After we had finished our meal, Dad came into the kitchen to help me clean up. While we were putting the dishes into the dishwasher, he started fishing for more information. It was obvious he was setting down ground rules and preparing me for “it”, without actually saying ’it’ outright. “Your mother is just worried because she knows the kinds of things that go on at a teenage party and it is especially hard for a mother to admit her baby girl is growing up and will soon be in a position she will have to make decisions on her own to what is right and/ or good for herself. Boys can be very persistant driven by their hormones pressuring a girl into . . .” There he paused for a moment to drive home his thought or to collect his courage to continue. “ . . .things she may not be ready to do. Alcohol is usually a staple at a teenage party and even if you have no plan for it to be there, it is no guarantee it will not be brought along by your guests. Drinking impairs your judgement, and don’t think it wont happen to you, because it will. I know peer pressure is intense, but for me promise you will avoid it and if the other kids are drinking stay out of any fights. Please don’t let anyone drive home that has been drinking, call me and I will take them home, consider me the taxi service for the night. Teenagers, in general, have a lot of changes going on inside them and are confused to what is the best way to deal with them. They are stuck between childhood and being an adult and that is a major conflict. I need you to know if you find yourself overwhelmed by how big of a change this party is to what you were expecting, don’t hesitate to come home. Trust me, the party will go on without you and still be the biggest bash of the year. Parties are notorious for fights, make ups and break ups, rumors and gossip and even drugs, I trust you are smart enough to know to stay away from drugs.” I reassured him that drugs hold no interest for me. “Good. Now promise me you will come home if anything doesn’t set well with you on how the party is going. You may find that you are taking in way too much at once, finding it difficult to focus on having a good time and enjoying your guests. Charliegh, you are growing up at the speed of light and sometimes it is too much too fast. Don’t let it carry you away into oblivion. If you need me I am just a phone call away. Now I see the need for cell phones. I believe that is what I will get you for your birthday.” Dad was visibly shaken by all the possibilities of what could go wrong, yet he was still allowing me to have the party. I could not contain my enthusiasm at having my own cell phone either. I know it is a silly reason, but at least I will have one constant in my life.
I started to walk out of the kitchen to go do some studying and be ready for when Jake arrives, but Dad grabbed hold of me into a big bear hug. “You are strong and I know you can handle anything that comes at you, just always remember to think before you act. People will disappoint you, but everyone has a past and may be living a life you cant even begin to understand. Leave them better than you found them.” I couldn’t stop the tears that formed in the corners of my eyes and began to stream down my cheeks. It hit me hard in that moment that I may have only gotten a small nibble of ‘it’ and what awaits me might bring me to my knees. My dad is scared and that is an emotion I have never known him to have before today. If Dad is afraid of ‘it’, then surely I am not as prepared as I suppose myself to be.
Jake was at my window at a quarter after nine again. He was excited over how well the meeting went and couldn’t wait for me to see the spot for the party he has been setting up. He told his dad he was going to have a few of the guys over for a bon fire Friday night and his dad gave his blessing. Jake eased my concerns when I mentioned it would be more than a few guys, stating that his dad would be too sloshed to know or even remember the difference. I told Jake that my mom doesn’t want me to have a party, but my dad is letting me. This was sure going to be a party to go down in the history books as the best prank ever, I just hope the joke isn’t on me.
Jake forced himself to leave by midnight again, I had dozed off in his arms so he had to wake me to get going. We kissed goodnight and then he was gone out of sight. Getting back to sleep was near impossible with the party plans rushing through my mind, then the visions from the bathroom and of course memories of Jake kept my brain buzzing.
6 MEANWHILE . . .
Start from the beginning
