Chapter - Three - First Play Date
After two weeks...
I got ready to go into papa's car in the school's parking lot, a very loud and very excited Sally shouting and running across the parking lot with a very excited smile on her face stopped me though, her backpack jumping around her and I was wondering how she was able to run across with such a heavyweight trailing behind her.
"Bethany!" She yells loudly, my ears ringing at the increasingly loud voice and making me want to scratch my eardrums out and wanting to slam her across the head.
"OW! Sally, you know my eaws awe sensitive!" I mutter with a very pained voice, my hands rubbing my ears in a way to ease the ringing that was leaving me quite disoriented and slightly dizzy.
"Sorry, Beth," She gives me an apologetic smile and hugs me, her hold on me making me gasp for the breath that was knocked out of me, thankfully it was short and she pulled away a few seconds later, "I didn't mean it, I was just a little excited,"
"It's okay," I give her hand a squeeze with a small smile, "I forgive you, want to meet papa?" I offer with another smile. She nodded.
I and Sally had become really close over the span of the last two weeks, and we spend the lunch break together, when we were at school we were stuck at the hip and no one could separate us unless, of course, one of us needed to use the bathroom, but other than that, we almost acted like long lost sisters, sharing food, drinks and anything that you can think of, sometimes when she had something for lunch that she didn't want or didn't like we'd swap lunches, the same applied to me.
"Papa!" I call out softly, my hand still in hers as I turned to the place that I felt my father's presence coming from, a warm smile covering my face as I gave Sally a small squeeze.
"Ye-oh, who's this Beth?" He asked with a kind smile, his eyes crinkling at the corner as he gave our hands a curious glance before turning his gaze to mine, his eyes briefly taking in with obvious curiosity and a bit of worry.
"This is my best friend Sally, Papa, She's the one that I told you so much about during dinner," I turn to Sally and give her a wide smile, "Sally, this is papa,"
"Hello, Sally. Nice to meet you, how is it going? Where's your mommy?" He asked kneeling in front of her, as he looked around to search for her mother, his eyes looking around with a suspiciously knowing glint on his face, making me furrow my eyebrows in thought.
He seemed like he already knew her mother.
"Nice to finally meet you too. I wanted to ask, can Beth come to my house later today?" She bowed her head and asked in a soft voice causing me to eye her with confusion, Sally didn't use a soft voice, at all.
"Sure thing Sally, but I need the address from mommy, did she come yet?" He replies back smiling.
"Yes! She did, I'll show you where she is." She takes his hand and starts leading him somewhere, leaving me alone by the car with a pout adorning my soft features as I leaned against the car with my arms crossed over my chest.
A few minutes later, my father comes back with a piece of paper in his hand, and when I see him I turn around, waiting for him to buckle me in.
I was mad at him.
"What's wrong, Beth?" He asks, turning me around to face him kneeling down in front of me, his eyes subtly taking in my form to check for any injuries, his eyes leaking with relief as he gives me a curious look.
"You left me alone by the caw and now I don't like you," I say crossing my arms in front of me again, the frown growing deeper on my features as I stared down at the floor between us.
"I'm sorry. I'll get you ice cream as an apology, how about that?" He says with a reassuring glint in his eyes, my head snapping to him with a very excited smile, but my face falls again when I remember that mama wouldn't like that.
"But, mama will be really mad," I mutter, his eyes widening slightly before he gave me a small smile in return, "We'll take her with us there so she won't be, let's go home?" He suggests with a smile and I nod, my eyes already drooping at the mention of the long drive.
***
Back home during dinner...
"Mama!" I call out to her, my voice breaking her out of her conversation with papa, her eyes flitting to me as she swallowed the spoonful of meat and rice in her mouth.
"Yes, baby?" She asks with a soft smile, her eyes holding love as she waited for me to ask her whatever I was that I wanted, I had only now remembered Sally's proposal of me going to hers for a few hours so we can play.
"Sally asked papa if I can go to hers tomorrow after I woke up, can I, please?" I ask with puppy dog eyes, her eyebrows furrowing in thought as she turned over to papa with curious eyes.
"Did you meet her mother?" She asked with a knowing glint in her eyes, giving my father a look that was like a silent message to him, his eyes widening slightly in realization before he nodded.
"Yes, I did, she's Asher's wife," He mutters lightly his gaze flitting to me briefly before going back to mama's face.
"But, dear," Mama turns back to me with gentle eyes, her eyes looking at me with understanding, "Don't you have homework? You can't go play when you that much homework on your hands,"
"Em, let the girl live a little," My father smiles, sending me a cheeky wink as he catches mama's attention, "Just because she has homework doesn't mean that she can't have some fun every now and then, plus, she's been doing her homework regularly for the past two weeks, I'm sure the teacher wouldn't mind that much if she doesn't do it, once," My father explained but mama only have him a look that almost immediately shut him up, arms crossed over his chest as he huffed childishly.
"Mama, why don't I do my homewoik with hew? She'd really like that and I would be able to have fun while still doing what was asked of me, hei mothei can help us too!" My proposal seemed to have caught my mother's interest and she ponders over it as she chews slowly on her food.
