After my last statement and my proper explanation, Mila went crazy. She sat down on the counter near me but stood up again, with a puzzled expression on her face. The more she thought of what he said on the phone, the more worried she got towards the topic.

She knew things could go wrong if I continue with this plan.

Everything from there went from "No, you can't do that", "Think about this a bit more" she said as she served lunch.

“  I have been thinking about it for too long”  I said confident.
 
"Do you still like him?" but she didn't let me answer before she started rambling and murmuring again. "That jerk, how could he not like you? Is he blind?"

“ He has all the right to not like me, Mila. I just can't believe that this was never more than a friendship.  We used to be so close...more than friends are" I said defeated, as I hid my face in my hands in frustration. 

Finally, when she decided to stop talking to herself, she sat down on the aisle next to me. As she said that, she knew this would happen. She and the entire school were waiting for one of us to break the walls and start dating.

We ended up on our laptops googling websites to tell us the most important steps to make a guy fall in love with you. I didn't like any of them.

On Sunday I went home a bit disappointed. When I got there my dad was making dinner and singing one of his favourite songs, 'It had to be you' by Harry Connick Jr.

I went through the front door slowly walking towards the kitchen with the only intention of scaring him. I walked in my tip toes, but he wasn't there anymore.

I looked around confused, trying to figure out where he went, when out of the sudden, he jumped out of the kitchen closet.

I screamed, trying to find a chair to sit on while checking if my heart was still beating. I could only hear the echo of my dad laughing so hard.

"Why would you do that to me?" I asked sitting in the chair "Don't you know you could have killed your own daughter?"

"I'm sorry, honey, but I couldn't resist myself when I saw you through the window" he said still laughing . “You can't blame me, you were about to do the same to me," He said with half a smile, raising his eyebrows and getting closer to me.

"I...I...that's not true dad!" I said with half a smile too while he gave me an " I don't believe you" look. "Anyways what are we doing tonight?" I asked while tasting the sauce on the stove.

"Tonight we will have dinner, dance, and talk," He said while taking the wooden spoon out of my hand.

"Dad, I'm not in the mood to dance," I told him when he took my hand and spun me around.

"It doesn't matter how mad, sad, happy or rebellious you are-" He said while we danced to the song.

"Dancing with someone I love will always make me feel better" I ended the very known phrase he used to say during hard times.  It became his catchy phrase two summers ago.

"Exactly, so dance with me," He said while singing the song as we danced.

We danced for a while before going to the stove again to prepare dinner. "How's mom?" I asked while taking the garlic bread.

"She's good. I talked to her on the phone last night" He said while taking his tie off and sitting at the table. "She said you should call her tomorrow"

"I will definitely call her. Is she coming soon to visit?" I asked while serving me a decent amount of salad and pasta.

"I don't know, you will have to call her to find out," He said, smiling at me. He has been trying to make me get closer to my mom and haa failed on his attempts. 

My mom and dad were good friends. They were friends when one night they hooked up and decided they were better off as friends. After a month, mom found out I was on the way and my dad stayed with her, as a friend and to be there for me too.

Years later she decided to continue with her career as a Professional Photographer. She got an offer from the National Geographic magazine. It was amazing at first because we traveled to different countries, but after a year, I told her I wanted to go back. I missed my house, my friends, and the comfort of feeling at home. She understood and talked to my dad and with all his love he took me back.

My mom is the best mom she can be even with the thousands of miles between us. We get along pretty well and more when she finds the time to come back home.

"How was your weekend at Mila's house?" He asked, while tasting the wine, looking directly at me.

"It was good," I said, trying not to look at him because if I did I knew I would tell him everything. All I knew related to that party and drugs.

"I'm glad you had fun," his voice sounded dangerous while he looked at me seriously. "I found out about the party,"

"What party?" I asked confused, pretending that I didn't know what he was talking about.

"It was on the local news. A group of your high school friends threw off a party that got out of control. Neighbors had to call the police, they found alcohol and drugs" He said leaning against the armchair.


"Wow!  I didn't know..." I said a bit nervous, knowing where this was going.

"Where were you?" His eyes turn darker as the small lines around his eyes contracted in a a frown. "I called you on Friday, so don't tell me you weren't there because you will be lying to me."

This is the moment when you want to hide under the table. I wanted to run as fast as I could towards my room to avoid this discussion forever.

I'm a good girl, I tell to tell dad about the parties, but I knew he would've said no to that one. I did my best to go without telling him any lies and at the same time hide the truth.

"I went to the party, but left sooner, because it wasn't my type of party." I said, mentally slapping myself for my stupid answer. My type of party? This is my death. If I tell him I was there the police got there he would have lost it.

"Your type of party?" He asked raising his left eyebrow. Oh, oh, I was in trouble "Mrs. Bell told me she saw you in her garden with some boy..." He said and I could feel how uncomfortable this topic was to him as I heard the word boy in a whispered. 

"Mrs. Bell can't see very well, she's like 110 years old," I loudly looking fora way to defend myself. The woman lives close to the hosts of the party, but she is so old that I could use that as a way to get out of this mess.

"Jessica Marie, don't lie to me," He said looking at me with his 'pissed off dad' expression. "Who was the boy?"

Lie one more time Jessica. Be smart and don't tell him his name, lie, and say it was Sam, Robert or anyone else.
"It was-" I was about to answer his question when he interrupted me.

" She said you were..." He said uncomfortably, moving in the chair
"You know...doing things with that boy"

He stood up and got close to me, sitting in the chair beside me. My eyes were wide open and the hugest blush covered my face. I could feel the heat getting up my cheeks.

