"Dad?" Riley said. "What are you doing here?"

Nolan Poole's attention turned to the stage, his gaze stopping on Riley's face. There was a flicker of confusion, before he recognized his son. Nolan's face hardened when he took in Riley's costume, the wig, his flower crown. He gave his son a look of extreme displeasure.

"Riley!" Nolan raised his voice. "What the hell are you doing in that get-up?"

Before Nolan's arrival, Riley had been laughing. Carefree, tossing imaginary flower petals onto the stage. And sitting with Ben backstage, leaning up against him - his slight frame against Ben's stockier build. He'd been happy. But the second that he saw his dad, Riley felt cold inside. He reached up, and slowly pulled off his wig, and flower crown.

"H-hey, Dad," Riley said, nervously.

"Get down here," Nolan said, gesturing with one pointed finger to the spot in front of him. "Now, Riley."

Riley hadn't seen his father in person since they'd moved to Maryland. In two years, Riley had barely heard from Nolan. No phone call on his birthday, nothing on his bar mitzvah, Hannukah, nothing. As soon as they moved out of the state, Riley knew that his dad would be a lesser part of his life. Especially given that the divorce had been so messy, and Mom had had to fight for custody. But the minute they'd left Iowa, it was like Nolan had forgotten he even had a son. Now, seeing his father stand there in the school auditorium, it was just very surreal. Nolan didn't belong here. Not at his school. Not even in the state. He was a part of Riley's past.

Riley was frozen in place. He couldn't move, despite hearing his father repeatedly call his name. His breathing quickened. Seeing his father had brought forward a lot of bad memories. The constant fighting between his parents had been unbearable. He recalled one of the last times that he'd seen his father. He'd gone to family court, wearing the brown suit jacket, and tie his mother had picked out for him. It'd been easily one of the most stressful things he'd ever had to go through. After lengthy arguments from both parents, and their lawyers, the judge had asked Riley which parent he wanted to live with. He'd told her that he wanted to live with Mom. The court had ruled in Andrea's favour. Full custody.

Riley remembered how after everything had been finalized, he and Mom had spent a few hours packing up their belongings into cardboard boxes, and black garbage bags, filling the backseat of her car. They'd left Iowa behind that day, for good. Andrea had explained to him that she couldn't stay in the same town as Nolan, never mind the same state. And Riley had been fine with putting distance between them. Maryland was a fresh start. The state had good schools, and he could get a decent education.

"Get down here, now. I'm not going to ask again." Nolan's jaw clenched. "Don't make me get on that stage, and drag you off."

The room had fallen silent. Riley glanced over, and saw Ben get to his feet, a worried look etched on his face. Donny was staring at Riley, concerned, confused. He took a step towards him, but Riley shook his head. He didn't want them to get involved for his sake.

Riley knew how his father always liked to make a scene. He was loud, aggressive. Riley hated it when his dad raised his voice at him, or started shouting – especially in public. It was so embarrassing. He hated how the sound of people shouting made him instantly tense up. His stomach was knotted up, and he broke out into a cold sweat.

Riley knew that the longer he stood there, the worse it was going to be for him. Everybody had their eyes on him; it felt like they were boring into his soul. Riley didn't want to go anywhere near his father, but it seemed inevitable.

Riley lifted up the hem of his dress, and carefully walked down the short set of wooden stairs to the floor. He stopped in front of his father. He was trembling a little, uncertain of what was going to happen. He hated how angry his dad was.

Nolan was a slim man, with a shock of dark brown curls. He had a crooked smile that never quite reached his hardened grey eyes. He was of medium height, standing a foot taller than his son. He stared down at Riley, taking in the white, lacy dress. Nolan's eyes darted down to the flower crown and wig clutched tightly in his hand. Up close, he could see that Riley was wearing make-up.

"Why are you dressed like this? What the hell are you doing, wearing make-up, and flowers like some girl?" Nolan demanded. "You look ridiculous."

"It's for the play. We're doing 'Hamlet'," Riley said. "Dad, I'm playing Ophelia."

