Chapter 15
Mark stopped by a fancy restaurant.
"We are here miss, your father is waiting," Mark said while he grip that wheel.
I only nodded and opened the car door.
I stepped inside to find that Dad was sitting at one of the tables near the window. He moved his hands to call for me as soon as we found each other.
I approached him walking with my bag hung on only one shoulder and tried to walk cool like that of the Mafia. But I only ended up gone suspected by the guards. They had to stop me from taking any further steps. But one man came to us.
"Let go, she came for Sir Damien," he ordered to the men holding me from elbow to elbow. I was just so scared of what happened. I was just showing some funny moves to dad and they seriously took it. Dude! How embarrassing.
They are stopping me, not knowing I am the child of-
The man who came accompanied me to see my father in his seat.
"What's with the people here?" I troubled to ask dad.
"It's a secured meal house for business," dad explained having the funny mood about what just happened.
"Don't laugh at me. It's not funny. I thought I had done something bad."
"How's school," he asked me while I took my seat.
"Good."
"I already took the order," dad said while taking a sip from his glass.
"What is it?" I cared to ask when I realized he did not even wait for me to pick the food I want as we always do.
"Since it's the last meeting, I ordered your favorite," dad smiles as he looks at me.
Last mee-- Of course, this is our last meeting, how could I forget that. Mom is coming home tomorrow. I stood fast and neared dad as I held his big palm.
"Dad," I called to him with a little bit of sweetness on the tip of my tongue while I smile cutely. "Can you lengthen Mom's vacation?"
Dad suddenly looked up at me. He gazes.
"What do you mean?" He raised a question.
I just figured out that I cannot do my things at school if mom is around. She's gonna find out that I am repeating any action regarding violations. And I have some plans this week for the popular kids. I am really up to something and I don't want it to be ruined. Just this time.
I was nearly forced to study abroad last year when she caught me with low grades in school and the principal almost banned me because of too many violations of vandalism, and school fights.
When I was in middle school, I tried to be part of the Red Squad gang in Calister. Dad found it out first and tried to convince me to leave the group and mom found out that I was meeting dad so we had to move to Shera Made. I was mad at mom and tried to leave her, fleeing to meet dad at the airport but mom caught me and they had fought until we moved again to the nearby city and told dad to never meet me again.
Yet again at Benign, Mom did not let any communication between me and dad so she had to guard me 24 hours from school to home. My only freedom was the night when she sleeps. I tried scaping during nighttime and tried visiting some bars to enjoy my life. I attend school, sometimes sobber. It affected my studies and I was listed as the worst student.
Mom was always gone to school for the principal and I always had detentions. Mom hated me for doing unexplainable things yet she has not even come up with the reason that she was controlling me like a prisoner. I hated mom too, we hated each other and we did not get along for the whole year.
Dad found it out and fought mom just to see me. I held him tight and never wanted to let go. Dad and I talked about my behavior, he promised to visit me for some time but we had to keep it a secret to mom and in return, I will fix my life.
We moved to Vercelli and mom threatened me of studying abroad if I will not change. But my change was for dad. Every time he sees me, he treats me to a good meal. So we kept in touch but my mom accidentally run into dad in the mall so we had to move again.
And now we are here in Jordan just for a vacation at Uncle Nick's but someone proposed a house lot to mom so she decided that we stay here. Now that we moved to a new place, I had to register in a new school again but I promised myself to graduate peacefully in the next four months and never again go back to the past. But unexpected things happen and it just did.
I do not mean to go back into being a bad student or a bad child. I just need to be bad again but this time with good intentions and purpose. The wrong thing needs correction and the same goes for bad people who need discipline.
The popular girls need a person who is equally fighting for what they think is right and I feel I am that person. But to be able to do that, mom needs to stay in L.A.
"Maybe she can stay at L.A for a month?" I begged dad with my cutie eyes.
"A month for what Sammy?" Dad asked troubled. He suddenly refuses my wants regarding mom. I need to find a good reason to support it.
"I just want some space for alone time?"
Dad stood and held me on my shoulders. "Did something happen? Are you hurt? Being hurt?" Dad checked me up to let me give him a turnaround process.
But I wiggled my head. "Nothing, just that I don't want mom to come home yet," I sadly respond still on my pretentious act.
"You don't want your mom anymore? Why? did she do anything to you?" Dad asked continuously. Ugh, why is it so hard to give a good reason to dad? He is just misunderstanding things.
"No," I answered fast in a louder tone. I wiggled my head. "I want to experience the fun of being alone," I finally got a good one to reason out.
Dad curled his forehead. "Does that mean without me too?" he said in a frown face.
"No," but wait. "I mean maybe yes?" My tone rises. Then I did not promptly look at him or he'll know what I am up to.
"Oh Sammy," dad took my hand again then shook it. "Good job, you're finally growing into a lady."
It surprised me that dad took it that way. I did not mean by that and what does he mean by that, of course, I am a grown-up lady. What made him think I was a little girl a while ago and a lady now? Sheeks!
I nodded to his response. I'll just leave it that way.
"Yeah, that's how I felt," I continued to lie.
He held me again and hugged me tightly. "Sure let's make mama have a 2-week vacation at L.A."
"Two weeks?" I surprisingly shouted as I detached from him.
"Yes," dad assured. "I know my woman's limitation. I am sure she will want to go home in not more than two weeks of vacation. Try me, that's your momma," dad explained.
Well yeah I remembered, she does that. The last time we had it this summer, she did go bored after weeks yet she fought over me for staying in a month before.
"Sam?" Dad suddenly called to me. I looked up to him and he was looking in another direction. I turned around to face it too.
My eyes widened.
"Dad don't look!" I whispered harshly while I pushed him back to a corner but he refused to move. "Dad!" I said it for the second time but he just stood there ignoring my plea.
So I had to take my bag and steps away from dad and hid instead.
Why the heck is he here? Damn it! Why on earth do you keep showing up for an unknown reason in the same place where I am at. Damn it!
It's damn you! I hate you!
The man who came in was Khai tossing his car keys. I don't know why is he here at the same place as I am but what I know is that I cannot let him see me with my dad.
I continued to hide while I pin my eyes on Khai observing what is he gonna do next. He was talking with the guards.
Then I can see the guards pointing at my father's space. Dad is just seating eating calmly. Like does dad even care? He knows Khai because he had seen him at Costa, but why is he not even bothered? Well, Khai does not know my dad anyway but they are shaking ha--.
Wait for what? They are shaking hands?
Do they know each other?
"Young man, are you meeting someone?" I can barely hear dad ask Khai. I am just by the next wall hiding.
"Mr. Santiago. I am happy to meet you here but I am just looking for someone," it was Khai's voice.
"Looking for who? Your father sent you?"
"No, never mind. I'll just look around," Khai said.
Suddenly, my phone rang. It was dad calling.
Shit!