“Th-there’s not too much to tell.”Nothing I would admit to you, anyway.
“Humor me.” He stands almost toe to toe with me in the doorway, blocking my path to the mahogany staircase. I can smell the booze wafting off his breath and see what’s left of an indent of a ring from the nozzle on his upper lip. I just want this to be over with.
“Andy is… well, he's…in a band.”Shit. Why is that what I led with?
“He's in the band? That's a far step from that idiot Zane. At least this guy might have some sense.”
“No, Dad. Not the high school band, he's in a… punk band.”
“A punk band? You mean… like The Dead Kennedys? The Sex Pistols? The Misfits?”
“Who?”
“Are you serious, Candi? No… ab-absolutely not.” He stops his current thought, shaking his head in disbelief. “Does thisAndyplay in any gigs?” He says his name as if I made him up.
“Gigs, Dad?”
“Concerts… You know, shows at sketchy bars…”
“Uh…Yeah. His band has a show next Saturday. He asked me to go…”
“Let me guess, you think you’re going?” I don’t say anything. Only peer up at him as I slip off my shoes before placing them under my jacket. “Candi, do you know what goes on at thosekindsof shows?” He doesn’t give me any time to answer, just shoves his hands into the side pockets of his tan slacks. “There’s drinking, smoking, drugs, and don’t even get me started on the sex that happens in the disgusting bathrooms.”How the hell would he know what happens?More redness adds to his cheeksas he adds one more sinful act to his list.I wonder what he would do if he knew Andy and I just did it in his car.
“How are you going to be with a guy who plays punk music when you don't know punk bands!? Wh-what does he play?” He stumbles over his words when he gets angrier. I know he wants to know who his sweet angel of a daughter has been with, but I doubt he'd want to hear the truth.
“He plays the bass.” He rolls his eyes at the heavy sigh I let out when I throw my bag over my shoulder. “Can I please go to bed now?”
“Fine. Don't stay up too late… a-and I want to meetthisAndy before you do anything else together.”
“We have history together tomorrow. First period. Would you like to meet him before I go to school?” I call out from the top of the stairs.
“Good night, Candi!”He must not have thought my joke was funny.
“Night, Dad.”
Your Andy:
Hey… Everything okay? I didn’t get you home too late, did I?
I read over his message and try to put the right words together. How do I say, “No, everything is okay. My dad wasn’t drunk enough to be angry and throw his glass at me this time.”Better stay sweet and simple.
Me:
Yeah. Everything is fine. :) Thank you for the night out. I really needed it.
It isn’t a lie. Not all of it…
Your Andy:
You don’t have to thank me, Candi. Everything I do is to make you smile.
Me:
I’m smiling now. How do you do that, even when you’re not here with me?
Your Andy:
What can I say? It’s a talent…
