Our Melodious Love

12. My Parents

Two weeks had passed now after first meeting Dougie at the festival. We'd seen each other nearly every single day since then. It had been a week and five days since the kiss on the cheek and my heart beating so fast. We hadn't spoke anything about it since. That night I sat outside for around five minutes just wishing my heart to slow. Finally it did and I walked inside and got changed, hanging out in my room after seeing that the dark redness of my blush was still covering my face.
I was now sat on the couch with my family. We were watching some programme about restoration.
"Skye?" My dad looked over at me.
"Yeah?"
"I think it's about time that we meet this boy that you're always going out with"
"Huh?" I said, a bit slow on the uptake.
My dad huffed "I think that we should meet Dougie".
I got what he was saying this time. "Oh" I replied. I knew what he'd think of Dougie straight away. Bad. He'd think that because of his ear piercings and tattoos. I was scared that he wouldn't give him a chance.
"What?" My dad said grumpily to me.
"I just don't think it's a good idea" I murmured to him, messing around with my fingers.
"And why not?"
I knew I wouldn't win this argument. "Fine. When do you want to meet him?"
"This afternoon"
I nearly choked on my cereal. "This afternoon" I repeated. "But...that's today!"
My dad clapped. "Well done." I knew he only meant it jokingly.
"Um. Ok. I'll see what I can do" I mumbled to him, trying to eat the rest if my cereal. But I couldn't. This huge lump had formed in my throat and my stomach was swirling around. My brain was teasing me repeating 'He won't like him, he won't like him' over and over in my head.
"Shut up" I moaned at the voices. My dad looked at me.
"I didn't say anything"
"Oh-no-I- it doesn't matter" I groaned and stood up and started to get ready
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I was now at the band house. I hadn't said anything to Dougie but I thought now was probably a good time. It was eleven and my dad wanted to meet him in two hours.
"Erm Dougie?"
"Mmmm?"
"My family wants to meet you" I said slowly.
"What?!" He shockingly exclaimed.
"My dad says it's about time that they should meet you"
"But-but, they won't like me"
"Of course they will" I partly lied. My mum and brother would probably like him, I wasn't too sure about my daddy.
"Fine" he huffed. "What time?"
"Two hours"
"Two hours?!" He said in mock horror again but was joking this time.
I laughed. "Yeah. So you better change" I slowly said, realising what he was wearing. He wore a white vest and joggers.
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing" he smirked, noticing my looking at his chest.
I looked away. "Oh, you know, my dad will be so impressed with you wearing that" I joked nervously, wishing that the blush on my face would just effing go away!
"I think I look beautiful" but he stood up and went to his room to get changed.
Two hours passed more quickly than I'd have liked and Dougie was now wearing a Nirvana top (that showed his tattoo sleeve, I cringed at the thought of my dad ripping into him), skinny jeans and some converse. His hair was its usual self, pushed to one side of his forehead.
"You ready?" he smiled and I nodded. We walked out of the door together and into his car. We sang along to the radio like we usually do and after a short time we pulled up outside my house. Dougie had been here many of times to drop me off but he'd never stepped one foot over the door mat. He let out a deep breath which meant that he was nervous. I turned to him looking up at the house.
"Don't worry, you'll do fine. Just, say the right things to my dad and be yourself"
"How do I know what to say to your dad?"
"Just don't make him angry and if he makes you angry don't show it. And cover up your tattoos" I poked his arm. I'd told him before we went out of the band house that he should get a jacket to cover them up but he insisted on not wearing one because for London, it was really warm. He put his hand on his opposite arm and we walked inside the door. We turned into the living room were all of my family sat pleasantly enough. They'd left two empty seats together on the couch. Next to my dad. When we walked into the room all of my family smiled at us. I looked at my dad. His face wasn't amused by Dougie and his tattoos.