"No way! She didn't say that!" I couldn't believe how she could say something like that without being sure. "Dad, you know I wouldn't do anything like that in public" I blurted out. Again Jessica? Not in public? What's wrong with you tonight?

"Mrs. Bell thinks I should know. She also told me to tell you that she will keep your secret," He said passing his fingers through his hair.  "I know you will never do that in public," He said making an emphasis on the word "public"

"I promise, nothing happened!" I said over excited by the fact that my dad hasn't talked about any consequences. "He helped me get out of there. We climbed up to the roof of a house and spent the night there. Dad, we were so tired that we fell asleep," I said so fast.

Then I noticed I've confessed to my dad what happened that night. God! I need to bite my tongue.

"Is he your friend?" He asked, still looking worried. "because if he's your boyfriend you know you can tell me and if you need your own space to do you know...to have-"

"Lalalalalalalala" I started singing covering my ears with my hands. "it's awkward to talk about this topic with you dad," I said standing, picking up the dirty dishes.

I was heading towards the kitchen when I turned around and answered his question.

"He's not a friend anymore and less my boyfriend," I said, trying to find the right words. "We're nothing, dad" I whispered softly.

" So are you strangers?" My dad said, trying to give some sense to my words.

"Exactly," I said leading my feet to the kitchen. My dad following me.

"Do you know that after this talk I'm more worried about you than I was before?" He asked after a minute or two while saving the leftovers in the fridge.

"What?!" I asked surprised. I thought everything was under control "Why?"

"Let's review everything you said Jess" He said, "First you lied to me. Second you were in a house with drugs. Third, someone saw you with a guy. Then you said you do have sex but not in public and finally the guy you spent the night with is a STRANGER!" He yelled. He lost it, he wasn't calm anymore and I could see his eyes widen in shock and his nostrils opened even wider.

"Dad! I didn't mean it that way, you know I ramble a lot when I'm nervous" I said so fast, but I catched the behind his anger the disappointment in his eyes.

"Who was the boy?" He asked one more time, breathing deeply to calm down.

I looked down at my feet trying to find a lie, but I couldn't lie to him anymore. I hate when he feels disappointed in me. The way he looks at me is different and his voice too. He deserves the truth after my failed attempt at lying to him.

"Maxwell Johansen" I said while I finished washing the dishes. I felt how the mood change in the environment. Dad remembered how I felt about him.

I didn't hear a sound, and that made me look at him. His facial expression had softened and he let out a sigh of relief. He didn't say a word when he walked out of the kitchen, leaving me there with a lot of questions.

He left, without yelling at me and he hasn't ground me, yet.  I thought he was going to start asking questions again, but at least it looked like I was going to be able to get out of this. By saying his name, Maxwell Johansen, had an effect on my dad. A positive effect, contrary to the one he had in me.

I finished cleaning the kitchen and headed towards the stairs to take a shower. I heard my dad yelling my name.

"Yes, dad?" I asked, walking towards the living room. He was on the couch watching TV with some papers in his hands. I guessed it was from work.

"You're grounded." He said avoiding my eyes "No more going to Mila's house and you are not allowed to go to any parties until Christmas." He said still looking at the papers on his hand.

I didn't say a word. I stood there wanting to say something, but I knew it would make it worse. Not going to any parties was fine with me, but not being able to spend some weekends at Mila's house was a big deal.

"Alright," I mumbled then turned around to go upstairs.

After I showered I got in bed and texted Mila telling her everything that happened. She was as sad and angry as I was but we both knew it wasn't fair to be mad at my dad. I said goodnight and started to write my blog.

I was writing the first entry when I heard a soft sound coming from under my blanket. I looked for my phone to pick up the call.

"Hello?" I said, lost in what I was typing on my laptop. 

"Jessica?" A man's voice came through the phone, making my fingers stop at the sound of his voice.

"Yes," I answered, knowing who was on the other line. The stupid tingling sensation came over me again.

"I'm grounded" his voice sounding like a grown along with a pissed off tone.

"What?" I asked, confused. Why would he be grounded?

"You told your dad, I spent the night with you" He said almost yelling at me. He was upset about my confession. I knew I got myself in trouble, but how did his parents found out?

"I...I didn't mean it in a sexual way, Maxwell," I said, getting mad "He assumed things."

"Why did you tell him that?" He asked and I could feel the tension in his voice.

"I...I don't lie to my dad! He's a freaking psychiatrist" I said, trying not to yell at him. "He can make me confess all my darkest secrets without me even noticing."

"Damn it! He called my dad and told him about it" He said, explaining this sudden call. "I didn't even know they were still friends" He said with an ironic laugh.

"I'm sorry," I softly whispered on the phone.

"Ag! Jessica" He said, sounding frustrated "I want to kill you sometimes!" His tone was serious and calm, but I could feel a happy tone behind it.

"I'll talk to him and see what I can do," I told him trying to make it up to him.

"Don't worry Jess" He said now, but with tenderness, "Both of us deserve it."

There was a short but comfortable silence until he talked again.

“I think you will have to deal with me," He said and I could tell he had a smile on his face.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I am not allowed to go to parties until Christmas, but, also to take you to school and back home every day until next year. Is a way to make it up to you for not being a gentleman last night. You're stuck with me" He said, explaining while my heart was beating fast.

I will have to spend all those days with him. I will need help or I will be insane by the end of the year.

"What?" I asked, still confused " Why would they do that?".

"I choose that instead of washing the cars every weekend" He said, holding a frustrated huff. 

"Oh" was all I could say.

"Sweet dreams, Jess," He said with a husky voice, tired and sleepy "I'll see you tomorrow. 7:30 sharp."

He ended the call. Now it was the moment to write that first entry on my blog. Everything works as planned and from tomorrow on things might change for both of us. -