and closed my eyes as he leaned in to plant a simple kiss on my lips. We heard a honk outside and we understood that it was my dad awaiting us outside. Kennedy and I got up off from the bed and headed out to the front.

My dad picked a simple Italian restaurant. No surprise to me though. Italian food might be the only thing he knows that is my favorite about myself.

“So, I’m sure you both know the reason to why I made reservations here tonight.” My dad said being the first to speak up out of the three of us. When neither Kennedy or I responded quick enough my dad finished speaking. “I wanted to get to know you, Kennedy. You obviously mean a lot to my daughter and her mom tells me good things about you.”

“Really?” Kennedy asked after he swallowed the food in his mouth and I began eyeing my dad wondering where this would go. Although, I already knew where it might head.

“Yes, she says you’ve done so many things for her.”

“I have done some things-” Kennedy answered, but he was cut off.

“Don’t you think Amy is capable of doing things herself though?” My dad said back and there it goes. I looked over to Kennedy and his eyes just widened at what my dad said. He clearly thought Kennedy was treating me like a child and had complete control over me. This is why I can’t see myself having a good relationship with my father.

“Oh, no sir! It’s not like that-” Kennedy quickly jumped to defend himself.

“So you don’t think she is capable of doing things on her own is what you’re trying to tell me.”

Kennedy’s mouth opened and closed trying to think of the right words to say, but he was struggling. I felt bad. I rarely witnessed Kennedy in this state. He was at loss of words. He couldn’t assert to the situation quick enough like he usually did. He turned to face me and I gave him a sympathetic gesture. I had warned him my dad would be like this. I would get up and walk away, but my dad was our ride here and we weren’t exactly near the house. Kennedy turned back to face my dad and spoke up.

“That’s not what I was trying to say.” He said quietly.

“I don’t know you that well, Kennedy, but you seem to have my daughter wrapped around your finger and she needs to be independent. You’ve been in my home for about three days now and all I’ve been observing is that you’re treating her as if she were a child.”

After my dad said those words I noticed Kennedy slouch in his seat feeling embarrassed by my dad’s words and as much as I wanted to yell at him I didn’t want to cause a scene. So, I continued to pick at my food with the fork in my right hand while my other hand on my lap moved over to Kennedy’s theigh gently rubbing it for reassurance. I quickly felt him grab my hand and hold onto it.

When we got home Kennedy and I got in the house before my dad did. Kennedy darted up the stairs with my hand in his, but I stopped at the bottom. When he felt dead weight he looked back with a confused expression.

“You go on. I need to talk to him.” I said and he nodded letting go of my hand as my dad walked in the front door. I didn’t give him time to settle in I just spat out what I had to say. “What the heck was that, dad?”

“What are you talking about?” He asked, taking off his coat.

“The dinner. You just made Kennedy feel bad about himself.”

“He should feel bad.”

“Why?”

“All he does is boss you around and treat you like a kid, Amy.”

“He does not! You don’t know anything about him. It may seem like he does that, but I need him. He's helped me through so much and he's taught me a lot of things you weren't able to do or while mom was away. You said the whole purpose of this dinner was for you to try and get to know him, but all you did was try to degrade him and you've successfully done that!”

“I can’t get to know a complete stranger, if I don’t even know my own daughter.”

“That’s what this is about? You’re just annoyed with the fact that he has my attention? Well, dad, you just gave Kennedy even more of my attention. You made the one person I feel strongly for like crap. You say you want to get to know me and I know you invited me out here to do just that. I didn’t want to even come here. Mom wouldn’t even had forced me. It was Kennedy that made me go. You had years to try and get to know me and if you still want to do that you need to get through the first step and accept that Kennedy is always going to be by my side whether you like it or not. He’s not going anywhere.” I said all together and quickly ran up the stairs to try and comfort my boyfriend.