Misfortune by L.Bann (christmas read aloud TXT) 📖

and walked me to his house. My dad was staring at me as we walked into the house.
“I’ll be back in a minute” my dad said and left with my aunt. Ben started to lead me upstairs.
“Where do you think you two are going?” David asked, following us. I looked at Ben.
“I’ll meet you upstairs” he whispered and went over to his dad. I walked up the rest of the stairs and walked slowly to his room. I could kind of make out what they were saying.
“Don’t do anything …” David started.
“None of your business” Ben said firmly.
“Bad time” I think David said.
I sped up my walk when Ben was coming up the stairs and he started to follow me into his room, but then Freddie opened his door and started to talk to Ben.
Ben told me to shut the door and I heard Ben talking quite harshly and a crash sound, then Ben opened the door and walked over to me.
“What’s wrong, what did your dad say?” I asked, worried but more concerned.
“Well, it started with what your dad said to me” he sat me down on the bed and he sat beside me.
“He said that if I tried anything with you” he paused, “Like what we just did, he would stop us seeing each other. He said I shouldn’t be messing with you at this time”
“What the hell, but he gave me condoms and he seemed fine with it yesturday!” I was so confused.
“Maybe he didn’t actually think we were going to try anything so soon and maybe your reaction to him should have been a little different”
“What do you mean?” I asked. What was my dad’s problem?
“Well, you look pretty upset, and spacey. My dad asked if I had forced you to do anything, like what we just did. He thinks I’m taking advantage of you because he thinks you’re venerable right now”
I just looked down onto the floor.
“Daisy, I’m not taking advantage of you, am I? Are you OK with what I did?” he sounded worried now and he bent down to try and look into my eyes. I looked at him and hugged him.
“No, you’re not, just …” I started.
“What, tell me what’s wrong and I’ll stop it. Did I take it too far?”
“I don’t think we should do anything like what we did for a while, and come to think of it my dad is slightly right, I should be pretty messed up but you seem make it a bit better when I’m around you but I think I do need to think some things over” He hugged me back.
He got up and put on his T.V and led on his bed. I sat crossed legged on his bed. Ben then started poking me in the side. Damn him. That’s where I was ticklish. I started to giggle.
He sat up and continued to tickle, I turned around to try and make him stop but he was a bit strong for me. I loss feeling in my knee and fell onto his lap, near his jean buttons, and he stopped. Just then the door opened.
“Dai …” My dad was standing there with David. He saw and I immediately got up.
My dad frowned and crossed his eyebrows. “Were leaving” he said, fiercely.
“I want a talk with you” David said to Ben as he got up from his bed. Ben started to give me a hug good-bye but my dad grabbed my arm and dragged me out of his room. I saw Ben go after me since I winced. My dad was stronger than I thought. But David stopped him.
My dad pulled me down the stairs and out the house. The worst bit was the Elaine and Adam were watching. I looked back and saw Elaine looking at me as if she was sorry for me.
What was her problem? I’m fine and Ben didn’t do anything. My dad practically pushed me into the passenger seat. He slammed the door so hard it made me jump. I put my seatbelt on slowly; I’d never been so scared of my dad before. He got in and slammed his door. He started the car and sped out of Ben’s drive.
I just looked out of my window. How could my dad be so unreasonable? I was ready to have a go at him but instead I started to cry. I know it was immature but I’d never been treated like a kid this way before. It was as if my dad didn’t trust me anymore.
“Daisy, I’m sorry, I’m not mad at you” my dad finally said.
“Why aren’t you mad at me?” I sobbed.
“You haven’t done anything” my dad replied.
“What makes you think that” I asked. Why did he think Ben was up to this? I can make my own decisions.
He paused for a minute. “Look, if Ben’s making you do … things” he started.
“Well, he’s not, so I don’t think you should have been so unreasonable” I interrupted. I looked at him with my red eyes and he looked at me.
“I was just thinking about your safety” he said quietly.
“You gave me condoms didn’t you” I said, sarcastically.
“Look, I just don’t think I trust Ben” he said, quite loudly.
“No dad, he’s fine. It’s just you” I said, just as loudly.
“What have I done now?!” he said, louder.
I shouted, “Ever since mum died, you have been on my case, intruding my life. I just want to be left alone!”
He stopped suddenly half way down our drive.
“I only care about you!” he shouted.
I undid my seatbelt and got out of the car, my dad copied me.
I started walking up out of my drive.
“Where are you going?” he shouted at me.
“Out” I shouted back at him. I heard my dad slam his car door. I turned right to go to Jenna’s house.