"The hell you are," Nolan growled at him. "Get dressed, Riley. I'm taking you out of here."

"I've got rehearsal." Riley glanced at Mr. Foster, a pleading look in his eyes. Hoping that the teacher would intervene. If his father was going to back down, it'd be from someone like Mr. Foster. He was a good teacher. Pleasant, but firm. He was someone of authority that the students looked up to.

"Sir," Mr. Foster said, clearing his throat. "Riley has rehearsal. If you need to speak to him out in the hall for a few minutes, that's fine, as long as you're not disruptive. But he needs to be here until six this evening. I suggest you come back then, and pick up your son after we're done."

Nolan stared him down. "Who even are you? I'm here to pick up my son. Not at six o'clock, but now."

"I'm the drama teacher, and this is my auditorium. You're interrupting rehearsal, and clearly, Riley is upset by your presence," Mr. Foster said. "I suggest you come back after practise."

"We're leaving. Riley, let's go."

Riley looked back up at his father, eyes wide. "Dad, I need to be here. I can't just leave. We've got dress rehearsals soon, and then the production - "

"I don't care about any of that," Nolan said, shaking his head. He stared down Mr. Foster. "I'm Riley's father, and I'm pulling my son from rehearsal. You got a problem with that?"

"Riley," Mr. Foster said, reaching his hand towards him. "Are you-"

Nolan Poole knocked the man's hand away. "Don't talk to my son. You can talk to me. I don't know what kind of school you're running here, but there's no way in hell that my son should be running around in a dress, and make-up."

"Sir, your son is in costume for the play, which is why he's wearing stage make-up," Mr. Foster said. "Have you bought your ticket for the play, yet? I think there's a few at the office. You should ask the secretary."

"No. I won't be attending." Nolan glared at him, before turning away from the teacher. "Riley, go change out of that awful outfit, and grab your schoolbag. We're leaving."

"My stuff is in the dressing room," Riley said. "I've got my schoolbag, and street clothes in there."

"Let's go, then."

Riley reluctantly following his father out of the auditorium. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw Ben watching him. His heart sunk, wondering if he would be able to return to rehearsals that day. If not, he'd have to see Ben tomorrow at school. He'd need to apologize to Mr. Foster on his dad's behalf. That was not something he was looking forward to.

As he was leaving the auditorium, Riley heard Mr. Foster call out for one of the actors to take over Ophelia's role for the remainder of that day's rehearsal. Riley felt a stab of guilt that he was leaving, since he didn't have an understudy. He hated that someone else would be filling his shoes like that. He liked being on stage.

As soon as Nolan had closed the door to the auditorium, and they were both alone in the corridor, Riley stopped in his tracks. He crossed his arms over his chest, and tilted his head upwards to look at his father.

"Hey, I'm not going any further until you tell me what's going on, Dad," Riley said. "Why are you here?"

"I just flew all the way out here to see my only kid, and this is what I get? I guess you never outgrew being a little brat. You could at least pretend to be happy to see me."

"Well, I'm not." Riley frowned. "I haven't heard from you in two years. Why are you just showing up at my school like this, out of the blue? How do you even know what school I go to?"

Nolan shrugged. "I'm your father. I have a right to pick you up from school. Besides, you weren't exactly hiding."

"I know you're way behind on child support," Riley said, squinting at him. "You ever going to pay it?"

"That's none of your concern."

"You might not be aware of this, but Mom's been struggling to pay bills, and rent, and everything," Riley said. "She needs that money."

"Riley, stop."

"Why are you here?" Riley asked. "How did you even know where to find me? At least tell me that much."

"Andrea wrote to me when you got your scholarship, told me what school you got into. She said that once you switched from your old school, to Chancellor Prep, there'd be some additional costs. Textbooks, and school lunches, and things," Nolan said. He glanced around. "Once I got off the plane, and rented a car, I drove around until I found the school. The woman in the front office told me you'd be at rehearsal. Andrea wasn't lying when she said your school was nice. This place is truly top notch."

"Yeah, it's a good school. I don't want you coming in, and yelling at my drama teacher, or anything." Riley frowned. "Don't mess this up for me. I really like going here."

