I sat in my room to finish the piece for the dual major showcase, just in time for rehearsals after school tomorrow. For the most part, this showcase has been the only thing I’ve been focused on. My days consist of me getting by through the 8 periods of class, meeting Sophie at the end of the first floor hallway, to then walk to the band room on the other side of the school. Sometimes, Sophie and I would go to the pizza shop after rehearsal; it was a nice way to spend time with her without having anyone questioning us. We solely were practicing our school work, and then got hungry in the process.
I continue writing in my notebook until I feel something tap me on the shoulder. I couldn’t help but jump from my seat and turn around. I sighed when I realized it was just my dad.
“Whoa, buddy; relax,” my dad joked as I caught my breath. “Don’t forget we’re going to Lydia’s place for the twin’s first birthday.” I sighed even louder.
“Dad, why do I even have to go?” I immediately asked.
“Because it’s your baby sisters’ birthday,” he answered with a bit of force in his voice.
“It’s not like they’re gonna remember if I’m there or not,” I said, trying to turn my chair back around before my dad said anything.
“Milo, this isn’t up for discussion,” my dad said, now seeming serious. “I need you dressed and ready to go in an hour—”
“I have important school work that needs to get done,” I fought back, pointing at my music binder. “I have to revise some of the piece for the dual major showcase. I thought you of all people would understand how important this is.”
“I’m talking to you as your father; not your teacher,” he simply said, adding nothing more to his statement. I sucked my teeth, ultimately slamming my binder shut and getting off of my desk chair, walking past my dad.
“Well if my piece for the showcase comes out horrible, you’ll know because it was because I was forced to go to some dumb birthday party,” I spat out, hoping that would be the end of this conversation. Surprisingly, it wasn’t; I should’ve known that considering it was my dad.
“I’m not telling you that you have to talk to Mollie,” my dad mentioned, walking towards my bedroom door. “But just because you and her decided to no longer be friends, doesn’t mean you guys aren’t family anymore.”
“Who said anything about Mollie?” I quickly said, annoyed that he would even bring her up in this conversation. “I don’t care if she’s there or not. Like you said, we are not friends anymore—”
“And that doesn’t bother you?” My dad interrupted me to ask. I looked at him, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. “It doesn’t bother you that you and the person that you’ve known your whole life are no longer friends?” My dad had a way to try to get in my head, especially when it came to things he knew I cared about. Does it suck that Mollie and I are no longer friends? Of course, but it’s a part of life.
“No,” I simply answered, walking back toward my closet to get something to wear. All I heard was my dad sigh and walk out of my room. Yeah, dad; it fucking sucks that my best friend in the whole world wants nothing to do with me because of a boy.
…
“My goodness, the girls have gotten so big!” Lydia said, looking at my twin sisters, Reagan and Dylan, in my dad and Jennifer’s arms. “Sooner or later they’ll be going to Pre-K!”
“Oh, I’m surely counting down those days where the house will be kid friendly for a couple of hours,” Jennifer commented, looking at my dad. Ew. Before everyone went into the backyard to set up for the birthday party, Lydia looked at me with a worried look on her face.
“Oh sweetie, Mollie isn’t home,” Lydia began to say. She looked back up at Jennifer, sighing before she continued. “She insisted she needed to go to practice for this showcase; apparently she’s singing in some band with her boyfriend.” it still bothered me knowing she rather work with that jerk instead of me for the dual major showcase.
“It’s okay,” I responded, trying to not show how I really felt on my face. “I can just… hang out.” I said as I looked at my phone, immediately dialing Sophie’s number.
I walked to the backyard to see it had been thrown up in pink decorations. The adults went over to the other members of the family as the kids ran around and played on the jungle gym set. I remember playing on there as a kid with Mollie.
“Hello?” Sophie’s voice said as she answered the phone. It caught me off-guard, forgetting that I even dialed her number in the first place.
“Hey, Scout,” I said with a smile on my face. “Whatcha up to?”
