TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU! | R. HEFFLEY

―THREE: DAD'S RULE TO RULE ALL RULES!

HESTIA SAWYER was unamused by her younger sister's fake pleasantness towards her.

"What? Why can't I compliment my lovely sister's hair on this beautiful afternoon?" asked Athena with a smile when Hestia asked what she was doing.

 Hestia was sitting on the living room sitting chair after school, reading her assignment for her English class, when Athena approached her with compliments. 

"I can see through you in a moment, Athena. What do you want?" harshly asked her sister.

"Nothing, of course," said Athena, batting her eyelashes.

Hestia raised her eyebrows. "Okay stop it, it's actually getting kind of creepy now."

Athena's smile immediately fell and she grumbled, "Okay fine, I need a favor from you." 

Hestia narrowed her eyes and asked, "What?"

"I want to go on a date this Friday night and I need you to cover for me," Athena hastily whispered, not wanting their parents to hear.

"What? With who?"

Athena bit her lip and said, "Joey Del Campo."

Hestia scoffed and said, "I'm not gonna cover for you so you can go on a date with that misogynistic douchebag. And he's way older than you, he's a freakin' junior. You're a freshman!"

"So what? C'mon, please Hestia? I'll do your chores for a month."

"Why don't you tell dad himself? Hey dad! Athena needs to tell you something!" said Hestia as their dad entered the living room.

Athena groaned and their dad asked what she had to tell him.

With a smirk on her face, Hestia said, "Athena here wanted to tell you that she's going on a date with a boy this Friday night."

After hearing that, Hestia could practically see her father go pale and mentally calculate the number of teen pregnancies in the US.

"No way, Athena. Don't you remember our house rule and what I told that boy who asked you out at that basketball game? No dating till you graduate. There's no way that we'll let you go on a date with some boy."

Hestia's mom entered the living room with a worried look on her face, having clearly heard what had been going on.

"Now Dean, that's not too fair. There's gotta be something you can do," insisted their mom.

Mr. Sawyer sighed. "Samantha, I wish there was but...." A look of realization came onto his face and he confidently declared, "Girls, I have a new rule. Athena can date..." he began, causing Athena to smile and say "Yes!" until he added, "only if Hestia dates."

The look of happiness was totally wiped from her face, and Hestia sort of felt bad for her sister for a moment. Just for a moment.

"Dad, you can't do that! Mom!" Athena whined.

Their mother sighed and said, "I think this is the best you'll get, Athena. Remember it's for you own good. All you need to do is get someone to date Hestia!" and walked back to the kitchen.

"But Dad! Nobody's gonna date Hestia!" cried Athena. Hestia rolled her eyes.

"So that means nobody's gonna date you and I can sleep well knowing that my daughters aren't going out with some drug addicts," he declared their dad in a very final sort of sounding voice and walked off.

Athena groaned and then turned around to glare at Hestia.

"Can't you just find some freak to date you?" the younger Sawyer daughter hissed. Hestia scoffed and said, "It's for your own good. At least you won't have to date that jerk Joey."

"Ugh!" Athena groaned before going to stomp off.

"At least you have people who want to date you.." murmured Hestia, before going back to reading her English assignment.

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WORD COUNT: 606