Canon
thirteen.
I sit in the car silently while Niall shouts at the drunken man standing in the wet grass. Neighbors move closer to the street to watch the ongoing incident.
‘Are you drinking again?’ Niall questions running a hand through his head. ‘Dad, I thought we talked about this.’
‘You’re always on my case.’ The man complains, ‘yakking my goddamn ear off. I’m sorry that I can’t live up to your standards. I’m sorry I couldn’t live up to your mother’s standards – are you gonna leave me too? Go ahead – see if I care! I’ll be better off without both of you. You think I need you? I was here before you were born and I’ll be here after the day you walk out.’
‘Dad just go inside.’ Niall sighs, ‘please.’
As the man rants in his front yard two squad cars pull behind Niall’s mustang and come to a stop. The officers get out of their car as Niall tries to usher his dad inside. I sink down into the seat hoping not to make eye contact with any of them seeing as they worked under my father and I practically knew everyone on the force. I watch as the officers point the light in his face appearing to be testing’s the drunken man.
‘We can’t keep covering for him.’ One of the officers tells Niall. ‘Next time we’re gonna have to take him in because of all of the complaints from your neighbors.’
‘I know, I know. I thought I had it under control.’ Niall shakes their hands before they walk back to their cars.
Niall takes the man inside of the house by force and closes the door. I sit in the car for twenty minutes before finally getting out to find Niall. I walk up the steps and knock on the wooden door. Niall’s dad swings the door open and folds his tattooed arms over one another.
‘Who are you?’ he gripes narrowing his identical blue eyes at me.
‘I’m Lizette.’ I pipe out uncomfortable, ‘I’m looking for Niall.’
‘What? Are you one of his girlfriends?’
‘No, sir.’ I clear my throat, ‘I really should be getting home. Can you just tell him that I’m going to call for a ride?’
‘Sure.’ He stumbles backwards and shouts out to his son.
Niall comes back quickly with a trash bag filled with empty beer cans. I could see the liquid in the bottom of the sack.
‘I thought I told you to wait in the car.’ Niall makes eye contact with me and closes the front door behind him.
‘I’m just going to call for a ride, you seem pretty busy right now.’
‘I’m not,’ he immediately replies, ‘I’ll give you a ride.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yeah, I took all of the alcohol out of the house.’ He says throwing the trash bag into the black can. ‘Come on.’
I grab the ends of my dress and follow Niall to his car. I slip back down inside of the passenger seat and fasten my seat belt.
‘I’m sorry about that.’
‘It’s okay.’ I look out at the dark sky as we passed by numerous houses.
‘I screwed up your homecoming thing and I knew how important it was to you.’
‘Do you really think I’m that superficial?’ I smirk looking over at him, ‘if it was prom I’d have to kill you.’ I tease jokingly causing him to laugh.
‘God, he’s so fucked up.’ He shakes his head running a hand through his hair.
‘Don’t say that about him.’
‘What? He is. I’ve tried time and time again with him and this what he does.’
‘Then why keep trying?’
‘Because he’s my dad. I mean I can’t just give up on hi- yeah I see what you did there, Dr. Phil.’ Niall looks over at me with the slightest smile. ‘But I don’t know how I can help him when he doesn’t want it.’
‘He has to want it for himself, sucks but it’s true. You can’t force it on him.’
‘Maybe that’s why he hates me.’
‘I’m sure that’s not true.’
‘Believe me – it is.’
I remain quiet in the car for the rest of the ride not wanting to piss Niall off any further than he already was.
‘Here we are.’ He pulls alongside the curb of my house, ‘I could drop you back off at the school?’
‘Homecoming’s over by now.’ I shrug, ‘see you Monday?’
‘Monday.’ He nods unlocking the doors.
I grab the tail of my dress again and go inside of the house. My dad immediately scoops me into his arms. He gives me a long hard squeeze before releasing me.
‘Where the hell have you been Liz? Do you know how worried we’ve been?’ he gestures to my mom in the kitchen with Scott.
‘I had to go do something important. I didn’t think I’d be there that long.’ I explain quietly looking up at my dad.
