Status: moved here from quizilla.
Bella
sixteen
“I don’t like that boy.” After being by my side to deliver the news of us dating, Acel went home. “Bella, he’s bringing the worst out of you. I don’t like—”
I exhaled sharply, frustrated. “I don’t care what you like and what you don’t like. I sneak out one morning, one morning which happened to be this morning, and you’ve been on my case ever since. What has Acel done to you?”
“For one, he’s taken my little girl from me,” Dad stated. “And what happened to you telling us where you are at all times?”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and went to my text messages, opening the thread of our text messages. I showed it to him. “Last message I sent you said, ‘Dad, I’m going on a date with Acel.’ How did I not tell you where I was? I told you who I was with. Isn’t that enough?”
“Bella, I—”
“I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m sixteen years old, Dad. I’ll be seventeen in less than a month. Better yet, I’ll be a senior in less than two months. I’m not that five-year-old little girl that I used to be. I’m not the little girl that used to sneak into your bedroom at two o’clock in the morning because I had a bad dream. I’ve grown up. And for the first time all summer, I’m happy. Dad, I’m truly happy. Why can’t you just be happy for me?”
Mom came into the living room, holding a glass pan of uncooked food. “What’s with all of the commotion?”
“I’m sorry to bother you. We were just finishing this conversation up,” I clarified. “Dad’s just going on and on about how he thinks Acel and I shouldn’t be together, and about how he’s just going to leave me in the end.”
Dad sighed. “Bella, I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Getting hurt is a risk I’m willing to take. And so what if I get hurt? I got hurt with Jason and you still seem to love the Hell out of him! Whenever you see him, you’re all, ‘Hey, son! How’s it going?’ Why can’t Acel get that same treatment? You speak of Acel as if he’s a disease that’s plaguing me.”
Mom’s eyes softened. “Honey, I don’t think that’s what your dad’s getting at.”
“Then what is it that he’s getting at? I find someone that treats me like I’m a princess, that doesn’t allow me to even get near drugs, and that cares for me. Yet, everything Dad has to say about it is negative. And he even had the nerve to bring up Jason. For the love of God—”
Mom cut me off. “You seem to be blowing things out of proportion, Bell. Your father means well and you know he does. Sit down and listen to the things he has to say for once.”
“You’re not even going to take my side? I’m sure you know how I’m feeling at the moment. First, I lose someone close to me. Next, I find someone who I’m completely happy with. Then, I’m faced with the threat of having everything thrown into the trash.”
She set the pan down onto the coffee table and sat next to me on the sofa. “Bella, your father means well and if he isn’t comfortable with who you’re choosing to date, maybe it’s you who’s doing something wrong.”
“You’re a wise woman and all, don’t get me wrong, but what you just said it’s complete and utter bullshit. Excuse my French, please. I just—I don’t get what you’re trying to explain to me. Acel is perfect in my eyes, even if he’s just a scrubby, lanky specimen in yours. To top it off, he’s a gentleman to the both of you.”
Dad scoffed and I glared at him. “This conversation is not mine to resolve. I’m going back to the kitchen where the stereotypical man feels a woman belongs.” With that, Mom stood up and scampered into the kitchen, taking the pan of uncooked food along with her.
I exhaled sharply, frustrated. “I don’t care what you like and what you don’t like. I sneak out one morning, one morning which happened to be this morning, and you’ve been on my case ever since. What has Acel done to you?”
“For one, he’s taken my little girl from me,” Dad stated. “And what happened to you telling us where you are at all times?”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and went to my text messages, opening the thread of our text messages. I showed it to him. “Last message I sent you said, ‘Dad, I’m going on a date with Acel.’ How did I not tell you where I was? I told you who I was with. Isn’t that enough?”
“Bella, I—”
“I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m sixteen years old, Dad. I’ll be seventeen in less than a month. Better yet, I’ll be a senior in less than two months. I’m not that five-year-old little girl that I used to be. I’m not the little girl that used to sneak into your bedroom at two o’clock in the morning because I had a bad dream. I’ve grown up. And for the first time all summer, I’m happy. Dad, I’m truly happy. Why can’t you just be happy for me?”
Mom came into the living room, holding a glass pan of uncooked food. “What’s with all of the commotion?”
“I’m sorry to bother you. We were just finishing this conversation up,” I clarified. “Dad’s just going on and on about how he thinks Acel and I shouldn’t be together, and about how he’s just going to leave me in the end.”
Dad sighed. “Bella, I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Getting hurt is a risk I’m willing to take. And so what if I get hurt? I got hurt with Jason and you still seem to love the Hell out of him! Whenever you see him, you’re all, ‘Hey, son! How’s it going?’ Why can’t Acel get that same treatment? You speak of Acel as if he’s a disease that’s plaguing me.”
Mom’s eyes softened. “Honey, I don’t think that’s what your dad’s getting at.”
“Then what is it that he’s getting at? I find someone that treats me like I’m a princess, that doesn’t allow me to even get near drugs, and that cares for me. Yet, everything Dad has to say about it is negative. And he even had the nerve to bring up Jason. For the love of God—”
Mom cut me off. “You seem to be blowing things out of proportion, Bell. Your father means well and you know he does. Sit down and listen to the things he has to say for once.”
“You’re not even going to take my side? I’m sure you know how I’m feeling at the moment. First, I lose someone close to me. Next, I find someone who I’m completely happy with. Then, I’m faced with the threat of having everything thrown into the trash.”
She set the pan down onto the coffee table and sat next to me on the sofa. “Bella, your father means well and if he isn’t comfortable with who you’re choosing to date, maybe it’s you who’s doing something wrong.”
“You’re a wise woman and all, don’t get me wrong, but what you just said it’s complete and utter bullshit. Excuse my French, please. I just—I don’t get what you’re trying to explain to me. Acel is perfect in my eyes, even if he’s just a scrubby, lanky specimen in yours. To top it off, he’s a gentleman to the both of you.”
Dad scoffed and I glared at him. “This conversation is not mine to resolve. I’m going back to the kitchen where the stereotypical man feels a woman belongs.” With that, Mom stood up and scampered into the kitchen, taking the pan of uncooked food along with her.