The Optimist

seventeen

Anybody is Nadia! Whoever you want to be can be her! You, your grandma, your step-great-grand uncle, anybody! Xena is on the side (or above) by the way, she's a little wide in the hips but, enjoy! -Mo

Nadia

. . .

I jump, afraid I know that voice all to well. Jacob's eyes are full of fear and shock as he gazes past me. His eyes lock with the man I know as my father.

I hear a few gasps and slowly set the fries down, scooting back from the table. I stand up and anxiously turn to face my Dad, his face blazing with fury.

"Dad, please, I can expla-"

"Who the hell is this boy?" He yells. I try to calm him, one because people are staring, and two, I've never been in this much trouble. At least not for boys.

Dad ignores my pleads and pushes past me, straight for Jacob. With his height, he has to bend down to face him eye to eye, but that doesn't dissolve the intimidation my Dad holds. He grabs and mop full of Jacob's hair and yanks his head toward him. Jacob groans in pain and attempts to soothe his head as my Dad yells at him.

"Who are you and why are you with my daughter?" Jacob gulps and tries to answer but Dad interrupts again.

"Are you a.. a Perez?" The restaurant goes completely silent as they indulge in our free performance of the Embarrass Nadia show. Jacob slowly nods his head reluctantly, and we both know my chanches of being together are now -8034805.

"Yes sir. My name is Jacob and I was j-just trying to h-help Nad-"

Dad ignores Jacob and grabs my arm, pulling me out of the eatery's entrance. We walk to the car in silence, and I know I'm in for the lecture of a lifetime.

The car ride holds a thick, heated silence, so I break it by trying to explain what Jacob couldn't. "Dad, he was just trying to help me study-"

"By eating fries and laughing? I don't think so!" He interjects. "I mean," he laughs, "Unless the way teens study now? Is it? Huh?" He asks me rhetorically.

"Times have changed." I mumble, reciting a sentence from the book Cloravine.

"Are you back sassing me?" Again, Dad doesn't give me time to answer, his face slightly reddening with fury. He stops at a red light, the car's motor buzzing with enthusiasm. At least that's happy. I scoot downward in the backseat, slumping back, obliviously annoyed.

"Why are you talking to a boy like him? He needs a haircut, he has an already annoying voice and he's a Perez!" He exclaims. This car ride seems endless!

Suddenly, I barge upward, sitting up straight. "So what if he's a Perez dad? Huh? You and Mom are freaking stupid for holding a grudge for thirteen cent again to his parents! Thirteen cent! What kind of parents are you? I'm a senior and I can like who I want!" I exclaim.

Silence.

My veins boast hot anger as I look out the window, silent. For the remainder of the ride, Dad rambles on about all the grudges him and Mom have held against the Perez's so that I won't like Jacob. But he's not the same. I didn't actually listen and suddenly Xena and Rayan come to mind.

Honestly, Xena is way to dainty and innocent to have her heart broken by a jerk like Rayan. He's a cool person, just heartless and rude to certain people.

We past tree after tree and with each tree, I name a book. I'm silently entertaining myself and I unknowingly smile. Dad's rear view mirror glare doesn't even make me flinch as I go from thinking of books silently, to mumbling them, to actually speaking them aloud.

I can feel Dad's now curious expression fall over me as hundreds of book titles flood through my mind and I name the first that makes it's way to my mouth.

One tree. "Cave Cones: Story of Shanondale!"

Another tree. "The Clique!"

"All About Rita!"

"Nadia!" Dad yells over mine, ignore him, book names spilling out like vomit.

"The Pretzel Bed!"

"Nadia!"

I can't stop, but suddenly Dad comes to a screeching stop, halting everything. Despite still naming book titles, the trees are far gone. Luckily, one more shows up, and it's the big oak in the middle of our yard.

"Don't you ever do that again." Dad mumbles, and I unlock the door, freeing myself from the car. I don't slam the door but I jump when Dad does on the other side.

"And listen here, Nadia."

I stand in front of him, bold for the lecture. The feeling of bravery returns and I stand short but tall against my Dad as he looks down on my five foot six stand. He towers over me, but I'm not scared. I'm ready.

"Don't you talk, look at, hell even think about that boy. If I here you have, you're not attending prom. At all." Wait, what? I was expecting a punishment more severe. How did Dad even know I was going to prom?

"Wait, Dad, what? No taking away books or TV or..?" My voice trails off, confused. He smiles suddenly, looking down. His fury is diminished as he takes a deep breath.

"Look, you're my only baby girl. I know you're antisocial and all, and I know you went to prom with that Perez boy. I saw the spark in your eyes when you left the house all dazzled up and stuff. Yeah, I Nathan lied when he said you were going with Owolen, and I admit, I was happy. "

"But, I'm still your dad and I will always be. I don't want you end up like me with forty grudges against some people who've probably gave it up by now."

"Trust me," I giggle. "They haven't given theirs up either."

Dad chuckles and shakes his head. "Oh, Thommy Perez."

I look down at the book in my hand, speechless. "I also don't want you ending up with someone that's going to break your heart, you know? You're as frail as you're mother." He takes my hand in his and nudges them with his face, and old move that used to make me smile as a kid.

"But Dad, I promise, Jacob's not like that!" I plead and he releases his hands. He's silent for a moment, thinking. He sighs, gazing at the big oak Nathan named Barchy. No one knows why or what it means, but he seemed greatly satisfied with the nickname.

"Listen, as a father it's my respoisble to chose who you love-"

"This isn't some dynasty, Dad! I love him! A-and," I pause, sighing. "Nothing." I give up. The feeling of braves vanishes as I slump disappointedly. I know it kills Dad inside to ever be saddened by him, so if he's going to break my heart, I'll do that same.

"If I can't be with him, it's fine. Leave you and Mom's stupid grudge for Nathan's love life," I mumble, turning away and entering the house. Dad's calls after me fraily, but he doesn't really want me.

I aim for my room, jogging up each carpeted step as I ignore Nathan's calls and the steamy smell of boiled artichoke coming from the kitchen. This time, I slam the door shut, finally in the safety of my books.

"No love life, no social life." I mutter to myself, coming to my own promise.