Changed me

Tame the mane

"Yo Manny you never answered my question. Are you going to let me taste those lips of yours or what?" Guess what group he was in.

" I think that was your answer Marco." Lex replied giving me time to hop in my car. I hated confrontation so I quickly waved goodbye to Lex and was on my way. Blasting the stereo I drove home longing to do nothing but change and watch reality TV. Steering wheel drummed along to the beat of the song before parking. The hideous garden gnome welcomed me home. Dad could never say no to a gift.

"Cookie, cookie where are you boy?" I pushed the obnoxiously heavy door and called my little fur ball, not long after he came charging down the hallway crashing straight into the door. Picking him up I kissed him as he licked my face. Cookie is my best friends don't tell Lex but I like him a little more than her He does not talk as much or at all. Cookie's been through everything with me including the move here three years ago. He was dad's way of easing the blow of leaving my childhood home. He won't admit it though. Ruffling his fur I sent him on his way. It was time for me to do absolutely nothing; chips, soda and other people's lives here I come.

Besides the occasional bark from cookie the TV was the only sound in the house. Dad was not due home until about six so I had about two hours to kill. Two realities show later and I was officially sick of TV. My mind could only be numb for so long.

"Hey Kiddo" Dad came in bursting through the door with groceries in his arms. A good daughter would run and help him, but I am Manuela I'll simply supervise.

"Still making laziness an art form?"

"You know it daddy-o". He let out a hearty laugh and placed all his packages on the island. Jumping on the counter next to him I stole a grape and popped it in my mouth. I watched as he organized everything on the island. When I was younger it would be a cold day in hell before my dad was in a kitchen. Mom did all of the cooking. She would make him shop and then banish him to the living room. Throwing a grape at him I hoped to get his attention. Instead I got a dishrag to the face.

"Hey I'm pretty sure that's child abuse."

"I guarantee you if you call the cops they'll take you and return you. The first reason would be because of that mouth of yours." pouting "The second reason would be because of that mane of yours. You shed enough to give millions of naked mole rats hair" That earned him a grape to the neck. I loved moments like this. For a couple of months these moments did not exist. I never knew how much I cherished them until they stopped. Dad did not deal with stress well and there was a period of time when he was under more stress than anyone deserved. I was pulled out of my thoughts when another dishrag smacked me straight in the face. They better be clean

"What's got you in your brain?" Dad asked setting out wine glasses. What the heck is he doing with all of this stuff? Wait he just asked me a question.

"I wasn't in my brain" I lied

"I've been your father for sixteen years. I know that when you chew your lip you're either scared or thinking." He was very right about that. I didn't know where I learned the habit , but it was now a clear tell of my emotions.

"Nothing you need to worry about." I answered quickly. "What are you doing by the way?"

"It's Tuesday, remember what happens every Tuesday." I groaned the stupid house would be filled with dad's clients. He usually invited them over for a mixer as he called it. He thought it was a good way for his patients to see him in a more normal setting. The idea was nice three years ago but not now.

"I need your help setting up and I need you to get dressed." He looked at me and smiled I bet this was how he got mom to marry him by giving her that toothy smile of his. I stared down at my sweatpants clad legs and my crop top. These are my happy clothes I thought to myself. However I jumped off the counter and started setting up the house. I ran and put cookie in the basement kissing his head before locking the door. Then fluffed the pillows on the couches. This is my life every Tuesday and Saturday. A knock at the door signaled that people were starting to come. Rushing to answer I opened the door and began welcoming dads guest.