‘I almost had every on duty officer look for you, you know that right?’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘I think you should be apologizing to your date.’ He says moving aside giving me a clear view into the kitchen.
My mom gives me a supportive smile before waddling to the living room with my dad. Scott’s dark hair was ruffled all over his hair and his tie was loosely hanging around his neck.
‘Scott, I’m sorry.’
‘You know Rose wouldn’t even tell me where you went.’
‘She didn’t know.’
‘Do you know how stupid I looked up there when they called our name up there? Yeah, we won.’ He tosses a small silver crown onto the kitchen table, ‘I hope whatever you had going on was worth screwing me over.’
‘I didn’t screw you over.’ I protest sitting down beside him, ‘I didn’t plan for any of this.’
‘No, you didn’t but you did make your choice tonight. See you Lizette.’
‘Scott.’ I call after him but he continues out the front door saying goodbye to my parents as he left.
I pick up the small crown into my hands admiring it. Somehow it seemed so meaningless now. Girls including me dreamed about getting this, small, plastic, meaningless crown. What was the reason? What purpose did it have?
‘I won.’ I hold up the crown to my parents as I walk to my room.
I place the crown onto my head looking at my reflection.
‘That suits you.’ My mom smiles in the doorway, ‘got a sec?’
‘Sure.’
‘What happened tonight?’
‘Niall came to the school tonight.’
‘Did he now?’
‘He wanted to see me.’
‘So he didn’t go to homecoming?’
‘It’s not his thing.’
‘What? Is he too cool for school dances?’
‘I mean I can understand where he’s coming from. Punch. The smelly gym. Chaperons who could care less. Girls secretly plotting against each other while the boys just think about getting some at the end of the night. It seems pretty pointless.’
‘I can remember it was a time when it was your thing Lizard.’ Mom comments before rising from the bed and walking out of the doorway. ‘Goodnight.’
‘Goodnight mom.’
My phone finally turns on and immediately begins buzzing within the sheets. There were a bunch of texts mostly from Scott and Rose. One from Niall about ten minutes ago.
But what if I don’t want to wait to see you on Monday? – Niall.
‘Are you drinking again?’ Niall questions running a hand through his head. ‘Dad, I thought we talked about this.’
‘You’re always on my case.’ The man complains, ‘yakking my goddamn ear off. I’m sorry that I can’t live up to your standards. I’m sorry I couldn’t live up to your mother’s standards – are you gonna leave me too? Go ahead – see if I care! I’ll be better off without both of you. You think I need you? I was here before you were born and I’ll be here after the day you walk out.’
‘Dad just go inside.’ Niall sighs, ‘please.’
As the man rants in his front yard two squad cars pull behind Niall’s mustang and come to a stop. The officers get out of their car as Niall tries to usher his dad inside. I sink down into the seat hoping not to make eye contact with any of them seeing as they worked under my father and I practically knew everyone on the force. I watch as the officers point the light in his face appearing to be testing’s the drunken man.
‘We can’t keep covering for him.’ One of the officers tells Niall. ‘Next time we’re gonna have to take him in because of all of the complaints from your neighbors.’
‘I know, I know. I thought I had it under control.’ Niall shakes their hands before they walk back to their cars.
Niall takes the man inside of the house by force and closes the door. I sit in the car for twenty minutes before finally getting out to find Niall. I walk up the steps and knock on the wooden door. Niall’s dad swings the door open and folds his tattooed arms over one another.
‘Who are you?’ he gripes narrowing his identical blue eyes at me.
‘I’m Lizette.’ I pipe out uncomfortable, ‘I’m looking for Niall.’
‘What? Are you one of his girlfriends?’
‘No, sir.’ I clear my throat, ‘I really should be getting home. Can you just tell him that I’m going to call for a ride?’
‘Sure.’ He stumbles backwards and shouts out to his son.
Niall comes back quickly with a trash bag filled with empty beer cans. I could see the liquid in the bottom of the sack.
‘I thought I told you to wait in the car.’ Niall makes eye contact with me and closes the front door behind him.
