Tolerance || Daddy's Home

A Good Start

Even when being a teenager I don't have a say in how to arrive at school. I have my license but not a car. Dad doesn't think it's safe for me to have one yet. And I mean I have a friend that could pick me up and drop me off but no, no dad wants to do everything himself. I appreciate it, but it would be nice to drive on my own.

"Have a great day at school, sweetie. I love you." Dad called from inside the car. I leaned against the window waving at Dylan and Megan in the back. They lazily waved back doing back to their game that was mainly slapping each other.

"Bye, dad. I love you too." I said, beginning to walk to school when I stopped and turned back to the car. "Oh, and don't let Mr. Holt walk all over you dad. Stand up for yourself once in a while."

"Mr. Holt is my boss I can't stand up for myself."

"Then quiet. He's a jerk."

Dad pulled his lips into a firm line. Before he could go on a lecture, I said my good byes, taking off to school greeting my friends that waited by the gate. We walked inside together going to put lockers that happened to be near each other.

   "How's the little pests treating you?" Abigail Starling, my friend since freshmen year, spoke adding blush to her cheeks with the little mirror she hung in her locker.

I was leaning against my locker in the lovely embrace of another friend, Xavier Valdez. Him, Abigail, and I are a trio that's known each other since freshmen. The thing is I've had this little crush on him. At times I think he feels the same. He's very affectionate and treats me well. That bad news is he's a bit of a player. Yes, he treats me good but he's a typical leather-wearing-hooking-up-motorcycle-riding guy that mom's warn you about. My dad knows him and has met him, but the times he has, Xavier puts this false act.

   "Don't call her that. And Megan drew me in her little family picture for once." I defended.

   "I still think she's disrespecting you." Xavier said, playing with my earring.

   "She's a child. A child that didn't live with her father and is stuck with a step-dad. She had every right to be disconnected."

   "You're too kind for your own good, Whitaker." Xavier brushed some stray hairs from my face. His soft touch leaving tingles leaving me in a flushed state.

I threw tilted my head away from his touch and resting on the blue locker.

"Shut up."

Xavier's grasp around my shoulder moved down to my waist pulling me in. He smiled into my neck muttering,
"Make me."

   "Gross." Abigail faked gagged slamming her locker. She pulled us apart sticking herself between us. Her hands linking with ours as she lead us to our first shared class.

———

Usually dad would pick us up but today it was Sara. Apparently he was going to do some overtime at his job with 'The Panda.' A radio station that played smooth jazz.

I noticed Dylan wasn't his usual self the minute we got in the car. And when we got home tears unleashed uncontrollably. Sara tried to comfort her son but was no use. To my surprise he wanted to speak with dad and asked me to stay with him until dad showed.

"Hello. I'm home."

Sara and I looked up. She stayed with Dylan as I met him at the door. He smiled fondly pulling me into a hug.

   "Hey, honey, how was school?"

   "Good. All good, um... It's Dylan..." I sighed motioning him to follow me instead of busting my head trying to figure a way to word out the problem.