I let a little of my irritation with Nell show through.
She didn’t sound sorry at all. “Would you have gone if I’d called you first?” I didn’t answer, which was answer enough for Nell. “Exactly. You’d have chickened out.”
“So what happened with you and Kyle?” I asked.
“Don’t you have to be home in twenty minutes?” She was avoiding the question, and we both knew it.
“You’re not getting out of this, Nell.”
“Call me when you’re home, if you can.”
“Fine. ’Bye.”
“’Bye.”
I turned to Jason. “Can you take me home?”
He nodded and put the truck in gear. “Sure. We’re not that far from your place, actually. I’ve been driving in a big circle, more or less.”
True to his word, he was slowing to a stop just inside the subdivision entrance. “Stop here,” I said before we reached my house.
As I got out, Jason reached over and snagged my hand, stopping me. “Can we go out again sometime?”
I stared at his strong fingers circling my wrist. “I don’t know, Jason. I want to, but I’m not sure it’s possible.”
He nodded. “Sure. I heard how he was. I’ll see you at school on Monday?” He released my wrist, and I shut the door behind me.
I stopped and glanced at him through the open window. “I had a great time, Jason. I didn’t think I would, but I did.”
Jason grinned. “I guess we can thank Nell, huh?”
I frowned at him. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
He just laughed. “I’m joking. I had a great time, too. Thanks for giving me a chance.”
I turned away and waved at him with my hand over my head. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Call me!” he said, slightly too loud.
“Not going to happen,” I said, walking backward.
“Then text me?” He was leaning out the window, his entire upper half visible.
I grinned at him. “That I might do. Now go before you get me in even more trouble.”
He slapped the roof of his truck and ducked back in, peeling out and fishtailing the truck in semi-circle with a slight squeal of tires. I shook my head at him, laughing.
When I turned around, however, I stopped laughing. Father was standing on the sidewalk, arms crossed over his broad chest, silver hair slicked back, dress shirt open one button and his tie loosened.
My heart dropped. Judging by the dark scowl on his face, he’d seen Jason.
Not good.
THREE: Romeo & Juliet Redux
Becca
October, same year
“Y-y-you can’t keep me l-l-l-locked up in my room forever, Father!” I stood in the doorway to my room, fury pounding through me, taking all my fluency with it.
He stood impassive in the hall outside my room, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were narrowed, dark, angry. “Yes. I can. And I will. You lied to me. You were out with that football player. I’ll keep you in here for as long it takes for you to learn your lesson.”
I closed my eyes and counted to ten, breathing deep with each number. “This isn’t fah-fah-fair. We just went to dinner. Drove around. I know I lied, and I’m sorry. But p-p-plea-please, I’m going crazy. I already don’t have a life, but now you won’t let me do anything.”
“Your sanity is at no risk, Rebecca. Stop exaggerating.”
Another ten-count, ten more deep breaths. Father never rushed me; he always waited until I was ready to speak. He had a stutter as a child, and didn’t completely shed it until he moved to the States and did some fluency shaping therapy. He understood that much about me at least.
“It’s not an exaggeration, Father. School, my room, homework, piano, speech. That’s all I ever do. Even before this, that’s all I ever did. Now? You might as well enroll me in online school and literally lock me in my room. I’ll be seventeen in two months, Father. When will I get to make my own decisions?”
“ Basta, figlia. ” He didn’t yell, because he never yelled. The words were delivered quietly, intensely.
I clamped my mouth closed around my screams
She didn’t sound sorry at all. “Would you have gone if I’d called you first?” I didn’t answer, which was answer enough for Nell. “Exactly. You’d have chickened out.”
“So what happened with you and Kyle?” I asked.
“Don’t you have to be home in twenty minutes?” She was avoiding the question, and we both knew it.
“You’re not getting out of this, Nell.”
“Call me when you’re home, if you can.”
“Fine. ’Bye.”
“’Bye.”
I turned to Jason. “Can you take me home?”
He nodded and put the truck in gear. “Sure. We’re not that far from your place, actually. I’ve been driving in a big circle, more or less.”
True to his word, he was slowing to a stop just inside the subdivision entrance. “Stop here,” I said before we reached my house.
As I got out, Jason reached over and snagged my hand, stopping me. “Can we go out again sometime?”
I stared at his strong fingers circling my wrist. “I don’t know, Jason. I want to, but I’m not sure it’s possible.”
He nodded. “Sure. I heard how he was. I’ll see you at school on Monday?” He released my wrist, and I shut the door behind me.
I stopped and glanced at him through the open window. “I had a great time, Jason. I didn’t think I would, but I did.”
Jason grinned. “I guess we can thank Nell, huh?”
I frowned at him. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
He just laughed. “I’m joking. I had a great time, too. Thanks for giving me a chance.”
I turned away and waved at him with my hand over my head. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Call me!” he said, slightly too loud.
“Not going to happen,” I said, walking backward.
“Then text me?” He was leaning out the window, his entire upper half visible.
I grinned at him. “That I might do. Now go before you get me in even more trouble.”
He slapped the roof of his truck and ducked back in, peeling out and fishtailing the truck in semi-circle with a slight squeal of tires. I shook my head at him, laughing.
When I turned around, however, I stopped laughing. Father was standing on the sidewalk, arms crossed over his broad chest, silver hair slicked back, dress shirt open one button and his tie loosened.
My heart dropped. Judging by the dark scowl on his face, he’d seen Jason.
Not good.
THREE: Romeo & Juliet Redux
Becca
October, same year
“Y-y-you can’t keep me l-l-l-locked up in my room forever, Father!” I stood in the doorway to my room, fury pounding through me, taking all my fluency with it.
He stood impassive in the hall outside my room, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were narrowed, dark, angry. “Yes. I can. And I will. You lied to me. You were out with that football player. I’ll keep you in here for as long it takes for you to learn your lesson.”
I closed my eyes and counted to ten, breathing deep with each number. “This isn’t fah-fah-fair. We just went to dinner. Drove around. I know I lied, and I’m sorry. But p-p-plea-please, I’m going crazy. I already don’t have a life, but now you won’t let me do anything.”
“Your sanity is at no risk, Rebecca. Stop exaggerating.”
Another ten-count, ten more deep breaths. Father never rushed me; he always waited until I was ready to speak. He had a stutter as a child, and didn’t completely shed it until he moved to the States and did some fluency shaping therapy. He understood that much about me at least.
“It’s not an exaggeration, Father. School, my room, homework, piano, speech. That’s all I ever do. Even before this, that’s all I ever did. Now? You might as well enroll me in online school and literally lock me in my room. I’ll be seventeen in two months, Father. When will I get to make my own decisions?”
“ Basta, figlia. ” He didn’t yell, because he never yelled. The words were delivered quietly, intensely.
I clamped my mouth closed around my screams
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