Next morning, I woke up feeling vivacious. It must be saved from last night. We had a good breakfast and then dad went out for some shopping. Being alone, Vanessa and i grabbed our coffees, sat down on our bamboo couches in our backyard and chatted. I told her everything about a night before. When i was finally done, she spoke:
“It’s so romantic...I mean, he’s a great guy i think...even though i didn’t talk with him that much, he seemed really nice and i’d noticed his looks to you.” She winked at me, i laughed. She was really great to talk to. I had even told her about Zackary and our hard relationship, she just listened carefully and said that i’d done a good job with leaving him.
We continued chatting and giggling until hearing front door’s slam. It was very fierce that windows trembled. “Dad’s home i guess.” I said.
“Vanessa!” we heard his angry voice. I looked at Vanessa’s confused face worriedly.
“We’re here outside!” she yelled back.
His footsteps came closer and closer, and he finally appeared on the doorway. I noticed the same freezing look in his blue eyes, i moved slightly in my chair, my sixth sense was telling me it was something about me. He threw a tabloid magazine onto the table.
“What’s this all about?” he said between his teeth pointing out the mag now laying right infront of my eyes. ‘Backstreet Daughter Skylar, dancing along with a Backstreet song with some guy in a café.’ I read and i glanced the photo, a girl dressed in blues and a brunette guy...
“I don’t know....” i said uncomprehendingly.
“You sure know what it is!” he shouted. It was me and Chris on the cover. How did they find us? The flash! I remembered.
“Look Dad, I can explain it...” i started.
“Explain what? I don’t wanna hear any excuses! How could you dare to make out with whosoever in a club? You’re my daughter, not a whore!”
“I’M NOT A WHORE!!!” i screamed, i felt my lungs would jump out from my mouth. Tears had welled up my eyes also.
“Nick, why don’t you calm down a bit?” Vanessa said meekly.
“Don’t interfere Vanessa!”
“No i will. How can you call your daughter a whore?”
“I didn’t call her a whore! I warned her not to be a one!” he yelled pointing me. I started crying, i couldn’t handle my own father calling me a whore.
“Yes you did!” yelled Vanessa.
“I can’t believe you!” I shouted and ran inside, throwing the mag towards him. I dumped into someone huge on my way to upstairs, it was uncle Kevin.
“Skylar? Why are you crying?” he asked, holding me from my arm.
“Ask him!” I said between sobs, rescued my arm from Uncle Kevin but he caught me again. I wiggled but he dragged me outside.
“I know what is going on and you can’t solve any problem by running nor shouting. You have to sit down and talk ok?” It wasn’t a question, it was a command. I scuffed and slumped back on my chair next to Vanessa. She stroked my hand and squeezed it. I closed my eyes, letting tears pour down. Even though there was still a huge tension in the air, i was relieved that Uncle Kevin was there. He motioned my dad to sit down and he sat down reluctantly right across to me.
“Now we all know the deal.” Uncle Kevin started smoothly. It was a law court and he was the dominant. “And first question: Nick, did you ask Skylar anything about this episode?”
“No I didn’t need it. I have eyes Kevin and i can read so why do i need?”
“This is the problem Nick, you didn’t need to ask anything to Skylar, why don’t you let her speak?”
“Look Kevin, here I AM the dad and she’s my daughter so why don’t you let me solve the problem?” my dad retorted.
“If you could’ve succeed, I wouldn’t interfere but Nick, you can’t do anything...”
“Let me do some fathering then. Just back off Kevin!”
“You’re irreconcilable Nick, problem is inside you!” Kevin yelled and walked inside as he added from kitchen. “But now you’re alone with her, we’ll see if you can do it or not but Nick i hope you can do it without insulting her.”
I hadn’t witnessed a fight between Backstreets before, except some silly arguments, and this time two of them were fighting over me. Vanessa glanced both of us and before following Kevin inside, she mumbled something like “you better be alone.”
We watched her entering inside and closing the sliding door behind her. After a few minuteds of silence, my dad spoke.
“Skylar, do you want to tell me about this episode?”
“If you’re not going to shout and call me...” my voice cracked. “ a whore, i will.”
“Look, i didn’t want to insult you, how can i do? I’m just overreacting. Can you imagine the shock i’ve faced when i saw you kissing with some guy? And especially in a magazine?”
“But dad, he’s not some guy, he’s my boyfriend.”
“Your boyfriend? But he’s not Zackary...”
“Cos he’s Chris. Dad, he had dropped me home last night and he’s also Littrell brothers’ bud, remember?”
He lowered his head. “I remember. But you have to understand me. I was scared that you’d done something you’d regret later...”
“Just like you?” i finished his sentence.
“I thought that we’d closed this subject.”
“You may did but i didn’t dad. And don’t forget, I’ll never do that, besides, I wasn’t drunk. And even if i ever did soemthing like that, I’d never forsake my child infront of his door just with a note.” I said coherently.
His had raised, and he shot me a look, a look between anger and sadness, a look between remorse and happiness.
“To add more, I love Chris, i know it’s happening so fast but i felt something right when i was with him.”
He nodded, then stood up. Openning his arms, he whispered “come here...”. I stood up leisurely and ran into his warm arms and buried my head in his chest, as i let my warm tears wash my face and soak his shirt. He hugged me tightly, stroking my head, whispering I Love Yous.
“How will we get rid of this?” I asked between sobs.
“I will take care of it, if anybody from press asks you something about it, just say them to come and ask to me, alright?”
“Yeah.” I sobbed again.
“But...” he held my chin and looked into my eyes.
“Promise me not to do this again, it’s not good even thoguh how much you love him. Be more careful when you go out.”
“Ok, i will.” I said and again hugged him tightly.
Again, after all of this disorder, he was right.