The Stripper And The Anxiety-riddled Dork

The Old encourages the Young, The Young encourages the Old

Chapter 33

Dax looked at the '207' number carved into the cherry-wood door of his daughter's hotel room. His left hand slipped out of his coat's pocket and curled into a loose fist in order to knock softly against the wood. He waited a couple of moments for anything from the other side before knocking once more, the force behind it a bit more noticeable.

"...Codi." He called out.

Only silence was given back.

His brow furrowed as he knocked once more, the door still remaining firmly shut.

"Codi. Listen, I know you don't want to talk to me but we really need to. I don't want...I don't want to lose you, cub." He spoke out, his voice slightly rough when a throat cleared and forced him away from the door.

"You know you're talkin' to a door, right?" Zen grumbled to Codi's father, the tall man taking a step away from the respective door. The two looked at each other, honey-brown locking with pale blue.

"You're Nel's little sister."

"The name's Zen, you nutter." She grumbled as crossed her arms, Dax's brow arching at the small girl.

"Apologies. I'm just-"

"Ignoring Codi's wishes?"

"P-Pardon?"

"She said she didn't want to hear from any of you anymore. Kinda hard to forget that when it's screamed at your face." Zen grumbled as she crossed her arms, Dax's lips pursing slightly at the small brunette.

"Yes, Well...I've never been very good at listening to her, have I?" He joked with an empty laugh, Zen's lips not even twitching. Only a roll of her eyes as she looked at the vacant room's door.

"It's not a joke if it's true, you know. Just makes you look like a knob."

"Yes. Yes it does." He murmured.

Zen watched the man as he bowed his head slightly, her arms falling to her sides. She looked at him for a moment more before letting out a 'tsk' and turning back to the elevator.

"She's gone, by the way." She offered to the man, his head snapping up.

"What?"

"She left an hour ago."

"Wha-But-"

"But what? You really thought you could fix things with a little talk?" Zen spoke, her voice echoing slightly in the empty hallway. Dax's brow furrowed but he shook his head slightly as the girl pressed the elevator's button.

"Well, No but-"

"What's her favorite color?" She asked, Dax's jaw clenching slightly at the question.

'You can't even tell me because you never bothered to find out. 24 years of my life. And you didn't bother to be there for any of them.'

"...I don't know."

"Figure it out then." She finished, the elevator letting out a soft ping before it's doors opened. She stepped into it, her hand moving to press the button to her parent's floor.

"Mind giving me a hint?" He called out one last time, Zen finally pressing the button as she gave the man a blank stare.

"Hints are for donuts that aren't willing to try. Get off your arse and be a caring father for once." She shook her head as the doors finally closed.

Dax stared at the polished silver doors before looking back to his daughter's vacant room.

< >

Codi hummed softly as she observed Orange and Russet, the two of them curled tightly against each other in their carrier. She grinned softly at them before looking to her left, Nicky already comfy and had an arm over her eyes as her right foot tapped against the air. She craned her neck a bit to look behind her to see Win also already leaned back in her chair with a blanket thrown over her body, head included (she had all but headbutted Codi when the younger said they should pick coach tickets).

'We're rich, baby sister! And I will not be crammed into a bloody tube without any legroom! I'm not small like you, I need to stretch! That blonde of yours too!' Win had declared.

Codi had purchased three first-class tickets after that. If she was stuck in a 400-ton metal bird, she might as well be comfortable. She turned back to settle into her seat, bringing her knees closer to herself to place the cat carrier on the chair's footrest.

She lifted her messenger bag up from the floor, placing it in the small gap between her abdomen and legs and flipped it open to grab her tablet. Her hand stilled however on the zipper when her eyes caught sight of her grandfather's letter. Her fingers grabbed the edge of it and she pulled it out, placing the bag back onto the floor as she stared at the old envelope.

'Codi' was written in her grandfather's elegant writing. His penmanship had always been so fascinating to his youngest grandchild.

She loved watching him write. His wrist easily swerving as he looped his 'o's' together, the paper always clean and smudgeless despite the force he'd put on his fountain pens. She would always compare her smudged-up left-handed writing compared to his clean right-hand.

Frederick had told her not to when he found out.

'Never compare yourself to another, Campbell.' He told a eight-year old Codi. He would still use her first name instead of her preferred middle name from time to time. Frederick pushed his chair away from his desk a little bit and patted his leg, Codi walking towards him and letting him settle her on his knee.

'I may have a clean page but you will always surpass me in how many pages you used. So much in that little brain of yours. That brilliance is far more greater than pretty hand-writing.' He continued as he reached for a composition notebook. He opened it and tore the first few filled pages out, tossing them in the bin before reaching for a dinosaur-themed pencil and offering it to his granddaughter.

'Now, go on. Write me something.'

Codi shook herself out of the memory and carefully opened the envelope, pulling out the folded paper inside it.

She took a deep breath before unfolding the paper.

Her fingers tightened against the sides of the paper, it crinkling slightly as her eyes glistened. She crossed her legs, slouching forward as she rested the paper against her forehead. Her body shook as she kept her sobs as quiet as possible.

'I love you, Codi.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soon....