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Coming Of Age
Part Two
August 31st—7:32 pm—My bedroom
Lord knows how in the world my father, who I haven’t seen in seven years, was able to get my new bedroom to be completely…perfect.
I’d never seen such an ambitious feat in my entire life. The walls were painted dark purple and there was a big window overlooking the concrete sidewalk surrounding the condominium complex. Strings of clear Christmas lights hung around the room, and overtop of the vanity, which was mint green and perfect for doing my makeup. There was a closet, and a dresser, and breezy sea foam colored curtains. My bed was a queen size—so much bigger than the one at mom’s place—with a purple and gray damask comforter and huge fluffy matching pillows. My deadbeat dad certainly blew my expectations out of the water.
Dad, himself, seemed pretty chill. He was late to picking me up from the airport (typical), and he drove a dark green Toyota Camry with the windows down. He greeted me as if we were best friends seeing each other after a year apart at college. His hair was abnormally dark for a forty-six year old—probably because he wasn’t that involved in the whole parenting-and-gray thing—and I could see his gross nipple piercings through his thin green t-shirt. He had gotten them pierced for his 40th birthday, along with the cheesy Superman emblem tattoo on his upper arm.
“Do you like your room, princess?” dad asked affectionately.
“You got it so…right.” I stood there gaping for like ten minutes.
“You’ve gotten so grown up! So beautiful!” he exclaimed, tousling my wavy hair. At least I got some appreciation for my looks here.
“Dad, I look like crap.” I argued bashfully.
“I’ll let you get moved in. I’m making your old favorite for din. Potato chip chicken!” he grinned. I gave him a huge fake smile. I was anticipating a lot of throwback comments to when I had visitation with him before he moved. “Let me know if you need anything. We’ll catch up over food!”
The moment dad left the room, I pulled out my cell phone. I had one voicemail. Mom? Curiously, I pressed the “1” button on my phone and listened.
“Hey gorgeous, it’s Trev. Didn’t see you at the coffee shop today, so I called your house and found out you moved to Florida. What the fuck, Zoe? You just up and left without saying goodbye? I’m gonna miss you! Call me back, or we can have Skype sex or something. ‘Bye.”
I sighed. Trev was my only friend from my old school and a few months ago we started dabbling in a friends-with-benefits relationship, sans sex of course. I didn’t really think much about leaving Trev behind. I was beginning to feel guilty about how hooking up with him in the back of his mom’s minivan made me feel. I was going to miss the attention though.
Somewhere between stocking the vanity with beauty products and organizing my shoes in my new closet, it occurred to me; I could be anyone I wanted to be here. As far as the kids at Lauder dale High knew, I was the most popular girl at my old school. Plus, with my gay dad, style tips would not be that difficult to obtain.
My dad called me for dinner about forty-five minutes later. That was when he laid down the “ground rules”
“First, you don’t have a curfew. You’re almost eighteen, I think you are responsible enough to know when you need to be home.”
“You think so?” I asked, taking a bite of his famous potato chip chicken, which was still the most delicious thing I had ever eaten. It was the only thing dad could cook. He was mostly a takeout man. I lived on pasta and things that could be microwaved, so we might be ordering in on the food front.
“You have a good head on your shoulders, princess.” He flashed me a grin, “Also, you have to keep your grades up, or the reigns will be tightened. I had to promise your mom that.” He rolled his eyes. Mom and dad always had different parenting styles.
“Naturally.” I nodded.
“I found you a car” he added.
“What kind of car?” I asked excitedly. Up in Leesburg I drove a beat up 2000 Saturn which was always broken. I loved that thing to death.
“It’s a surprise.” He said, “You’ll have it to drive to school tomorrow.”
“Sweet.” I grinned. I hoped it was a Mustang. A Mustang would be cool.
“I think your credits from your old school transferred.” He took a bite of his chicken and chewed it daintily.
“I wonder what my schedule is.” I replied. Most students got to choose their schedule, but since I was a last transfer, the administration gods had my fate in their hands.
“You’ll find out tomorrow. More chicken?” he asked, spearing a piece of meat with his fork and offering it to me.
“No thanks. I’m trying to watch my weight.” I admitted.
“What?” dad seemed shocked, “Your mother is sending you those messages, right?” he rolled his eyes, “Zo, you look perfect. Now eat!”
Dad was so cool. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t gone to live with him sooner.
So now I’m lying in my bed and I just realized I hadn’t heard from my mom yet. Either she was giving me space (not likely) or was really, really pissed off at me still.
