Chapter 34

I didn’t want to go to the dance tonight. Chelsea was beyond excited and I really tried to be for her sake, but I couldn’t muster up the excitement. Nick had surprised the both of us by bringing us a stylist over to help us with hair and makeup.


“Hey girls,” Nick grinned, “This is Isaac, a friend of mine.” I smiled at the man; he looked to be about Nick’s age but unlike my father, this guy was gorgeous, but could tell instantly that he was gay. “He’s a hair and makeup artist, I thought he could help you two get ready for tonight.”


“Really?” Chelsea looked like she was ready to burst.


“I heard this is your very first dance,” Isaac grinned at me, “let’s make you look like a knockout.”


I saw Nick frown, “Not a knockout,” and all three of us looked at him, “I mean, she’s beautiful no matter what, just enhance…that.” He looked uncomfortable and Isaac laughed.


He pinched Nick’s cheek, “you’re so cute when you’re protective.” Chelsea laughed and I blushed. “Who wants to go first?”


I turned to Chelsea, “why don’t you go first, I’m hungry.”


Nick followed me into the kitchen, “what do you want to eat?”


“What do we have?”


He looked through the refrigerator and freezer and frowned, “nothing. I need to go food shopping.”


“Can we order some subs?” I grinned when his face lit up. “I want a steak and cheese with barbeque sauce.”


Nick pretended to gag. If there was one thing Nick hated; it was barbeque sauce. I was ten when I first had it. We had gone down to Miami for a weekend to visit Papa Bob and we went to a sports bar for dinner and also so they could watch the football game. I had ordered chicken fingers and they brought me a side of barbeque sauce. Nick told me I wouldn’t like it, so I told him I did just to spite him, but then I really did like it. He swore I was not his child and still swears it whenever he sees me eating the stuff. “Let me go see if Isaac and Chels want anything.”


When he came back downstairs, he flipped through the take out menus. “Where should we order it from?”


“Hmm,” I looked at all of them, and this one place called “Brother’s Subs” had a picture of the exact sandwich I wanted on their cover. I felt like it was fate. He called the sub shop and picked up his keys. “Want to go for a ride?”


“Can we stop at the drugstore too?”


He sighed dramatically, “I guess so. What do you need?”


I blushed, “nothing. You can wait in the car.” I didn’t think he wanted to know because he scrunched up his face and just nodded.


It turned out the drugstore was right next to the sub shop so while he went to get the sandwiches, I went to the drugstore. I picked up a box of tampons and some pantyhose and made my way to the front. “Can you double bag it please?” I didn’t want Nick to see the tampons; it was embarrassing. I went out to the car and waited for him to come out of the sub shop.


Ten minutes later he still hadn’t come out of the sub shop and when I looked in the window, I saw why. He was talking to Brandon, who was behind the counter. I squeaked and ran into the shop. “Dad, what are you doing?”


“Oh, hey baby, I was just talking to Brandon here,” he grinned at me but I knew better.


“Hi Ally,” Brandon gave a little wave.


“So, how long have you been working here Brandon?” Nick asked. I wanted to die, or kill Nick.


“A few years,” Brandon shrugged. “How’ve you been Ally?”


Nick interjected, “really? You can hang onto something for that long? Don’t need variety?”


I tugged on Nick’s sleeve, “We gotta get back to the house…” anything to leave here.


“Nope, I keep the good things,” Brandon shrugged.


I was beyond mortified. “Dad, let’s go.” I turned to Brandon, “see you later.”


“Bye Ally, you look good.”


I blushed and Nick chuckled, “doesn’t she?” Nick wrapped and arm around me, “she’s gorgeous. Too bad you messed that up huh?” Then he winked at Brandon, “see you later kid.”


Tears were in my eyes by the time we got in the truck. I smacked his arm, “what the fuck were you thinking?”


“Don’t swear Ally, it’s unbecoming,” then he started whistling as he pulled out of the parking lot.


“How could you do that to me?!” I didn’t understand how he couldn’t think that wasn’t one of the worst moments of my life.


“I was just making conversation.”


I glared at him, “no you weren’t and you know it. He’s my ex-boyfriend for a reason, just leave him alone. I’m over it, why can’t you be?” I crossed my arms and glared out the window.


“He hurt you Ally, how am I supposed to be okay with that?”


“So you’re gonna harass every guy I date?”


“No,” he scowled, “just the ones who break your heart.”


Tears rolled down my face silently, “well you just broke mine, are you going to harass yourself now?” He put his hand on my shoulder but I shrugged him off, “don’t touch me.”


“C’mon Ally, don’t be so dramatic.”


When we got home, I ran up to my room and slammed the door behind me. Then I started to cry. I ignored the knock on the door but wiped my eyes when I saw Chelsea poke her head in. “What happened?”


“Brandon works at the sub shop we went to,” I whispered, afraid my voice would break. “Nick decided to fuck around with him, embarrassing the life out of me.” I started to cry again, “I can’t believe he did that.”


“Seriously?” Even she looked mortified. I would’ve taken her sympathy if she didn’t look so gorgeous, but Isaac did a fantastic job on her hair and makeup.


“You look really pretty,” I took a deep breath, “I’m going to look like shit.”


Before she could respond Isaac poked his head through the door, “Oh honey, Nick just told me, no guy is worth your tears.”


“Even your own father?” I asked.


Isaac chuckled, “He’s just being a Dad. If I had a Dad as great as yours, I knew he’d never do it on purpose.”


