The Sofia Chronicles 3: My girl
Hello everyone! All I got to say is that this was stuck in my head in awhile, and it had to be freed! Lol enjoy and review!
"Daddy?"
Roger Davis looked up to see his 14 year old daughter smiling at him, her curls tied up in a pony tail and her purple dress hanging loosely on her tiny body. She needs to stuff her face more, just like her mother and uncle should be. Roger thought, before smiling softly and asking what she wanted.
"Um...Well, you know how I told you nothing happened today when I came home from school...well, I was kind of lying. I...well...shit, this is so hard to tell you—"
"No swearing young lady. Not until your 15." Roger ordered, looking at her sternly.
"Sorry, Dad. Anyway, I...This guy at school," That caught Roger's attention real quick, "His name is Jonathan, Jonny for short. Today, he kind of admitted he kind of...likes me. And he asked me out for tonight...He wants to come up here and meet you and the gang for whatever reason, and then wants me to show him to the Life Cafe, where we'll eat...Dad, you're looking kind of...scary."
And that Roger Davis was.
His eyes had widened, his mouth was slightly agape, and he looked in shock at his daughter. No, not my daughter. Not my daughter, who was a baby in bubbles one minute, and then the next minute a little 6 year old who couldn't wait to start Gr.1, and now she's...oh, fuck...she really is becoming a young lady. Ah, fuck.
"Dad, say something."
"Um...Ah...Um..." was all Roger could get out at the moment.
Sofia sighed at her father, and rolled her chocolate brown eyes that were just like her mother's. "I'll let you think it over. I'm going to call Mom, Aunt Angel and Auntie Mo and see if they could date-ify me before he gets here." Sofia said, holding back a squeal that was somehow able to make its way out somewhat. When Sofia's dad didn't respond a minute later, she sighed and whispered, "Relax. It's not like I'm getting married."
That sentence started a whole new line of panic in Roger. Oh my God...she's growing up. Soon, it'll go from sun dresses and Hello Kitty sheets to leather bodices and fishnet tights like her mother. And then, it'll go from sexy, teenage/young adult clothing to...respectable clothing...and, he gulped without realizing it, marriage.
Sofia just rolled her eyes at her father for that reaction, and proceeded to call her mother and her aunts.
~~~~~~~~~::~~~~~~~~~~~
"You're not going." Roger suddenly cried, entering his daughter's room. Instead of the lavender coloured walls with mermaids and unicorns, a dark purple took their place. Fabrics, accessories, items of clothing, magazines, books, lyrics, musical sheets, and all sorts of other crap littered the floor. Sofia lay on her belly on her dark purple bed, and bobbed her head to the music that filled the room from the beat up radio on her nightstand. Wow, this reminds me of what my old room was like back before Mimi. Hey, maybe I should buy her a boombox for Christmas. Roger thought as he surveyed the room.
Sofia did a double take. "What? Please tell me I heard you wrong." She asked, sitting up and crossing her arms.
"Nope, you're not going." Roger said, putting his hands on his hips.
Sofia scoffed and went back onto her belly, "Yeah, whatever Dad."
Roger stared at Sofia in shock for a second, before anger kicked in. "No, not whatever Sofia-Angel Eva Maureen Musetta Marquez-Davis. You do not say whatever to me. I invented 'whatever'. You. Are not. Going. Simple as that." Roger hissed. And it was then that the two people heard the door opening.
"Thank God. UNCLE MARK! Can you come here for a second?" Sofia cried, turning off the radio and slightly pouting.
"Hello to you two too. What're you two doing in here?" Mark Cohen asked as he entered Sofia's room.
"Mark, my—our daughter just said 'whatever' to me!" Roger cried, pointing at Sofia as if he wouldn't know who Roger was talking about.
Why did Roger say 'our' you might ask?
Well, when Sofia was 9 years old, something happened that shocked everyone in their little family: Roger and Mimi broke up. Thankfully, it was a calm break-up, not like the messy ones you hear bound to hear about everywhere you go. Sofia didn't know why they broke up, but everyone the family knew: Mimi met and fell in love with a man named Daniel, a dancer in the off-Broadway show she was performing in. Everyone expected it to break Roger when that happened, and everyone was prepared for it...but it never came.
Instead, after working and moping for most of the 2 weeks after they broke up, Roger confessed something to the group: Mark and Roger were officially together as a couple, because they were in love. He even confessed that even if Mimi didn't break it off with him, he probably would've because he had fallen for Mark almost a year before. He only found out accidently a week after he and Mimi broke up that Mark had felt the same way.