“Nothing really,” she began to answer. “My mum went out with my aunt to help her move into her new apartment. She had invited me, but I didn’t want to waste my Sunday lifting heavy boxes from room to room. I already have to carry my music binder to and from school anyway.” I laughed at Sophie’s tangent, noting that she’s only this chatty when she’s super bored. “How about you?”
“I’m at this stupid birthday party at Mollie’s house for my sisters,” I said, rolling my eyes. “My dad was on my case about going because it’s a family gathering and blah blah blah; come to find out that Mollie isn’t even here.”
“Oh,” Sophie simply responded.
“Yeah; she’s apparently out with Aaron rehearsing for the showcase, which is probably bullshit considering—”
“Have you finished your piece yet?” Sophie interrupted to ask. Right, my own piece for the showcase.
“I was trying to finish it today until my dad dragged me out of the house,” I answered. “I wanted to finish it before the rehearsal tomorrow.”
“You need help finishing it?” She asked. “I mean, we can FaceTime and talk about where you want to go with the piece.” I couldn’t help but feel my face get super hot. It always surprised me when Sophie initiated our hang outs. No one ever really wanted to hang out with me the way she did.
“Why don’t you just come over here?” I suggested, looking at the adults talking among themselves. “It’s literally no one here I can hang out with, and I refuse to hang out with a bunch of toddlers in the backyard.” Sophie laughed over the phone.
“Is your dad going to be okay with that?” She asked. “I mean, you did say he forced you to go to this birthday party.”
“Yeah,” I began to say. “But, he might actually let me go now since Mollie isn’t here and use her as an excuse to be around.” It took Sophie a minute to say anything back. I could tell she was nervous. “You’re not going to get me in trouble, I promise.”
“Fine,” Sophie finally said. I couldn’t hide the smile on my face. “Where should I meet you?”
“I’ll text you the address,” I said before we said our goodbyes over the phone. I quickly went up to my dad, who’s now sitting at one of the tables with Dylan on his lap.
“Dad?” He looked at me as I called him.
“What’s up, buddy?” He said.
“Can I go hang out with Sophie?” I asked. The smile started to fade from his face.
“Milo, we’re at a birthday party for your sisters,” he emphasized once more. “This is meant to be time spent with the family—”
“Oh, let the kid go hang out with his friends, Milo,” Lydia protested to my dad. “It’s not fair to keep him here if Mollie isn’t here to hang out with.” It surprised me that Lydia thought we were friends still. “You can even bring your friend over here if you want—”
“Oh, no it’s okay,” I politely declined. “I was just going to go to the park around the corner and practice the piece I’m preparing for the showcase.” My dad slowly got up from his seat, handing Dylan over to Jennifer before walking me to the back door towards the house. Once we entered the house, he looked directly at me.
“You are to only go to the park down the block and back; nowhere else,” my dad sternly said. I sighed loudly, annoyed already at where this was going.
“I know, dad,” I said, trying to end this conversation already. “I literally am doing exactly what I was going when I was home, you know, when you forced me to stop doing what I was doing to come here and be cordial with someone who wasn’t willing to be cordial with me—”
“Milo,” my dad began to say. “I need you to listen to me carefully. I need you back at the house by the time we have cake for your sisters. I don’t want to get any calls from anyone saying that they saw you with Sophie at some other place you said you weren’t going to be.”
“Dad, please,” I pleaded with him. At this point, all I wanted to do was get out of here and see Sophie. “I promise I’m going to be near the house.”
“Milo?” I hear Jennifer call out. Both my dad and I turned around to see Jennifer walking in from the outside. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine,” my dad said, walking towards Jennifer. “Milo is going to meet up with Sophie to work on his project down at the park. I told him to be back in time to sing happy birthday to the girls.” Jennifer looked at me to confirm that this was true; I nodded my head and agreed.
“Be careful, please,” Jennifer said. “That park is known to be the park where your father nearly broke his nose running in that park as a kid.” I couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of my dad just falling ace first into the ground as a kid. His face began to turn red.
“Call us if anything,” my dad said, walking out of the sliding door towards the backyard. “Remember what we discussed!” As the door shut closed, I immediately ran towards the front door of the house, grabbed my book bag, and jetted out the house.
Letters From Liz. 