"That teacher was aggravating."

Riley dug his hand into his dress, and pulled out his phone. He pulled it open, and lifted the tiny antenna. He took a step back from his father, scowling at him.

"What are you doing?" Nolan asked. "Who are you calling?"

"Mom," Riley said. "I'm letting her know that you're taking me off school property."

"No, you're not." Nolan grabbed his wrist, and pulled the phone out of his hand. He pocketed the phone. "You don't need to involve Andrea in this."

"Give that back!" Riley said, indignantly.

"I'll give it back later. I need you to hear me out," Nolan said. "We're going to go grab some dinner, and have a talk – father to son. And when we're done, you can call your mother, and tell her whatever the hell you want."

"I'm not going with you." Riley put one hand on his hip, and glared at his father. "I have rehearsal. I need to be here."

"Not today, you don't." Nolan stood outside the dressing room. "Change into your regular clothes. And wipe that crap off your face."

"This is important to me," Riley said. "This play matters."

"I don't care. I'm not going to be in town for too long, so stop being difficult, and go get changed," Nolan said. "We're leaving in a few minutes."

Riley sighed. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, listening to his friends rehearse in the other room. That was where he belonged – not in the hallway with his father. A man who had made such little effort to be in his life recently.

"Get changed. I haven't eaten in like, sixteen hours. I'm starving. The faster you get changed, the faster we can talk," Nolan said. "And I'll give you back your phone afterwards."

"But why are you here?" Riley asked.

"I have something very important to tell you," Nolan said. "A big announcement – it's life-changing. But I'm not telling you until we get to the restaurant."

Riley sighed, and reluctantly went into the change room. He grabbed a wet wipe out of his bag, and started to remove his make-up. He wondered what kind of announcement his father meant. He felt uneasy about the whole thing, and a tad bit curious.

Riley heard some raised voices in the hallway, and he froze, trying to determine who it was. He knew his dad's voice for sure. The other voice, he wasn't so sure. Ben, maybe. Or maybe Donny. They sounded agitated. Then, the voices ceased. Riley slowly continued to take off his make-up.

A few minutes later, Riley heard a quiet tapping on the window. He turned around, and listened as the tapping became louder. Riley hurried over, and pulled back the thick curtain. Ben grinned at him from the other side of the glass, and he gave him a quick wave. Riley raised his eyebrows in surprise, then broke out into a wide grin.

"Let me in," Ben mouthed to him.

Riley gave a furtive look over his shoulder, making sure that the dressing room door was still closed. He pulled the window open, and popped out the screen. He reached out a hand to Ben, and helped him clamber inside.

"Ben! What are you doing?" Riley hissed.

"Uh, rescuing you?" Ben said, with a bemused smile.

"My Dad's right outside."

Ben gave a look that said, 'well, duh'. "That's why I'm here."

"I heard people shouting outside," Riley said. "Was that you?"

"Yeah." Ben paused, his gaze intense. "Your dad's standing out in the hall. I think he's guarding the door, so you don't run off, or something," Ben said. "It's kind of creepy. He refused to let me in."

Riley didn't answer. He avoided Ben's eyes. Nolan was like that. Always needing to be in control. He didn't want his father to be in Maryland. And certainly not at Chancellor Prep.

"You know what I did?" Ben said, with a wry grin. "I told him that Mr. Foster sent me to help you put away your costume. I said that you always needed a cast member to help you get in and out of your costume, and that I'd volunteered."

'You lied to my dad?" Riley said, impressed.

"Yeah. I was just using it as an excuse to talk to you," Ben said, with a shrug. "He didn't fall for it, though. Hence the argument that you heard. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm okay." Riley gave him an uneasy smile. "Well, now you've met my father. Unfortunately. He's a real piece of work."

"Yeah." Ben walked over to him, put a hand on Riley's shoulder. "Riley, are you okay?"

Riley shrugged. Seeing his father had shaken him. He hated that his dad had gone in to the auditorium like that, shouting out his name. Pulling him out of rehearsal. This play meant so much to him. And Dad had taken his phone. Mom would be pissed; Riley was supposed to have his phone on him at all times. For emergencies, and stuff. They texted or called daily.

