The Girl Boxer - Horan

thirteen

Chloe

"Chloe? Are you okay?"

"Yeah.. why?''

"Um.. no reason." Alexandra muttered, shrugging as she drove into the Starbucks parking lot and parked in an empty space.

"I'll be right back" She said, then proceeded to get out of the car and walk into the café. Five minutes later, I started banging my head on the dashboard repeatedly out of pure boredom.

''Music should help." I muttered quietly to myself after quickly realizing that banging my head on the dashboard is not at all solving my problem because now I have a bloody headache.

"Next is a little throwback song from the one and only, Miley Cyrus." The person on the radio announced and a few seconds later, the beat of the old song flooded through the car. Once the lyrics came, tears came to my eyes making my vision blurry as old memories came racing back that I'd forgotten.

Flashback

''But dad, what if they laugh at me?'' My 12 year old self asked, looking up at my dad through my long eyelashes.

"Oh Princess, they won't laugh," he paused, smiling wider than ever. "But if they do, I have some ass to kick."

I laughed ''Okay. I'll do it but you have to come up and sing with me too." I wiggled my eyebrows, making him laugh.

My dad was trying to make me go on stage at this little gig. He brought me here so we could see people perform but he had a crazy idea to try and get me to go up on stage.

"Deal." We shook on it.

"We have one more performance today." The person on the stage announced and looked down at a small piece of paper. ''Chloe Sanchez with her.. dad?''

It surprised a lot of people that a twelve year old still likes to hang out with her dad because most teenagers these say are out doing drugs and hanging out with their friends.

"C'mon." My dad grabbed my hand and dragged me up on stage with his guitar in his other hand. I sat down on the stool, adjusted the microphone stand so it was at my height and overlooked everyone in the crowd.

I didn't realize there was this many people here.

''Dad.. I'm kinda scared.'' I whispered, still looking at all the faces in the crowd. Kinda being an understatement.

''Don't worry, princess. Just focus on the music." he whispered back. I nodded trying to reassure myself, but was still really scared.

He strummed on his guitar the notes to the song that matches my life perfectly right now- our song. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

''You tuck me in,

Turn out the light

kept me safe and sound at night

little girls depend on things like that." I sang with a gentle voice.

I don't know what I'd do without my dad, he is my rock.

''Brushed my teeth and combed my hair

had to drive me everywhere

you were always there when I looked back.''

I could be out right now hanging out with my friends but I'd much rather spend time here with my dad, something that most people tease me about.