‘I’m just going to call for a ride, you seem pretty busy right now.’
‘I’m not,’ he immediately replies, ‘I’ll give you a ride.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yeah, I took all of the alcohol out of the house.’ He says throwing the trash bag into the black can. ‘Come on.’
I grab the ends of my dress and follow Niall to his car. I slip back down inside of the passenger seat and fasten my seat belt.
‘I’m sorry about that.’
‘It’s okay.’ I look out at the dark sky as we passed by numerous houses.
‘I screwed up your homecoming thing and I knew how important it was to you.’
‘Do you really think I’m that superficial?’ I smirk looking over at him, ‘if it was prom I’d have to kill you.’ I tease jokingly causing him to laugh.
‘God, he’s so fucked up.’ He shakes his head running a hand through his hair.
‘Don’t say that about him.’
‘What? He is. I’ve tried time and time again with him and this what he does.’
‘Then why keep trying?’
‘Because he’s my dad. I mean I can’t just give up on hi- yeah I see what you did there, Dr. Phil.’ Niall looks over at me with the slightest smile. ‘But I don’t know how I can help him when he doesn’t want it.’
‘He has to want it for himself, sucks but it’s true. You can’t force it on him.’
‘Maybe that’s why he hates me.’
‘I’m sure that’s not true.’
‘Believe me – it is.’
I remain quiet in the car for the rest of the ride not wanting to piss Niall off any further than he already was.
‘Here we are.’ He pulls alongside the curb of my house, ‘I could drop you back off at the school?’
‘Homecoming’s over by now.’ I shrug, ‘see you Monday?’
‘Monday.’ He nods unlocking the doors.
I grab the tail of my dress again and go inside of the house. My dad immediately scoops me into his arms. He gives me a long hard squeeze before releasing me.
‘Where the hell have you been Liz? Do you know how worried we’ve been?’ he gestures to my mom in the kitchen with Scott.
‘I had to go do something important. I didn’t think I’d be there that long.’ I explain quietly looking up at my dad.
‘I almost had every on duty officer look for you, you know that right?’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘I think you should be apologizing to your date.’ He says moving aside giving me a clear view into the kitchen.
My mom gives me a supportive smile before waddling to the living room with my dad. Scott’s dark hair was ruffled all over his hair and his tie was loosely hanging around his neck.
‘Scott, I’m sorry.’
‘You know Rose wouldn’t even tell me where you went.’
‘She didn’t know.’
‘Do you know how stupid I looked up there when they called our name up there? Yeah, we won.’ He tosses a small silver crown onto the kitchen table, ‘I hope whatever you had going on was worth screwing me over.’
‘I didn’t screw you over.’ I protest sitting down beside him, ‘I didn’t plan for any of this.’
‘No, you didn’t but you did make your choice tonight. See you Lizette.’
‘Scott.’ I call after him but he continues out the front door saying goodbye to my parents as he left.
I pick up the small crown into my hands admiring it. Somehow it seemed so meaningless now. Girls including me dreamed about getting this, small, plastic, meaningless crown. What was the reason? What purpose did it have?
‘I won.’ I hold up the crown to my parents as I walk to my room.
I place the crown onto my head looking at my reflection.
‘That suits you.’ My mom smiles in the doorway, ‘got a sec?’
‘Sure.’
‘What happened tonight?’
‘Niall came to the school tonight.’
‘Did he now?’
‘He wanted to see me.’
‘So he didn’t go to homecoming?’
‘It’s not his thing.’
‘What? Is he too cool for school dances?’
‘I mean I can understand where he’s coming from. Punch. The smelly gym. Chaperons who could care less. Girls secretly plotting against each other while the boys just think about getting some at the end of the night. It seems pretty pointless.’
‘I can remember it was a time when it was your thing Lizard.’ Mom comments before rising from the bed and walking out of the doorway. ‘Goodnight.’
‘Goodnight mom.’
My phone finally turns on and immediately begins buzzing within the sheets. There were a bunch of texts mostly from Scott and Rose. One from Niall about ten minutes ago.
But what if I don’t want to wait to see you on Monday? – Niall.