"I hate him," Riley said. "I know I shouldn't say that, because he's my dad. But it's true."

"What's your dad even doing here?" Ben asked. "I thought he lived in Iowa."

"He does." Riley turned slightly away, and carefully packed away his flower crown, and wig. "Yeah, I don't know what's going on. He just showed up out of the blue."

"Look, I haven't known you that long. But I want to help, because this doesn't feel right. Your mom has full custody of you, and now your dad's showing up like this, and pulling you from rehearsal?" Ben crossed his arms over his chest, hesitating. "This is like, a family matter. I don't want to overstep, or anything. But I really feel like you should call your mom. Tell her what's going on. Does she know that your dad's here?"

"I don't know." Riley shimmied out of his dress, careful not to rip the lace. He started to hang it carefully on the wooden hanger, slower than normal, trying to draw it out as long as he could. His heart was heavy. He dreaded going out there. The room was a bit chilly, as he was only wearing his shorts, and a thin ribbed undershirt. "Dad took my phone when I tried to call my mom. He says he's going to give it back, but only after we talk. He's taking me out for dinner, for some big announcement."

"He took your phone?" Ben said, surprised. "Hang on, I'll go get it back from him."

Riley reached out, and grabbed Ben's arm. "Don't."

"Riley –"

"Ben." Riley frowned. "I know you want to help. But he's – Dad's – just, don't, okay?"

"Okay, I won't." Ben reached out, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Riley, this doesn't seem right. I don't think he can just show up like this, and make you leave the school. This isn't right."

Riley could tell that this whole situation was bothering Ben. It was certainly bothering him, too. He had never expected his father to just barge into practise like this. And he had no idea why his dad wanted to take him off school property like that. Ben was right when he said that it didn't feel right. Riley was curious what his father had to say, but he didn't want to leave the school with him.

Ben reached into his pocket. "Here," he said. "Call your mom."

Riley gratefully took the phone from him, and dialled Mom's number. He listened to it ring, hoping to hear her voice. Mom would know what to do. The phone rang over and over, until it got to her voicemail. Riley left a quick message, then called back. Still no answer.

"You want to go to my place?" Ben asked. "We could sneak out of here, and run out to my car."

"Thanks, but no," Riley said. "Dad flew all the way out here to talk to me, the least I can do is hear him out. I'll call you after, let you know what happened."

"Riley," Ben said, "Are you okay with your dad being here?"

Riley shrugged. He couldn't meet Ben's eyes. Nolan was not someone he wanted to just show up in his life like this. "I haven't seen him in two years, Ben. I don't know what the hell he wants now, after all this time. But he's still my dad."

"Here, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to call your mom, and tell her what's going on." Ben typed in Andrea's number into his contacts. "There, her number is saved. I'll call her - I'll keep calling until I get her on the phone. This doesn't feel right, him just showing up like this."

Riley nodded. "Thanks."

"Did your dad say where you guys are going to eat?" Ben asked. "A specific restaurant?"

Riley shrugged. "He didn't say."

"Damn." Ben reached out, and pulled him into a hug. "Everything's going to be okay. I promise you."

"Okay," Riley said, pressing his cheek against Ben's shirt. "Thanks, Ben."

After he broke off their hug, Riley finished changing into his clothes, and slipped into his high tops. Ben crawled out the window, and dropped down to the grass below. Riley watched as Ben stayed ducked down, as he ran around the side of the building. He put the screen back in, and hurriedly closed it. He grabbed his backpack, and went out to the hallway. Nolan was leaning against the wall, a cigarette tucked behind his left ear. Riley stopped in front of him, giving him an uneasy look.

"Okay, I'm out of my dress and make-up," Riley said. "Can I have my phone back?"

"It's about damned time. I'm glad you're wearing regular clothes again." Nolan looked him up and down. He plucked the cigarette from behind his left ear, and putting it in his mouth. He let it dangle, unlit. "You're not getting that phone back yet. I told you, we need to talk first."