Sofia handled it the way most 9 year olds would: she freaked out about her father and her "uncle" being together for awhile, then excepted them after she saw her Daddy was happy. It ended surprisingly well, and now both of Sofia's parent's were happy...but that's for another day.
"Dad, you're threatening to take away my date for no reason! I have a right to be pissed." Sofia cried, standing up.
Mark looked in between the two before sighing. They are way too alike. Especially in tempers and stubbornness. Mark thought as he thought of what to say. "Roger, you did what?" Mark asked finally.
"He barged into my room, and he practically yelled, 'You're not going.' And I was like, 'Please tell me you're kidding' and he was like, 'You're not going.' Then I said, 'Whatever', and he flipped out." Sofia said, breathless as she finished her sentence.
"Roger, you can't do that." Mark chastised, looking at him with crossed arms
Now it was Roger's turn to look in between the two, and a few seconds later he stormed out of the room with a dramatic sigh. A few seconds later, they both heard a door slam, letting them know that Roger had just retreated to his and Mark's room, probably with his guitar.
"Uncle Mark, what's up with Dad?" Sofia finally sighed, sitting on her bed. Mark sighed and sat down with the young lady he was proud to call his daughter.
"He's just realizing that you're growing up, and he hates that." Mark said, shrugging his shoulders and sighing.
"Why though? Like, almost everyone in my class is supported by their parents, even the daughters! Why is my Dad different?" Sofia cried, crossing her arms, not fully understanding. She was bound to grow up...why did her dad make it such a big deal?
"I know, I know, but there's a big difference sweetheart." Mark said, putting a lone strand of hair Sofia's ear. Thankfully, the two were close enough to be able to do that type of things without it being awkward. Hell, Mark has known the little girl ever since Roger gently put her in his arms only 2 hours after she was born.
"And what's that?" Sofia asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Your father still thinks of you as the little girl you used to be a couple years ago. He feels—and he has a right to feel this way—he has to protect you from monsters under the bed and from the evil lurking out there in dark alleys. And now he's just realizing that he can't protect you from everything, like getting your heart broken by a boy, and he thinks that by stopping you from going on that date, he can protect you. But he doesn't realize that you have to grow up sooner or later." Mark whispered, patting Sofia's small hands.
Sofia took in all her uncle's words, and she finally began to understand. She never realized how protective her father was of her. She guessed she never realized was because of her friends All of her friend's dads were alcoholics, workaholics, and/or not around. Only one or two of her friends had fathers like hers. The friends that didn't have good fathers never had someone that protective of them...But she had a dad...and he was super protective of her.
"I think I understand a bit now. Thanks...I think I'm going to go talk to him." Sofia whispered, and went into the living room. Mark followed silently, and sat on the couch to watch Sofia.
Sofia went to her father's door. She listened for a second, and heard some cords through the door. From what she could hear of it, it was the infamous Musetta's Waltz, the first song she had ever heard and learned on the guitar. She could hum it even if she was deaf.
Knock, knock, knock
The song instantly stopped when Sofia knocked, and the only indication that Roger heard her was a muffled reply from inside his room. Sofia assumed he said, "Come in," so she opened the door hesitantly and entered his room.
"Dad...Um, I'm sorry I fought with you." Sofia whispered, closing the door behind her and looking at the floor.
A sigh could be heard, and feet could be seen moving towards her from Sofia's line of vision. But Sofia refused to look up, and instead she focused on a dirty piece of clothing in the corner. Another sigh could be heard when the feet became parallel to Sofia's and Sofia refused to look up.
Roger kneeled in front of Sofia, and placed his calloused hands on her shoulders. Sofia finally looked up from the ground, and looked into the green eyes of her dad.
"I'm sorry too." Was all Roger said to her. Roger was known for his huge pride, and that was all his pride would let him say.
Sofia smiled, and hugged her dad tightly, which he returned happily. They stood there until Sofia pulled away and whispered, "So Dad, can I go out with Jonny?"
Roger groaned and his teeth clenched, but he nodded reluctantly. This time Sofia couldn't contain her smile and small squeal, and she raced to her room to wait for her Aunts and Mom.
Watching the whole thing was Mark, who was leaning in the doorway with a smile on his face. Roger sighed from his place on the floor, and he hung his head. Mark sighed too, and came and sat beside his boyfriend. "You did a good thing." Mark whispered, putting his hand on his lover's shoulder.
"I know. Sometimes I wish I could be badass." Roger chuckled, sarcasm dripping from his statement. Mark just laughed, and kissed Roger's cheek.
They would all be fine for now...as long as Sofia didn't bring home the middle school badass. Then everyone would be in trouble.