”
“ Of course. I knew the rule. I had just hoped I could prove to him that I wasn ’ t some scary perv or something. Apparently, I failed, ” he says, then laughs. “ He didn ’ t like the idea of his fourteen-year-old daughter going out with a sixteen-year-old. That ’ s what he told me. ”
“ I can ’ t believe he said no. He ’ s such a jerk sometimes. And I can ’ t believe you never told me that! ” I tell him with a big grin.
“ I haven ’ t really seen you. Plus, I was embarrassed. But I ’ m good now. I ’ m up for the challenge. ”
“ What do you mean? ”
“ I ’ m walking you home so I can talk to your dad. ”
“ No, you ’ re not. ”
“ I sure am. I ’ ve been gearing up for this for a year. You can ’ t stop me now. ”
“ He ’ ll be pissed that I was with you in the first place. ”
“ I beg to differ. I was studying nearby when I saw those guys following you. ”
“ What guys? ” I ask, turning around.
“ There were no guys, Liv, ” he says, rolling his eyes. “ But he doesn ’ t need to know that. ”
“ Ohhh... ” I say, following his plan. “ Cool. ”
“ Yeah, cool. You ’ ll play along? ”
“ Of course! ”
As we turn the corner, I see my dad and my brother playing catch in the light of the streetlamp. That ’ s what they do every Thursday night until I get home.
“ Is he in a good mood tonight? ” Jon whispers.
“ He ’ s always in a good mood, ” I mutter. “ Always so upbeat. It ’ s annoying and– ”
“ Mr. Holland, ” Jon calls out to him, cutting me off. My dad squints as he tries to figure out who I ’ m with. “ It ’ s Jon. From Nate ’ s Art Room? ” he reminds him. The realization hits him quickly, and I ’ m sure Dad ’ s sizing him up, noticing how much he ’ s grown in the past year and a half.
“ Jon, ” he says, shaking his hand after taking off the baseball mitt. Trey watches us from the porch.
“ How are you, Mr. Holland? ” he says formally, too formally. I expect my dad to correct him, tell him to call him Jack like he does all of my other friends, but he doesn ’ t. For some reason, this just ticks me off.
“ I ’ m very well, thank you, Jon. Livvy, you know the rules, ” he says, and although his words sound like a warning, his reminder to me sounds kind and not angry.
“ Mr. Holland, it ’ s not Livvy ’ s fault. I was studying at the smoothie place next door, ” he says, deliberately showing my father his study guide, “ and I saw her start to walk home. There were some sketchy guys watching her from across the street. I decided to walk with her. Make sure she made it home safely. ”
“ That ’ s very kind of you, Jon, ” Dad says as he puts his arm around my shoulder. I roll my eyes, but Jon is the only one who can see my expression. “ Thank you. Can you make it home okay? ”
“ I can, yes, but I wanted to talk to you about something first, sir... if you don ’ t mind. ”
My dad lets go of my shoulder, but angles me toward the house and gives me a gentle shove toward it. I stop, though, and stand behind him, wanting to hear the rest of the conversation.
“ It ’ s kind of late, Jon. Maybe another night. But thank you– ”
“ Sir, I really need to ask you a question. ”
I know my dad knows the exact question that ’ s coming, and know exactly why he ’ s acting the way he is. I ’ m sure he ’ s not ready to deal with this, but it ’ s time. My stomach tightens as I try to anticipate my dad ’ s next move.
“ Jon, why don ’ t I drive you home? ”
Jon ’ s speechless and loses a little confidence as his shoulders slump.
“ Dad, ” I try to interject.
“ Tessa, I think your mom needs help with Trey. Would you mind taking him inside? ”
“ Dad! ” I plead loudly.
