“Yes, sir. But, if you would just listen for a minute, I’ll tell you what my plans for the date are.”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“Because you are a fair and honorable man.”
No, he’s not!
“You don’t even know me,” Father says.
“You’re right, sir—“
“Quit calling me sir!”
“I’m sorry, sir, but my parents taught me to be respectful of adults.”
I set the sponge down and tiptoe to the corner, peeking around at the front door. Father stands with his feet planted slightly apart and his arms crossed over his chest.
“You have one minute,” he says, glancing at his watch.
“I would like to take Sara to the football game Friday and then out for pizza. My parents will be with us and she’ll be home by midnight.”
A long uncomfortable silence hangs in the air.
“She’s grounded for the rest of the week.”
“I know, sir. But it was my fault she left class before it started. I pressured her to tell me why and it upset her. She felt like the only thing she could do was leave.”
“She’s still grounded.”
“May I take her to the football game next weekend?”
“We’ll see about that, young man,” he answers, then shuts the door in Jason’s face.
I scramble back to the sink and wipe down the counter. Large fingers tangle themselves in my hair and wrench my head back. My hands cover Father’s on instinct, struggling to pull my head up without tearing my hair out.
“What kind of game are you playing?”
“I’m not playing any game,” I answer, closing my eyes and bracing myself for his next move.
He yanks my head harder. “Don’t lie to me.”
I let out a scream.
His face is less than an inch from mine. “I want to know what you are up to.”
“Nothing!” I cry out.
“Lies!” He jerks my head again.
“I’m not lying!”
“Then why was that boy here tonight? Did you think we would give in to someone else?”
“No! I didn’t have anything to do with that. I didn’t know he was coming. I’m not lying. Why would I? What would I get from it?”
“Nothing. You’d never get anything. You’ll never get anything if your friends run interference for you.”
I’ll never get anything regardless.
His grip tightens and I wince. Pain shoots from each shaft of hair he pulls, but if I scream any more than I already have, he’ll make sure to double the pain.
I know retribution, in his interpretation of the word, is coming, but I don’t know what it is.
He shoves my head forward, submerging my face in the dishwater. I release his hand and grip the counter for purchase, fighting against his strength to bring my head up. My toes scrape over the mat underneath us, searching for a foothold. My lungs constrict without oxygen and I exhale what little air is left, the bubbles floating up, almost tickling my cheeks. Lightheaded, I try to shake him off.
I’m going to drown in the dishwater.
Father hauls my head back, almost mercifully. I know he only does it so he won’t have to explain how his daughter died. I gasp air in, then cough when the tinge of the dirty, soapy water enters my mouth.
“No boy could ever love damaged goods like you,” he says, shoving me to the ground.
I remain in a crumpled heap, fighting to regulate my breath as tears flow unrestrained.
One boy does love me, even if he doesn’t know I’m damaged goods.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The grass in the quad is cool beneath me as the sun warms me from above. Jason eats a sandwich from home in front of me. Groups of friends are scattered around us. Some are quietly eating and talking. Others are telling jokes and goofing off. Arissa is off somewhere with Bobby, a boy in our English class.
“I’m sorry about your father getting mad,” he says.
“You have to understand, my parents aren’t like yours. You can’t rationalize with them because they do what they want, when they want. It doesn’t matter if it’s fair or not,” I explain.
“I just want to take you on a date.”
“I know you do. But, it’s not going to happen, no matter how much I ask.”
Sara must remain miserable.
“What if we did a group date?” he asks.
“They’d never go for that.”
“They might if you told them you wanted to go out with a bunch of your friends.”
“Jason, I don’t have a bunch of friends. I have you and Arissa. That’s it.”
“Well, we have friends and they can be your friends too.”