"Everybody" I said to try and distract my dad from Dougie's sleeve, "this is Dougie" I linked my arm in his and he smiled to everybody. We'd become really good friends over these past two weeks.
"Hi Dougie" my family said, except my dad murmured it.
"Hey" he grinned and we sat down on the couch. I made sure that I was in the middle between Doug and my dad. I sat uncomfortably. My mum and brother were facing the couch on their smaller one. They gave me and Dougie supporting smiles.
"So Dougie, where do you come from?" My mum asked nicely.
"Corringham in Essex" he answered "It's only a small place".
My dad huffed and murmured "The Only Way Is Essex"
Dougie looked at him and said "Not everybody's like that. They just picked the ones that are dumb and look like Wotsits".
I laughed at that and I thought I saw a small smile form on my dad's face but if it did, it was gone in a second, back to his fatherly exterior.
"So, Dougie, is that your full name?" My dad tested.
"Yeah. It's not short for Douglas or anything" I felt Dougie shiver against me. "It's Dougie Lee Poynter".
"Ah, and I suppose you weren't born with that on your arm?" My dad said, now nodding at his tattoos. I groaned.
"Nah, I got a sleeve".
I looked at Dougie like he was crazy and gave him a warning look. He just smiled.
"Why?" My dad asked, giving him the look.
"Well, it all kind of means something to me. It has a lot of meaning and I think it looks pretty cool"
"And what does that mean to you?"
"The top parts space because I love space, and there's a lizard because I love them too and then the bottom parts jungle because that's where lizards come from"
"Wh-"
But I didn't let my dad finish. "Dad, stop it ok? Just leave it!" I huffed, tired of his relentless arguing. This is exactly what I didn't want to happen. There was an awkward silence.
"Do you not like football?" Dougie acknowledged pointing to the TV. When you walk into a house it usually has football on it. That's what Dougie was thinking I guess.
My dad groaned loudly. "You like football don't you?"
"Course I don't!" Dougie responded disgustedly.
"Really?" My dad excitedly spoke.
"Yeah really. I don't see the point of it. It's just a bunch of guys kicking around a piece of leather"
My dad looked at me happy now. "Me neither! And they get paid so much money for it!"
"I know! That money could be going towards charities but instead they pay it to people who kick a ball for a living!"
They carried on their football hate conversation and I was eventually so happy. They got on! My dad may hate his tattoos but I knew that would happen anyway. I went out of the room for around ten minutes, making drinks and nipping to the toilet and I walked back in and Dougie was leaning casually on the sofa, more relaxed now and having a different conversation with my dad now. They were both smiling. WIN! I laid the drinks onto the coffee table and joined in with the conversation. Dougie talked to my brother and mum as well but they invited him to have tea with us in a week to get to know him better. He agreed happily and then he had to leave. We stood up because I was going to see him out.
"Well Dougie, I may not like your tattoos and ear piercings but I hell of a lot like you" my dad grinned, holding out his hand.
"Thank you sir" Dougie shook his hand.
"Bye Dougie!" My mum waved to him.
"Bye Mrs Young"
"Oh please, call me Rose!" My mum chuckled. It was my brother's turn now. He stood up and they did that weird boy handshake that boys do and they were all like "See ya later man". It made me laugh.
We walked out of the living room and onto the doorstep again.
"That went surprisingly well" I laughed to him.
"Yeah" he smirked. "I knew what I was doing" he said 'expertly'. I laughed at him again and his eyes turned all sparkly. My breath got caught on the way up as I felt another peck on my cheek.
"See you tomorrow Skye" I heard a whisper in my ear and he pulled away, smiling down at me and grinned.
"Bye Doug" I said whispering. He waved at me from his car and drove away. Oh God, what was happening to me?
I walked back inside to my family. "Hey" my mum smiled widely at me. I smiled back.
"He's an alright fella" my dad nudged me with his elbow.
"Yeah he his" I grinned with my head down and thought of Dougie Lee Poynter.

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