But Isaac was wrong; Nick totally did it on purpose.


“Now come on darling, come sit in my chair and let me make you gorgeous.”


I sat in the makeup chair and leaned forward, “I don’t want gorgeous. I want knockout.” Isaac grinned evilly and picked up his brush.






I heard a loud whistle when I walked down the stairs. I looked in the living room and saw Brent and Nick watching a basketball game. That was the exact reaction I was looking for even if it was only from Brent. Maybe other guys would notice me tonight.


“Nice dress Ally,” Brent smiled.


“Or lack thereof,” Nick frowned. “That’s the dress you bought?” I rolled my eyes and walked into the kitchen. He followed me, “so what, you’re ignoring me now?”


“Yes,” I snapped.


I went to leave but he grabbed my arm, “drop the attitude got it? I’m sorry I embarrassed you.”


But saying he was sorry didn’t mean anything to me, “words,” I snapped at him. “This was the second time Nick; you couldn’t just leave it alone?”


Chelsea walked into the kitchen with Isaac, “oh Ally, you look breathtaking.”


I grinned at Sam, "a knockout right?"


"It's just a dance," said Nick, "no one else is going to look like this."


"You're right," Isaac agreed, "because no one else is as gorgeous as your daughter is. Even without the hair and makeup, she'd be a knockout."


Nick frowned at Chelsea, “that slit is a little high don’t you think?” I went to leave but he held my arm, “can you guys give us a minute?”


“No,” I said, “we’re gonna be late if we don’t leave now.” But he held my arm still.


He turned me around and glared down at me. I wanted to cry but didn’t want to ruin my makeup. “What do you want me to do huh? I said I was sorry.”


“Are you really sorry?” I knew he wasn’t, that’s why I didn’t want to accept it.


He sighed, “No. I’m not.”


“Then I’m not accepting it.”


He sighed and let me go, “fine. Goodbye.”


“Goodbye,” and then I turned out of the room and grabbed Chelsea’s arm. “I’m driving.”






I had to admit that the dance was fun. I hated to dance, I thought I was horrible at it; but it was a good way to forget what an asshole Nick had been. Chelsea had dragged me to the dance floor as soon as we got there and we hadn’t left since. Every time a boy would ask her to dance, she declined telling them that I was her date for the evening. I knew that no one was going to ask me to dance, but that was okay. I didn’t need any of them talking to me after four years of ignoring me. I’d soon forget about them.


But then Tyler came up to me and asked if I wanted to dance. And Chelsea wouldn’t let me say no. Tyler had never deliberately ignored me in school, but said hello in the hallways and sat at the same lunch table as Chelsea and me. He wasn’t a jock, or a geek but I remember seeing him in French Club the one time I went. A slow song came on and Tyler pulled me close, telling me he liked my dress, and I looked pretty. And when the slow song was over he asked if I wanted a drink. I glanced at Chelsea and she nodded for me to go, so I went with him.


He told me about a party at his friend’s house after the dance, and if Chelsea and I wanted, we were invited. When I told Chelsea, she grinned and told me that I should give Tyler a kiss as a thank you. I rolled my eyes even though the thought crossed my mind. So when the dance was over, Chelsea and I got into my car and followed Tyler to his friend’s house.


“You girls want anything to drink?” We followed Tyler into the kitchen and saw the counters laden with alcohol.


“Ooh,” Chelsea grinned, “I’ll take a beer.”


Tyler handed Chelsea a beer and then grinned at me, “and for you?” I didn’t necessarily want to drink, but I didn’t want to look like a wimp either. The last time I drank at a house party, I nearly lost my virginity. “You don’t have to drink if you don’t want to,” he said. I bit my lip; it was like he read my mind.


“I’ll take a beer too,” I said finally. He handed me one and then took a can of soda for himself. “You’re not gonna drink?”


“No,” he said, “I’m driving tonight.”


I frowned down at my beer; I felt like an idiot. I was driving too.


“You look uncomfortable, are you okay?”


I smiled, “yeah, I’m fine,” even though I wasn’t. I turned to Chelsea to see that she had wandered off and when I turned back to Tyler, he took the beer and handed me a soda instead.


“How’s that?” He smiled and I relaxed a little.


“Better, thanks.”


He led me out the back door and we sat down on the bench. “I didn’t think I’d see you at the dance tonight. You’re usually always a no show at school functions.” He was sort of right. I wasn’t usually a no show; I was always a no show.


“Yeah,” I shrugged slightly, “I just…”


“Don’t want to talk to people you don’t like?”


“No…well, sort of. I mean, most of the kids we go to school with have spent four years without talking to me…”


He shrugged slightly, “I don’t know about them, but I’ve been trying to get the courage to talk to you for four years…”


I nearly choked on my soda, and blurted, “What?”


He blushed slightly, “yeah, I’m a idiot like that. I just…thought you wouldn’t give me the time of day. Then I heard you telling Mrs. Murphy that you were joining French Club this year, so I went, determined that I was finally going to ask you out, but you only went once, so I thought I blew it.”


I was baffled, confused but completely flattered. I turned to face him, “really?”


“Really,” he gave me a small smile, “I saw you tonight and knew that I just had to just do it, before I’d never get the chance.”


“So…you’re asking me out?”


He looked down at his soda, “only if you say yes.”


I bit my lip, “Yes Tyler, I would love to go out with you.”