Terrible Things
Chapter 5
**FAST FORWARD 2 MONTHS**
It's now November, almost Thanksgiving. Halloween was just like every other year, taking the girls trick-or-treating. I see Brandon in school, but I don't talk to him. I'm starting to get closer to my dad. It's hard because I've never had a stable adult in my life that I don't want to strangle with my bare hands.
"So I was thinking that maybe you would like to have Thanksgiving with me this year." My dad said as we walked through the park.
"Really?"
"Well it beats eating alone."
"I'll join you for some supper." I said making my voice sound weird.
"Let's get lunch at that diner you always used to go too."
"Oh how about we don't."
"Too late." He said as we walked towards the town area.
"You want me to be miserable don't you?" I asked as he opened the door for me. We picked a table and sat down. It turns out my dad knew the owner. Brandon's dad. Yay. "Nick! How are ya?"
"I'm good, Dave. How are you? How's Linda?"
"We're all great. She's doing better."
"That's wonderful to hear. I always knew she was gonna beat it."
"Who is this beautiful lady?"
"This is my daughter, Sophia."
"Daughter? I didn't know you had a daughter."
"Yes I do. How's your son by the way?"
"He's good. He became different though, when Linda got sick. But now he's slowly getting back to normal. I bet Sophia knows him. Do you know Brandon Cooper?"
"Oh yes."
"He's actually here, I can call him over here. BRANDON. COME HERE."
"Oh god please no." I mumbled under my breath. My dad heard me.
"Ahh here's my boy." Brandon looked tired. And his hair was sticking up. He was wearing a grey t shirt and pants. He had a small waist apron on so I could tell that his dad was making him bus tables today. "Brandon, you remember Dr. White."
"Yeah, hello sir nice to see you again."
"Same here." My dad said as he shook his hand.
"You know my daughter, Sophia." Shut up, Nick. Shut up.
"Yeah. Hey." He said and looked at me.
"Hello..." I said kinda awkwardly. I couldn't make eye contact with him.
"Alright well, I'll send a waitress over and leave you kids to it!"
"Thank you." My dad said as they left us. The waitress came and took our orders. There was an awkward silence. "So...is he like a boyfriend or something?"
"Oh god dad no."
"An ex?" I just slammed my face down on the table.
"Look honey I'm new to the whole 'being a father of a 16 year old girl'. I need to know these things." "He's not my ex or boyfriend or friend. He's just a guy that I know from school." The waitress gave us our drinks and told us our good would be here soon.
"Mhmm...well with the way he was and is looking at you I would've thought you two...y'know..."
"No I don't know. What are you implying."
"I was a teen once too and I know that some things kids don't find comfortable sharing with their parents, especially their fathers. But I'm a cool dad, you can tell me these things." Oh my god. My dad thinks Brandon and I...oh god.
"No dad oh my god no!! I've never ever...no." A look of relief washed over his face as our good arrived. We both started eating.
"Thank god I thought I was going to have to beat some teenage boys ass. Remind me to have a little chat with him before we leave."
"Can you not?"
"What? I just wanna tell him what I think."
"Think about what?" I said as I took a sip of my drink.
"Him. And you." I rolled my eyes.
"There is no 'him and me' dad..."
"Not yet. Oh he's looking over in this direction."
"Really OMG dad please stop."
"Just kidding. You should have seen how red your face got."
It's now November, almost Thanksgiving. Halloween was just like every other year, taking the girls trick-or-treating. I see Brandon in school, but I don't talk to him. I'm starting to get closer to my dad. It's hard because I've never had a stable adult in my life that I don't want to strangle with my bare hands.
"So I was thinking that maybe you would like to have Thanksgiving with me this year." My dad said as we walked through the park.
"Really?"
"Well it beats eating alone."
"I'll join you for some supper." I said making my voice sound weird.
"Let's get lunch at that diner you always used to go too."
"Oh how about we don't."
"Too late." He said as we walked towards the town area.
"You want me to be miserable don't you?" I asked as he opened the door for me. We picked a table and sat down. It turns out my dad knew the owner. Brandon's dad. Yay. "Nick! How are ya?"
"I'm good, Dave. How are you? How's Linda?"
"We're all great. She's doing better."
"That's wonderful to hear. I always knew she was gonna beat it."
"Who is this beautiful lady?"
"This is my daughter, Sophia."
"Daughter? I didn't know you had a daughter."
"Yes I do. How's your son by the way?"
"He's good. He became different though, when Linda got sick. But now he's slowly getting back to normal. I bet Sophia knows him. Do you know Brandon Cooper?"
"Oh yes."
"He's actually here, I can call him over here. BRANDON. COME HERE."
"Oh god please no." I mumbled under my breath. My dad heard me.
"Ahh here's my boy." Brandon looked tired. And his hair was sticking up. He was wearing a grey t shirt and pants. He had a small waist apron on so I could tell that his dad was making him bus tables today. "Brandon, you remember Dr. White."
"Yeah, hello sir nice to see you again."
"Same here." My dad said as he shook his hand.
"You know my daughter, Sophia." Shut up, Nick. Shut up.
"Yeah. Hey." He said and looked at me.
"Hello..." I said kinda awkwardly. I couldn't make eye contact with him.
"Alright well, I'll send a waitress over and leave you kids to it!"
"Thank you." My dad said as they left us. The waitress came and took our orders. There was an awkward silence. "So...is he like a boyfriend or something?"
"Oh god dad no."
"An ex?" I just slammed my face down on the table.
"Look honey I'm new to the whole 'being a father of a 16 year old girl'. I need to know these things." "He's not my ex or boyfriend or friend. He's just a guy that I know from school." The waitress gave us our drinks and told us our good would be here soon.
"Mhmm...well with the way he was and is looking at you I would've thought you two...y'know..."
"No I don't know. What are you implying."
"I was a teen once too and I know that some things kids don't find comfortable sharing with their parents, especially their fathers. But I'm a cool dad, you can tell me these things." Oh my god. My dad thinks Brandon and I...oh god.
"No dad oh my god no!! I've never ever...no." A look of relief washed over his face as our good arrived. We both started eating.
"Thank god I thought I was going to have to beat some teenage boys ass. Remind me to have a little chat with him before we leave."
"Can you not?"
"What? I just wanna tell him what I think."
"Think about what?" I said as I took a sip of my drink.
"Him. And you." I rolled my eyes.
"There is no 'him and me' dad..."
"Not yet. Oh he's looking over in this direction."
"Really OMG dad please stop."
"Just kidding. You should have seen how red your face got."