7

It took me 10 minutes to get to her house, I was crying the whole time. Jenna obviously saw me out of her window because she came running outside.
“Daisy, what’s wrong?” she asked, hugging me.
“It’s my dad” I said between sobs. She took me inside and up to her room and sat me down on her chair. She knelt in front of me and asked me what happened. I explained everything to her. She hugged me more then she stopped and looked at me.
“So, you went to 3rd base with Ben, in the woods?!” She asked. “Sorry, I know you’re having a hard time right now, but, you said you weren’t going to do anything”
“Jen, that’s not important” I said firmly.
“Sorry, so his dad thought he was taking advantage of you” she sighed, “dumb-ass”
“Jen, it wasn’t David’s fault, it was my dad’s, and he is getting into my business, my business with Ben”
“You’re going to have to go back. I love you, just you know what my mum’s like on school nights”
“I know, it’s just” I paused, “I want to be alone with Ben, where no one can tell us that we couldn’t do anything, without my dad telling me I’m not ready for a relationship, even though he practically said he was fine with it by giving me condoms”
“Well, why don’t you?”
“What?” I knew that Jenna was a bit dumb but this time I had no idea what she was talking about.
“Well, just go through this week and go away for the weekend”
“What? Where would we go? It’s not like I have loads of money on me”
“Well, talk to Ben tomorrow and if he agrees go to the bank and take out some money”
“OK, where would we go?”
“We could look at hotels on my laptop, near here of course” she said and grabbed her laptop and led on her bed. She switched it on and I joined her, lying down next to her. We started looking at places in Des Moines and found a few nice country hotels. We’d only be staying for the one night but the prices were pretty expensive. I’d hoped that Ben was relatively rich.
“I’ll drive you back” Jenna said closing her laptop screen. I looked at the clock on her wall, 9:48. I hope my dad was killing himself worrying about me. To be honest I didn’t care what my dad thought anymore and he shouldn’t even be worrying about my life. If mum was here she would have left Ben and I alone and would have told him to lay off. She would say ‘they’re teenagers, the get up to stuff all the time. The best thing to do would be to leave them alone’. I wished so hard for her to be back home, but all the wishing in the world would bring her back. Dad wasn’t going to leave me and Ben alone. Kind of like an adult version of Harry, with more rage.
Jenna drove slowly since it was dark and I got back at 10. She drove away and I just stared at the lake. I found it funny that just a couple of days ago, me and dad were OK with each other, him making breakfast for Ben, taking interest and not caring that we made out, trusting me to make decisions, like to have sex with condoms. But two days later he was angry and I felt like crap.
I looked at my house and I saw the living room light on. I could just make out the shadow of my dad, walking back and forth in the room and he looked like he was on the phone. I started to walk slowly towards the door, dragging my feet along the floor to waste time.
I opened the front door and walked towards my bedroom.
“Daisy” My dad started walking over to me, phone held in his hand.
“Leave me alone” I said harshly. I completely ignored him and opened my bedroom door. I looked behind to see him crying and looking down on the floor, and then he continued his conversation on the phone. I had a feeling he was talking to David.
I fell onto to my bed, exhausted. Correction from my mum’s funeral, this had been the longest day of my life. I was so tired I just curled up in my bed sheets and closed my eyes, dreaming of the hopeful weekend I would spend with Ben.
I woke up with a start; my alarm clock was ringing continuously. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I looked down to see myself wearing the clothes, and shoes, I wore yesterday. I groaned and went to have a shower. I didn’t get dressed till late, spending my morning on my laptop, doing late homework and waiting for my hair to dry. I eventually got dressed and heard the school bus come into my drive. I grabbed my bag and ran outside, not picking up any breakfast or speaking to my dad or aunt. I went to sit next to Jenna like usual and she asked me how last night went.
“I just said to him, ‘leave me alone’, but I looked back, to see what his reaction was and I swear I saw him crying. I’d never hurt my dad like that before, I’m a horrible person” I frowned and I leant into Jenna feeling sorry for myself.
“Well, I think it would be a good idea to stay away from your dad for a bit, hence the weekend” she said, stroking my arm with her hand.
“I still have to ask Ben” I pointed out.
“I think he wouldn’t need much persuading” We stayed silent for the rest