Lord knows how in the world my father, who I haven’t seen in seven years, was able to get my new bedroom to be completely…perfect.
I’d never seen such an ambitious feat in my entire life. The walls were painted dark purple and there was a big window overlooking the concrete sidewalk surrounding the condominium complex. Strings of clear Christmas lights hung around the room, and overtop of the vanity, which was mint green and perfect for doing my makeup. There was a closet, and a dresser, and breezy sea foam colored curtains. My bed was a queen size—so much bigger than the one at mom’s place—with a purple and gray damask comforter and huge fluffy matching pillows. My deadbeat dad certainly blew my expectations out of the water.
Dad, himself, seemed pretty chill. He was late to picking me up from the airport (typical), and he drove a dark green Toyota Camry with the windows down. He greeted me as if we were best friends seeing each other after a year apart at college. His hair was abnormally dark for a forty-six year old—probably because he wasn’t that involved in the whole parenting-and-gray thing—and I could see his gross nipple piercings through his thin green t-shirt. He had gotten them pierced for his 40th birthday, along with the cheesy Superman emblem tattoo on his upper arm.
“Do you like your room, princess?” dad asked affectionately.
“You got it so…right.” I stood there gaping for like ten minutes.
“You’ve gotten so grown up! So beautiful!” he exclaimed, tousling my wavy hair. At least I got some appreciation for my looks here.
“Dad, I look like crap.” I argued bashfully.
“I’ll let you get moved in. I’m making your old favorite for din. Potato chip chicken!” he grinned. I gave him a huge fake smile. I was anticipating a lot of throwback comments to when I had visitation with him before he moved. “Let me know if you need anything. We’ll catch up over food!”
The moment dad left the room, I pulled out my cell phone. I had one voicemail. Mom? Curiously, I pressed the “1” button on my phone and listened.
“Hey gorgeous, it’s Trev. Didn’t see you at the coffee shop today, so I called your house and found out you moved to Florida. What the fuck, Zoe? You just up and left without saying goodbye? I’m gonna miss you! Call me back, or we can have Skype sex or something. ‘Bye.”
I sighed. Trev was my only friend from my old school and a few months ago we started dabbling in a friends-with-benefits relationship, sans sex of course. I didn’t really think much about leaving Trev behind. I was beginning to feel guilty about how hooking up with him in the back of his mom’s minivan made me feel. I was going to miss the attention though.
Somewhere between stocking the vanity with beauty products and organizing my shoes in my new closet, it occurred to me; I could be anyone I wanted to be here. As far as the kids at Lauder dale High knew, I was the most popular girl at my old school. Plus, with my gay dad, style tips would not be that difficult to obtain.
My dad called me for dinner about forty-five minutes later. That was when he laid down the “ground rules”
“First, you don’t have a curfew. You’re almost eighteen, I think you are responsible enough to know when you need to be home.”
“You think so?” I asked, taking a bite of his famous potato chip chicken, which was still the most delicious thing I had ever eaten. It was the only thing dad could cook. He was mostly a takeout man. I lived on pasta and things that could be microwaved, so we might be ordering in on the food front.
“You have a good head on your shoulders, princess.” He flashed me a grin, “Also, you have to keep your grades up, or the reigns will be tightened. I had to promise your mom that.” He rolled his eyes. Mom and dad always had different parenting styles.
“Naturally.” I nodded.
“I found you a car” he added.
“What kind of car?” I asked excitedly. Up in Leesburg I drove a beat up 2000 Saturn which was always broken. I loved that thing to death.
“It’s a surprise.” He said, “You’ll have it to drive to school tomorrow.”
“Sweet.” I grinned. I hoped it was a Mustang. A Mustang would be cool.
“I think your credits from your old school transferred.” He took a bite of his chicken and chewed it daintily.
“I wonder what my schedule is.” I replied. Most students got to choose their schedule, but since I was a last transfer, the administration gods had my fate in their hands.
“You’ll find out tomorrow. More chicken?” he asked, spearing a piece of meat with his fork and offering it to me.
“No thanks. I’m trying to watch my weight.” I admitted.
“What?” dad seemed shocked, “Your mother is sending you those messages, right?” he rolled his eyes, “Zo, you look perfect. Now eat!”
Dad was so cool. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t gone to live with him sooner.
So now I’m lying in my bed and I just realized I hadn’t heard from my mom yet. Either she was giving me space (not likely) or was really, really pissed off at me still.