Oh, Dakota

8- Madhouse

“I think I’m going crazy.” I muttered as I finished braiding my hair down my back in a loose fishtail.

“You’ve always been crazy, kiddo.” My dad laughed softly.

I turned to glare at him teasingly. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a bully?” I wondered.

He laughed again and then nodded, plopping down on the couch to watch some early morning news broadcast. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure you’ve mentioned it a couple hundred times.”

“Yeah, well it’s true.” I grumbled. For some reason, he didn’t have to leave that morning so early like he usually did, so he was still at home while I was getting ready for school, and since Owen was hogging the bathroom for a shower, I had to do my hair in the living room where there was a mirror hanging on the wall. Sure, I could have done it in my room, but my mirror was a few inches shorter than me so to see my hair in the mirror, I have to stand a few steps back or duck and neither one is very convenient for braiding hair and doing makeup.

“Okay, well what’s got you thinking that you’re crazy?” He wondered.

I let out a long sigh and turned to face him. “Well for starters, Todd isn’t talking to me for some unknown reason, Caleb freaking Fisher asked me to hang out with him yesterday, and Levi and Nikki are officially together.” I explained. Yes, it’s true. Levi asked Nikki out last night. He admitted to her that he was going to wait until after the game tonight to ask her, but he couldn’t wait. I think it’s kinda mushy and weird, but he’s just like that, mushy and weird and stuff.

“Are you finally admitting that there’s a thing with you and Fisher?” My dad asked me with raised eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes and blushed a little bit. “Hanging out is not a thing, Dad.” I informed him.

He chuckled softly. “Sure it isn’t, kiddo. Don’t forget to eat your breakfast. I made pancakes.”

“No, Dad,” I laughed. “You tried to make pancakes.” I eyed the kitchen counter across from the living room where a stack of brown little discs sat on top of a plate. I had poked one earlier out of curiosity and found it harder than a rock. That’s what happens, ladies and gentlemen, when Brian Peters attempts to cook.

“Hey,” He scoffed. “They aren’t that bad.”

I nodded. “They’re pretty bad.”

“Well, I tried.” He defended, returning his attention to the TV as they started announcing the weather.

“What?” I heard Owen laugh coming down the stairs and into the living room. I looked over at him and saw that he was on the phone with somebody, making a bee line for the kitchen. “No, I can’t just not let her ride in the car, it is her car too, you know.” Something told me that he was talking to Todd, and he was talking about me. Because, for some reason, Todd just decided to hate me or something.

“I’ll see you at the game tonight.” I sighed, giving my dad a quick goodbye hug.

He attempted to give me a nuggie, but I quickly slipped out of his grip just in time because I knew that he was going to try that. I told you, he’s such a teenager sometimes.

“Sure, kiddo.” He sighed, changing the channel.

“Or you could just stop being such a-“ Owen continued into the phone but stopped short before catching himself. I assumed that he was about to say a very dirty word that begins with a P, but caught himself because he knew that our dad would have yelled at him for using such a word. I mean, our dad doesn’t really care if we cuss subtly, but rude words like that P word, and the C word and the D word and just any other word for human body parts- mainly the sex organs- he just doesn’t like us saying those kinda words. It’s weird, he’s weird, it’s all weird, but I live with it. “A wimp.” He supplied quickly. “Well then suck it up, we’ll be over soon.” He added after a long pause and then hung up his phone.