Spirit

Chapter 5: Puzzle Piece.
Lawren and I got off his bike and he took my hand as he walked me to my door. The bike wasn’t so romantic, but I didn’t care, the night was still perfect. Let me rephrase that: the whole day is perfect. It made me sad to know that it was coming to an end.
“Goodnight, Natalia,” he whispered when he got me to my door.
“Goodnight,” I whispered back and smiled.
Lawren leaned down to kiss me goodnight, but he was so tall that I had to stand on my toes to reach him. Then porch light flickered on and my over-protective dad peeked through the crack in the curtains, trying to be inconspicuous. I sighed, annoyed and Lawren chuckled. My dad was always okay with Lawren, but he was abruptly suspicious of Lawren’s new relationship and me. Whenever a boy would like me at school, he always found a way to find out. He’d tell me that he’d have a talk with the boy and the day after he does, the boy is completely scared of me. Or my dad.
“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“I have work,” he sighed.
“Oh, right,” I murmured. “I had a great night though! We have to go on another date soon,” I said and blushed.
“Of course!” he chuckled. He looked over to the window my dad was still at. I pulled Lawren to where my dad couldn’t see us and he quickly touched his lips to mine. The front door swung open and Lawren and I both jumped.
“Hi, Lawren!” my dad breathed. “Just coming out here to check on…” he looked around the porch “my plants.”
“Mom’s plants,” I corrected. Irritation leaked in my voice.
Lawren smiled and waved at him. “Hi, Mr. Wellington,” he murmured.
“Commin’ in?”
“Not tonight. My mom is expecting me home any minute.”
“Alright. Goodnight.” My dad seemed eager to see Lawren leave.
“Goodnight, Mr. Wellington. Goodnight, Natalia,” he said, caressing my name.
“Goodnight,” I murmured and smiled as I watched him pick up his bike. My dad looked at me and I blushed.
“C’mon, Natalia,” my dad said and put his arm around me and led me into the house. I turned around to wave at Lawren before my dad closed the door.
“Come sit with me, Natalia,” my dad said and sat down on the sofa. I sat down next to him.
“Yeah, dad?”
“I want to talk to you… about… boys.”
“Dad,” I sighed. “Are you going to give me a lecture about boys? I remember the one you gave me when I was in preschool. And Kindergarten. And first grade. And second. And third. And-”
“I’m your dad,” he interrupted. “And I have the right to give you any lecture I like. Even if I want to repeat it every year,” he said, triumphant.
“I’m seventeen years old,” I pointed out. “But go ahead if you like awkwardness…”
“Natalia, I know that things are more… devoted and… matured with you and Lawren and I want to tell you the… dangers of being in a relationship…”
“Oh my goodness! Dad!” I screeched and jumped up from the sofa. I didn’t see this kind of lecture coming. Usually it was just about kissing and holding hands and saying “I love you.” “What’re you saying? That I’m not in control of my hormones? I’m very mature for my age, dad. And I do have morals!”
“I know, I know. I’m not talking about you…. I’m talking about Lawren.”
“Dad,” I sighed. “Lawren is very mature too. If it makes you feel any better, Lawren and I talked about staying… pure when we were in junior high. And we both agreed that we’re both going to stay… pure until after we’re married.” Talking about this made my face turn bright red. I didn’t like talking to my family about this kind of stuff, let alone my father.
He nodded his head.
“So are we done?” I begged.
“Yeah, yeah,” he sighed. “Goodnight, honey.”
“Goodnight, daddy.”
I ran up the stairs before he can say anything else.
I unwillingly got ready for bed, smiling throughout the whole time. I couldn’t help but think about how surreal this day felt. How my fantasy finally came true. I’ve waited and hoped for so long for this day to finally come that I felt like screaming.
But there was still something inside of me. The feeling that I was still… empty. Like my life wasn’t complete and I was missing something. I thought that this feeling would go away after today, but it was still in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t know what I was missing, but I felt like there was something essential that I still needed in my life. It was like when your doing those puzzle’s with a thousand pieces and after months of trying to put it together, you realize that your missing one piece. You get so frustrated and you want to find that piece so bad and finish the puzzle, but you don’t know where the piece is.
I just wanted to find the missing puzzle piece in my life.
Whatever it is.