"That is a very nice idea, " She mutters under her breath, looking at my father who was pouting at her like a baby, his eyes wide in a puppy-eyed look that made her raise her eyebrows.
"Please, Em?" He pouts harder at her, the electric blue eyes of my mother shining with mirth and clear love and adoration for the person before her. She leans over and places a brief peck on his lip, making me squeal and cover my eyes in shock.
"Mama!" I shout in embarrassment, my face most likely the color of bright red tomatoes.
My outburst was apparently very amusing as both my parents laugh out loud, their voices mixing into a beautiful melody that warmed my heart.
"C'mere you," My father laughs and reaches over to pick me up from my seat, a squeal and a loud giggle escaping past my lips as he gives me a kiss on the cheek.
"When do you want to go there tomorrow?" Mama asks with as she reaches over to retrieve my plate and fills the spoon, holding it to my mouth as I open it wide, my teeth lodging onto it as I chew on the delicious spoon full.
"Aftei bweakfast!" I exclaim with a mouthful, rice flying all over the place as mama gives me a disapproving look.
"No talking while your mouth is full, Bethany,'' She lectures me with a firm and gentle voice, I give her an apologetic glance, opening my mouth again when she holds out another spoon full.
"Tomorrow after breakfast?" My father asks, raising his eyebrows at mama.
"Tomorrow after breakfast, " My mother confirms, giving him a nod as he returns it.
***
Mama had just finished the dishes and was making me some sandwiches for when I'm at Sally's, while I was in the living room watching Scooby-Doo with wide and curious eyes, yelling and jumping around whenever Scooby got chased by a monster.
I was so engrossed in the episode I didn't notice papa in the room. So normally when he walked I had jumped up, using the couch as a boost and wrapping my tiny arms around his neck in a choke-hold, my grip tightening on his neck as he caught slightly.
"Calm down, kiddo. It's just me." He says in astonishment, his voice calming me down and making me go lax in his arms, my hold on his neck reducing significantly.
"You scawed me, Papa. I thought you wewe a monstew." I whisper as I hide my face in the crook of his neck, he supports my weight with his arms under my bum.
"There's no such thing as monsters, Beth." He says with a sigh. "Yes, thewe is!" I say removing my face from his neck. "Have you ever seen one before? I'm not certain, so that makes them a myth to me as long as you don't give me proof," He answers with raised eyebrows.
His words make me angry, "Not because you didn't see them befowe does it mean that they don't exist. Theie awe pictuwes of animals like the lions, on the intewnet and yet we still believe they exist even though we nevew saw them with ouw own eyes.
"Evewyone has theiw own opinion and you can't manipulate othew people's opinion just because youws is diffewent. It's the best thing about living, thinking, knowing that no one is going to stop you no mattew what, that's why some people like to stay with theiw thoughts than having to sit with people they don't agree with." I pause to catch my breath and continue, "If you want to not believe then, it's youw opinion. You can't change my opinion like I can't change youws forcefully."
He seems speechless and keeps opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water, trying to come up with something to say to me.
I giggle and jump out of his arms to my room to have a shower, scrubbing myself thoroughly as mama showed me before calling her so she can help me pick an outfit.
She picks out a white top that has two layers, the first layer lace, and the second one cotton, with some jean shorts paired with brown boots.
I agree immediately with quick nods of my head. She puts up my hair in a cute messy bun and adds a little white flower to the side, handing me a pair of matching glasses.
"Love?" She asks while doing my hair, breaking the peaceful silence we were in with a soft tone.
"Yeah, Mama?" I reply back to her, my voice coated with curiosity and wonder.
"I heard what you said to your father." She pauses, "It was absolutely beautiful, and the way you were saying made it that much more beautiful. You looked like a true leader with that determination in your eyes, burning like a raging fire that couldn't be put out. I just wanted you to promise me something."
"Anything, mama. You know I will pwomise you anything in a heawtbeat." I say quickly as she finishes off my hair with the clip-on flower and turns me around to face her.
"Promise me, when you grow up you will still have that burning determination, never let that fire be put out, darling. You will need it in the future." She says as she grips my shoulder in a firm yet soft grip.
I nod my head hastily, "Promise me." She says again wanting me to speak, "I pwomise mommy, I love you." I say and she pulls me into a tight embrace, it wasn't too tight to hurt me but still tight enough to give me comfort.
"Oh.. I love you too, baby girl... So so much it hurts." She says as her hold tightens one more before releasing me from her motherly embrace too soon for my liking.
She gets up and takes my hand, leading us towards the door and opening it with her free hand. We make it out together and walk to the staircase at the end of our hall.
When we were down, I saw papa in the kitchen drinking some water and the moment he finishes, he looks at me with a smile gracing his features, "Ready, my little princess?" He asks, I nod, running up to him, putting my arms out for him to lift me up, he gladly does and balances me on his hip.
Papa kisses mama's forehead goodbye, takes the car keys from the shelf that was beside the main door, and then opens the front door.
