"Joska! Come back here!"
"Hold on Dad… I just need ein minute…"
"Hm? What are you looking at awesome son?" My dad asked when he finally caught up to me.
"There, do you see her?"
"Which one, there's like, a hundred girls there…"
"That one, with the long, perfect, white hair, and the pretty blue eyes…" I said, "Her name is Anastasia…"
"Hm? Ohhh… I see what's going on!" He said, laughing to himself, "Mien awesome son, has an awesome crush on a girl who he thinks is awesome, ja?"
"Ja…" I said blushing a little. "But don't tell Mutti okay!"
"Don't worry Jo, I won't tell Elizabeta, it's safe with me." He said putting my wavy brown hair, "You know, if you really like that girl go talk to her."
"I can't… that school is for all girls… But there's this dance coming up at school next week, I'm going to ask her out… is that a good plan?"
"Ja, sounds great! But uhm… we might get kicked off the grounds if we keep stalking the students, Joska." My dad laughed his deep, crisp laugh, I looked into his ruby-red eyes that were exactly like mine, I don't know why my mom didn't stay with us anymore, for as long as I could remember mom and dad had hated each other, well actually…
My dad was completely in love with my mom, Elizabeta a little better known as Hungary, but she didn't feel the spark anymore, whatever that meant. Anyway, they had been in love for a long time, but after they found out they were going to have me, my mom told Dad that she didn't love him anymore, I don't get it, sometimes I wonder if it was because of me, but Dad says some things just aren't meant to be. Back to what I was saying before, my dad was pretty cool, he was occasionally a little narcissistic, but he was only like that for a little while at a time, and sometimes he was ridiculously drunk, but he sobers up quick, and never hurts anyone even when he is, but aside from those and a few other personality flaws, he was a great guy, and a wonderful Dad.
"Hey? You okay? You've been staring at me like that for a while now…"
"Huh? Ja, I'm fine." I hugged him tightly, "You're super awesome Dad… I love you."
"Huh?" He was a little shocked, but he loosened up and hugged me back, "Ich liebe dich auch, Joska." He said, patting my back, "Come on, we've only got a little way to go until we finish today's mile!"
He pushed me off a little and stared running, "If you can beat me I'll raise your allowance ten percent!" He yelled.
I chased him as fast as I could, I noticed he took a new turn, I hadn't seen this street before on our usual routes, but I figured out where we were when I crashed into a person and saw who it was.
"Žiūrėkite, kur einat nevykėlis! O ..." She blushed when she saw my face directly, "You… what's your name?"
"I'm Joska Beilshmidt…"
"Oh… Uhm… I think I know a little German, can I try?"
"Ja…"
"Okay… uhm…. Hallo, ich bin Anastasia Braginski."
"…"
"Oh? Did I not say it right?"
"No, it was perfect…" I said, barely able to speak, "Uhm, listen I know that this is really sudden, but uhm… you know the dnace between our schools next week, I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?"
"Slow down! I don't know that much German!"
"Huh? Oh! Mien Gott… sorry… Would you like to go to the Summer Festival Dance at my school with me?"
"Really? I mean uhm… ya sure…" She said, blushing brightly, "I was actually going to ask you the same thing…"
"Really?" I asked, finally getting up from where I had crashed into her, "Great! I guess I'll see you around then?"
"Ya sure, I can't wait, da?" She said smiling, her eyes glittering like sapphires.
"Anastasia? Come on, let's go home princess, da?"
"Daddy!" She said, "Oh… Daddy this is Joska, I'm going to go to the Summer Dance with him next week, da?"
"Oh? Well, I hope you know how to treat a lady Mr. uhm. What was you last name?"
"Beilshmidt…" I said shyly to the very tall man who stood before with his hand son either of his daughters shoulders.
"Da?... Son of… Gilbert or Ludwig?"
"…G-Gilbert…" I said, suddenly recognizing this man from my dad's many descriptions, Ivan Braginski, who hated my dad with a (returned) burning passion.
"Da?... hmm…" He sneered at me for a second, "I suppose I can give you a chance, after all. It has been quite a while since I've seen my little snow-angel smile like that, da?"
"Oh?..." I tried to smile at him… but got very nervous.
"Hey Joska!"
"Oh! Hi there Darijus!" I said waving at the boy my age, "How's it going?"
"Are you taking my sister to the dance? Is that what I just heard?"
"Darijus! Mind your own business!" Anastasia yelled into the car, "I can't wait to pick something out! Come on Daddy, I bet Mom will help me, da?"
"Alright, see you later then young sir, da?"
"Oi! Hey shortie! Get away from my son!"
"I don't see the big deal, da? He just asked my daughter out, why shouldn't I talk to him?"
"What? This is… No! Absolutely not! Joska, you cannot take this girl to the dance!"
"What? But you said…"
"I know, but if I had known before… No, just no! Come on we're going home!"
"But I…" He grabbed my collar and dragged me off for a bit, before I fought him off. I turned to see all three of the people in the parking lot behind us staring in shock, "You're a liar…"
"What? Oh… Listen she's a Braginski, there's no way she could be any different from her asshole father…"
"You mean besides the fact that she's a girl, her eyes are blue and she's seventeen and was going to try and ask me out too?"
"Right, aside from the obvious…" He said, rubbing his forehead, "I wish you would have said who she was, I wouldn't have given you the chance…"
"It shouldn't be your decision!" I yelled, he stopped and looked at me with a very confused look, I realized I had never retorted to my dad before.
"What? Don't you want me to keep you from getting hurt?"
"What if I don't care if I get hurt? You and mom knew it wouldn't work out forever and you still-"
"I don't want you to tell me what happened between mienself and your mother!" He said, his voice getting harsh and hateful almost, "I'm protecting you from what I feel!"
"What if the good times outweigh the bad? What if you are protecting me from the best thing that might ever happen to me?" I demanded him, as we entered our front door.
"Aghh! I don't want to hear this! Go to your room and don't come out until supper is ready!"
I did as told but I slammed the door as hard as I could manage and I heard him drop something heavy, made of glass and then curse.
I grabbed my cell and texted Darijus.
Hey, can I have Anastasia's #?
Sure I guess… here it's 546-9986
Cool, thanks.
Whatevs man…
I typed the number into the send to bar and started a message:
Hey… It's Darijus, what's up?
Hi! nm, Mom is helping me decide what 2 wear.
Cool. So uhm… your dad is cool with it right?
With what? Us going 2 the dance?
Yea
He's not ecstatic, but he isn't going nuts like your dad…
Alright, so anyway, you want 2 hang out sometime?
Sure, what do you have in mind?
What about the park downtown?
Cool! 2nite?
Whenever is good for you.
Well, maybe 2mrw after school?
Sure, see you then.
Yep, bye! 3
"Greater than three?" I asked out loud.
"It's a heart." I heard my dad say from behind me, "I don't believe this, but you can go to that stupid dance… but you have to come home immediately after, ja?"
"Really?"
"Ja…" He didn't look me in the eyes, "Now, get washed up for your supper, 'cause I need help… I really burnt it this time…"
I laughed at him, and he looked up, blushing, and we went downstairs and started fixing something edible.