MIA
"Dad?" I called out, my voice filled with hope and disbelief. I stood frozen at the doorway, stealing a glance at Mom, who wore a mischievous grin.
But it wasn't a figment of my imagination. Dad was really back.
Without hesitation, my feet propelled me forward, and I rushed into his waiting arms. "Woah," he chuckled, attempting to lift me up but struggling. "I missed you too, my angel."
"I can't believe you're actually here," I whispered, pulling away from the embrace. "I thought you were coming back next month."
He nodded, a gleam of mischief in his eyes. "I was supposed to, but I managed to finagle an early vacation. Besides, I missed you guys so much that I couldn't wait another month," he playfully pinched my cheeks.
"Mum?" I suddenly remembered. "I want to apologize for being late. I promise it won't happen again."
"It's alright," Dad interjected, taking a seat next to Mom. "She was just worried. She explained that you were out with your friends, and sometimes we can forget about curfews, right?"
"Right," I agreed.
Finally, Mom let out a sigh. "I'm not angry, but next time, please give us a call, okay?"
"I promise," I assured them.
"Well, that's settled," Dad chuckled, motioning for me to head to my room. "But kiddo, it's getting late. You should go to your room while I spend some time with my wife." It was then that I noticed the two plates of spaghetti and meatballs, along with a bottle of champagne and two glasses.
As I often said, romance ran in our blood.
"No problem," I winked at him, and he responded with the same playful gesture. No one needed to tell me that Dad was head over heels in love with Mom. And Mom, well, she had driven all the way across the state just to be with Dad every Saturday.
I hugged Dad one more time before bidding them both goodnight. Climbing the stairs to my room, I couldn't help but wonder how life would be if Dad wasn't around. It would probably be terrible, considering how common it was for parents to split up at school and in the community.
I had heard that misunderstandings and cheating weren't always the reasons for couples separating. Sometimes, their connection simply fizzled out, and they no longer saw a reason to stay together. And that put the children in a tough spot.
They would have to choose which parent to live with, and the thought alone was agonizing. If my parents ever ended up like that, I would cry my eyes out if I couldn't see them together.
Finally, I entered my room, letting the darkness envelope me. I didn't bother turning on the light and instead settled onto my bed. A troubling thought crossed my mind, causing my heart to ache.
How did Jackson survive when his parents got divorced?
I never mustered the courage to ask him about it. During times like those, you needed someone to be there for you, to reassure you that everything would be okay. But was there anyone there for him? Did he have someone to tell him it would be alright?
I clutched my pillow tightly against my chest as guilt washed over me. He must have wanted to talk to someone about it. Maybe he confided in his girlfriend at the time. Even just uttering that word made my heart break even more. I wished I had been there to ask him about his preferences in a girl. Maybe that was for the best. If I had seen them kiss or act like a couple, my jealousy would've been hard to hide.
But still... I really wanted to be more involved in his life.
He had been there for me even before I acted like a coward and ignored him when we were younger. And now, he was still there. I realized I didn't know much about him anymore and wondered if he still liked the same things he did as a child.
My eyelids grew heavy, and I succumbed to sleep. Just before I drifted into darkness, I made a mental note to get closer to him, starting tomorrow morning.
……
"Dad! Where's my gift?!" Maddy had been teasing Dad relentlessly since she woke up this morning, completely oblivious to the fact that we were running late for school. The entire house was aware that Dad was going to be back soon, and apparently, it was meant to be a surprise for me.
Well, Max was the exception since he was only three years old. You can imagine his sheer joy when he discovered Dad entering his room, clutching a brand new toy car.
It was such a heartwarming sight that Mason couldn't resist capturing it on video.
"Your gift will have to wait until after school, my angel," Dad replied, causing Maddy to pout before eventually sighing and nodding in agreement. "It's getting late, we should get going."
I paused, slightly taken aback. "We?"
He grinned. "Of course! I'm back, remember? So I'll be taking you guys to school until I have to go back to work. Consider me your stay-at-home dad for now," he chuckled.
Usually, I wouldn't mind, but now I did. It meant I wouldn't get to see Jackson's face when I left the house. Sure, I would see him at school, but it just wasn't the same. He was supposed to be the person I encountered first before the girls at school began ogling him with their eyes.