He walks us out and heads to his car, buckles me in the back seat, then runs to his driver seat.
The ride to Sally's house goes by in a blur, with me and papa singing kids songs along with the radio.
When we finally make it to Sally's, I'm jumping up and down in my seat waiting impatiently for daddy to unbuckle me and when he does I run to the front door and ring the doorbell repeatedly really fast and only when I hear footsteps on the other side do I stop ringing.
Sally opens the door and squeals loudly making me whimper while she hugs me tightly, like really tightly, like bone-crushing tightly. I try to push her off lightly but my attempts end up futile and I hug her back as best as I can with her squeezing the living light out of me.
"ٍSa-lly ca-n't bwe-ath." I wheeze out and she immediately releases me with a small giggle, I cough and wheeze trying to catch my breath while Sally is in hysterics with my dad beside me rubbing my back soothingly.
I can finally breathe and take in a couple of deep breaths trying to get some air into my little body. My papa sighs in relief and glares at Sally, Sally sees the glare and cowers away behind me. "Don't woiwy, papa. I'm good, cut the glawe out." I laugh and hold Sally's hand to calm her down.
"I'll be going now, try to stay alive while I'm away." He says with one last glare at Sally and leans down to plant his lips on my forehead before making his way back to the car, when he's in the driver seat he waves from the window and I wave back at him with a wide smile as Sally closes the door and he ignites the car, driving away.
I feel Sally begin to relax behind me when the door is closed and she leans against it, "Your daddy is scary when he's angry." She sighs and I pull her into a hug to calm her down, she hugs me back instantly and I give her one last squeeze before I let go and take her hand.
"So, you giving me a touw oi will we go stiaight to youw ioom?" I ask her, she tells me we'll go straight to her room so I nod and she leads me to her room.
"We'll have to do ouw homewoik fiwst cause my mommy said so then we'll play, good with you?" I ask and she shrugs, "Fair enough let me get my books." She says and goes outside the door.
I look around the room in curiosity, noticing its fair size, nothing too big or too small. She had two doors to the right of the room, I walk to them with increasing curiosity, opening one I discover a walk-in closet and open the other, finding a bathroom with pure white tiles all around it, her shower curtains were nothing too girly but still not boyish with its pure red-colored figures, some male and some female.
Her room's theme color is blue which I find cool and unique, it wasn't too blue it also had some white and pink in it. It was pretty in its own way and I liked that, it represented Sally perfectly. She wasn't too girly but she still doesn't hate the thought of the color pink.
The door opens after a while and Sally walks in with her backpack on her back, she smiles when she notices I was looking around and tilts her head slightly to the right, "Do you like my room?" She asks as she puts her bag beside the chair on the desk, "Yes, vewy much actually." I say and look around for a chair so that I can sit beside Sally.
"Is there an extwa chaiw for me?" I ask again, she nods and opens her walk-in closet and comes back out with a chair that is closed. It was a pink color making me squeal and hug her tightly. She knew I adored the color and I knew she picked it out specifically because I saw other chairs in the walk-in when I was looking around.
She laughs and hugs me back just as tight, "You're welcome." She replies to my silent thanks and puts the chair near her white desk which I had somehow not noticed beside the bed.
We study together all the subjects that we took today in school with enthusiasm and eagerness, our drive to finish early pushing us to try and finish as fast as possible with reasonable answers.
Math was first, she was actually really good and sometimes she would help me with some of the questions while I just sat and looked at her in utter awe of her amazing math skills.
Then we studied English, for homework we needed to read a story which was pretty fun with Sally there reading in a weird accent making me laugh so hard I was actually rolling around on the floor clutching my aching side. It was pretty hard for her to keep a straight face and ended up on the floor next to me in the same state I was in.
Studying with Sally wasn't boring and it was very entertaining, we worked together and helped each other with our weaknesses, Sally was a Math genius while I was a spelling and reading genius.
While we studied though, I noticed that Sally really did enjoy learning, her curiosity and will to learn affecting me and driving me to finish with increased enthusiasm which I never had when I studied back home. It was refreshing, to say the least.
We finished in the first hour, surprisingly, and Sally introduced me to her parents, who accepted me with warm welcomes and hugs. A few cookies too.
I ate lunch with her because I already finished all my sandwiches while we were studying. We played for another two hours, her backyard filled with playsets and a playhouse.
We roleplayed, ran, played hide and seek, slid on her slide, ate together, jumped around the backyard like bunnies and a million other things. It was a really fun and interesting day and I had an amazing time with her and her family.
And after three hours of studying and playing, I ended up in the backseat of my father's car, absolutely and utterly wasted from my overly eventful day.
***
A/N
Here you are, guys. Chapter two. Hope you enjoyed! 😋
Anyways, I'm happy to announce that I may have broken my hand and there is a big chance I won't be updating next week because I can't edit the chapter. 😅
I'm really sad because this is exactly what I wanted to avoid when I wrote the chappies a little early. 🤦🏻♀️
Hope you can forgive me, but remember, there is a small chance that I can update. 😉
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