“ It ’ s cool, Liv, ” Jon says. “ Sir, yes, I ’ d love a ride home. Thank you. Good night, Livvy. See you in a month. ” A smile spreads quickly across my face, even as my
“ Of course. I knew the rule. I had just hoped I could prove to him that I wasn ’ t some scary perv or something. Apparently, I failed, ” he says, then laughs. “ He didn ’ t like the idea of his fourteen-year-old daughter going out with a sixteen-year-old. That ’ s what he told me. ”
“ I can ’ t believe he said no. He ’ s such a jerk sometimes. And I can ’ t believe you never told me that! ” I tell him with a big grin.
“ I haven ’ t really seen you. Plus, I was embarrassed. But I ’ m good now. I ’ m up for the challenge. ”
“ What do you mean? ”
“ I ’ m walking you home so I can talk to your dad. ”
“ No, you ’ re not. ”
“ I sure am. I ’ ve been gearing up for this for a year. You can ’ t stop me now. ”
“ He ’ ll be pissed that I was with you in the first place. ”
“ I beg to differ. I was studying nearby when I saw those guys following you. ”
“ What guys? ” I ask, turning around.
“ There were no guys, Liv, ” he says, rolling his eyes. “ But he doesn ’ t need to know that. ”
“ Ohhh... ” I say, following his plan. “ Cool. ”
“ Yeah, cool. You ’ ll play along? ”
“ Of course! ”
As we turn the corner, I see my dad and my brother playing catch in the light of the streetlamp. That ’ s what they do every Thursday night until I get home.
“ Is he in a good mood tonight? ” Jon whispers.
“ He ’ s always in a good mood, ” I mutter. “ Always so upbeat. It ’ s annoying and– ”
“ Mr. Holland, ” Jon calls out to him, cutting me off. My dad squints as he tries to figure out who I ’ m with. “ It ’ s Jon. From Nate ’ s Art Room? ” he reminds him. The realization hits him quickly, and I ’ m sure Dad ’ s sizing him up, noticing how much he ’ s grown in the past year and a half.
“ Jon, ” he says, shaking his hand after taking off the baseball mitt. Trey watches us from the porch.
“ How are you, Mr. Holland? ” he says formally, too formally. I expect my dad to correct him, tell him to call him Jack like he does all of my other friends, but he doesn ’ t. For some reason, this just ticks me off.
“ I ’ m very well, thank you, Jon. Livvy, you know the rules, ” he says, and although his words sound like a warning, his reminder to me sounds kind and not angry.
“ Mr. Holland, it ’ s not Livvy ’ s fault. I was studying at the smoothie place next door, ” he says, deliberately showing my father his study guide, “ and I saw her start to walk home. There were some sketchy guys watching her from across the street. I decided to walk with her. Make sure she made it home safely. ”
“ That ’ s very kind of you, Jon, ” Dad says as he puts his arm around my shoulder. I roll my eyes, but Jon is the only one who can see my expression. “ Thank you. Can you make it home okay? ”
“ I can, yes, but I wanted to talk to you about something first, sir... if you don ’ t mind. ”
My dad lets go of my shoulder, but angles me toward the house and gives me a gentle shove toward it. I stop, though, and stand behind him, wanting to hear the rest of the conversation.
“ It ’ s kind of late, Jon. Maybe another night. But thank you– ”
“ Sir, I really need to ask you a question. ”
I know my dad knows the exact question that ’ s coming, and know exactly why he ’ s acting the way he is. I ’ m sure he ’ s not ready to deal with this, but it ’ s time. My stomach tightens as I try to anticipate my dad ’ s next move.
“ Jon, why don ’ t I drive you home? ”
Jon ’ s speechless and loses a little confidence as his shoulders slump.
“ Dad, ” I try to interject.
“ Tessa, I think your mom needs help with Trey. Would you mind taking him inside? ”
“ Dad! ” I plead loudly.
“ It ’ s cool, Liv, ” Jon says. “ Sir, yes, I ’ d love a ride home. Thank you. Good night, Livvy. See you in a month. ” A smile spreads quickly across my face, even as my
Similar Books