"Don't worry, I already called Jackson's mom earlier, so he should be at school," Mom interjected as she settled into a chair beside Dad. "So you guys should get going."
"So no Jackson, huh?" Maddy whispered beside me.
I rolled my eyes, pretending it didn't bother me. "You heard Mom, and so what? We can still see him at school."
She sighed, leaning back in the chair. "I guess, but now we'll have to endure Dad's slow driving. He drives like a grandma, and it's so boring. Plus, I won't get to see you getting all flustered around him."
What? Me, flustered?
"I do not," I protested, though I couldn't help the strange feeling in my cheeks that contradicted my words.
Maddy gave me one of her signature Dwayne Johnson eyebrow raises. "Sure, and I look like an idiot."
I smirked. "Maddy, you always look like an idiot to me, but don't worry, I still love you."
She scoffed. "Dad, let's get going before you lose a daughter."
Everyone burst into laughter, even Max joined in, though he didn't quite understand what was happening.
Finally, we were a complete family again.
It took like ten minutes before we finally arrived at school.
Dad seriously needs to work on his speed.
"Bye, Dad!" Maddy and I shouted in unison as we hopped out of the car and headed towards our respective classes. We were a few minutes late, and I despised being the center of attention when a teacher scolded me.
I stepped into the classroom, my eyes immediately searching for Jackson's familiar seat. But where was he?
The excitement of seeing his face today vanished suddenly, replaced by a lingering sadness. Ever since what happened between us yesterday, my determination to grow closer to him seemed to have been shattered.
I let out a sigh, my shoulders slumping as I made my way to my seat.
Dropping my bag onto the floor, I sat down and rested my head on the desk. It didn't take long before I lifted my head, expecting to see the guys sitting in front of me, but instead, I saw someone I least expected.
"Rachel?" I blurted out, trying to hide my surprise.
"Hey," she greeted me with a smile. I felt the urge to run.
She took a seat next to me, her followers—I mean, friends—standing by her side as if they were her personal guards. Oh, brother.
"What do you want?" I couldn't help but ask. I knew she didn't plan on bullying me, because she wasn't the kind of bully who did things publicly. Taunt? Maybe. But definitely not bully.
"Come on, Mary, don't be rude," she said, flashing a fake smile. "I just wanted to talk to you about Jackson. I noticed he didn't come to school today, and since you're quite close to him, I figured you might know."
Her act couldn't have been faker if it tried. I could smell the insincerity from miles away.
She continued, "I haven't seen him since our date yesterday, and I grew worried." My mind screamed, "Bloody liar! I was the one on a date with him!" She wanted to provoke jealousy in me, and ordinarily, it might have worked. But I had spent almost the entire day with Jackson.
"First of all, the name's Mia. And secondly, he never told me about a date, and honestly, he has never mentioned your name," I responded, aware that I probably shouldn't have played along, but the angry look on her face right now was worth it. "I don't know why he's not here today, but if there's anything—"
"No need," she cut me off, standing up from her seat. "Just tell him I had a great time yesterday, and our kiss was amazing." I had to give it to her; she could win a Grammy award for her performance.
I bit my lip, holding back a laugh. "Sure, I'll definitely deliver your message."
She rolled her eyes and walked away, followed closely by her friends, who shot me a glare before trailing behind her like loyal followers.
"What an actor," I almost laughed, but I paused when I noticed Ariel and Sydney rushing towards me. "Why on earth was Rachel talking to you?!" Ariel whispered loudly, earning a nudge from Sydney.
"It's okay, guys. She came to ask about Jackson and lied that they went on a date and even kissed," I revealed, prompting laughter from both of them.
"Damn, she's desperate," Sydney remarked.
"She wanted to make you jealous," Ariel added, taking a seat in front of me.
"Oh, I know," I replied.
"But why isn't Jackson here, though?" Ariel asked. I was worried about that too. Normally, he would have told me if he wouldn't be coming to school, or at least sent a text, but I received nothing.
"Did something happen between you guys yesterday?" Sydney raised an eyebrow, curious.
"Well..." I trailed off, scratching the back of my neck. I was about to speak when the teacher entered the classroom. "I'll tell you guys later."
They nodded and returned to their seats. The teacher began the lecture, but my mind was elsewhere, preoccupied with thoughts of the events that unfolded yesterday and the presence of butterflies in my stomach.
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