Riley squinted at him. "Okay, so talk."

"First, let's get out of here." He started to walk through the hallway. Riley followed his dad out to the parking lot. Riley watched as his father stopped in front of a nice-looking dark blue rental car. "Get in, Riley."

Riley was filled with dread, as he shakily opened the passenger door, and got in. They drove out of the school parking lot. The ground was littered with dead leaves, and it was a bit chilly, but the sun shone bright in the cloudless sky.

Riley had a lot of questions about why his dad was there, but he didn't know where to begin. He did up his seatbelt, then clutched his schoolbag to his chest.

"Why were in that dress?" Nolan asked, glancing over at him.

"I already told you - I'm Ophelia, in the play," Riley said. "We're doing 'Hamlet'."

"It's a girl's part." Nolan's jaw clenched. "No son of mine should be prancing around on stage in a dress."

"Dad, I go to an all-boys school." Riley frowned. "Did you know that back in the day, only male actors were used for Shakespeare plays. Guys played characters like Ophelia, Lady MacBeth, and Beatrice. Someone's got to play the girl."

"Not my son. Does your mother know you're playing a chick?" Nolan asked. "Does she know you're hanging out with a bunch of weird theater kids after school?"

"Of course." Riley stared out the window. "She supports me."

"What happened to sports? Didn't I always tell you, the best way to make friends in a new school, is to try out for sports? That's the kind of thing you should be doing in school, not prancing around in dresses."

"I didn't make the team," Riley said. "When I first got here, I tried out for a few different sports, but I didn't make any of the teams. Sports isn't really my thing, anyway. I like being on stage. They're good kids."

Riley glanced over at the rear-view mirror, and saw Ben's car trailing behind them. He was two cars back. Riley felt safer, knowing that Ben was there, looking out for him.

"How are your grades? You're applying yourself?" Nolan asked.

"They're fine." Riley sighed. "You said you wanted to talk. What's going on? Why are you here?"

"What, a father can't pick up his son after school?" Nolan asked. "We can't just go for a nice drive, and catch up?"

Riley turned in his seat, and looked over at him. "I haven't seen you in two years, dad."

"That's your mother's doing." Nolan sighed. "She kept you from me. I wanted to be a part of your life, but Andrea, she kept us apart. I know she gave that judge the sob story of how bad her life was, living with me. She got full custody. And she got you in on it, too. Manipulating you to tell the judge you wanted to be with her, instead of me. But it's okay, I forgive you for that transgression. I understand that she was influencing you to talk shit about me in court. That's on her, using my kid against me."

Riley silently stared out the window. He didn't feel like engaging with everything that came out of Nolan's mouth. Dad had a skewed version of what really happened, about who was to blame for certain things. His father would always blame Andrea for their failed marriage, for standing up to him in court, for putting distance between them by divorcing him. He blanked his face, hoping that Nolan would run out of steam. He didn't want his father to see how upset he was.

"Your mother's done a lot of harm. Encouraging you to do theatre, and art classes, and all that crap. You're soft. Sitting in front of your computer, reading all the time, like a nerd. You need to toughen up, Riley. And the way that your mom moved you all the way out here to Maryland? That was a terrible decision. She doesn't even have any family out here. Andrea has always been one to control the situation. Taking you away like that – knowing I wanted you raised up right in Iowa? That's not right. I'm still your father, whether Andrea wants to admit it, or not. A son should be with their father."

Riley rolled his eyes. "No, don't say all that crap about Mom. She's been there for me. If you wanted to, you could've called." Riley played with his backpack strap. "Two years of radio silence, and now you just show up out of the blue. What is going on, Dad? What is this big life-changing announcement?"

"Riley, I'm getting married." He glanced over at Riley. "My fiancée, Caitlyn, she's eight months pregnant. I wanted her to fly with me so she could meet you in person, but she's on bed rest. Doctor's orders."

Riley took a moment to process the news. A new fiancée – a pregnant one. That would mean that the kid would be his half-sibling. Weird. He frowned. "Congrats, I guess," he said, sarcastically. "But that's got nothing to do with me."

"Of course it does!" Nolan exclaimed. "You'll be getting two new family members. A stepmom, and a new sibling! Isn't that exciting?"

"My family is me, and mom."

"And me," Nolan said, glancing at him. "You, mom, and me."

Riley didn't say anything. He clutched tighter at his backpack straps, and turned his head slightly away, to watch the buildings flash past them. People were standing at the bus stop, looking bored as they waited for the bus to arrive. The sun was warm on his face. He pushed his glasses up higher, and glanced back up at his father.

"I've been writing to your mother, asking – begging to allow you to come to the wedding. You're my kid, and I want you there." Nolan glanced over at him. "Caitlyn and I, we're happy. She's always wanted a big family, and when she found out I had a son – well, she insisted you come visit. She really wants to meet her stepson."

"She's a complete stranger." Riley frowned. "How old is she? Where did you meet?"

"She's twenty-three," Nolan said, glancing over at him. "I met her at work. She's the daughter of one of my coworkers. She's stunning. I'll show you a picture of her when we get to the restaurant. You'll like her, I just know it."

"Twenty-three." Riley raised his eyebrows. "She's only ten years older than I am! That's really weird."

"Caitlyn is going to be your stepmother. Have some respect," Nolan said, harshly. "I'm taking you home to Iowa for a few weeks. You can go to the wedding, and meet your new sister when she's born. And if all goes well, and you get along with Caitlyn, we can discuss if you'll stay with us long-term."

"Wait, what?" Riley said, pushing his glasses up higher. "I'm not living with you! Not for a few weeks, and certainly not long-term. Does Mom know about any of this?"

"Of course. I've written Andrea multiple times. She knows about my fiancée, and the baby," Nolan said. "And she knows that I want to bring you home for a while. It'll be good for you. You can bond with Caitlyn, and the baby. Besides, this fancy school that you're going to, it isn't good for you. You can start at the high school near my apartment. You can try out for the football team. I'll go to your games. It'll be great. Us, Caitlyn, and the baby – a proper family."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Riley said, flatly. "I'm fine right here in Maryland."

"Actually, you are going. You're my son, and I won't have you living like this. Prancing about in dresses! No, sir. There's a great sports department at the high school. You can try out for football, or boxing. Something more manly than theater." Nolan's gaze slid over to his son's face for a second, before looking back to the road ahead of him. "The way Andrea's been raising you – it's like she's trying to turn you into a daughter, instead of the son you should be. We're Poole men. Strong, and powerful. No more make-up, or wigs. Had I known she'd raise you like this, I would've come a lot sooner to rescue you."

Riley watched Ben's car in the mirror. He was still trailing behind them. Riley tried to block out his dad's voice. He let his mind wander, remembering how he and Ben and kissed the night of the sleepover. Strong, and powerful. He could feel Ben's phantom lips on his, their faces pressed together. Riley's hands clutching Ben's shirt. Riley smiled at the memory, shyly looking down at his lap. Just for a second or two, before he remembered to blank his face. Shit. Riley realized that his father had seen the private smile.

"I know you don't want to leave Maryland. But you've had two long years living with Andrea. It's time to get you back to Iowa. It'll be good there, you'll see. Caitlyn and I, we can provide a good life for you. I'm saving up money for a down payment on a nice three-bedroom townhouse. It'll be big enough for all of us. You'll get your own room. But if we have more kids in the future, you might have to share. I know Caitlyn wants lots of kids. Four, maybe five. We'll be a real family again, Riley."

Riley bit back a snarky response, as his father hit the turn signal. Nolan turned into the parking lot of a Chinese buffet restaurant. He parked near the entrance, and killed the engine. The restaurant was a slate-grey building, with cheery curtains, and red lanterns visible in the tall rectangular windows. He had never been there before. It was a bit of a drive from the school.

"We're going to go inside, and have a nice meal," Nolan said, turning in his seat to stare down his son. "You need to be on your best behaviour. And when we're done, you're going to take me to your apartment, and we'll pick out an outfit for the wedding."

"Do I even get a say in this?" Riley retorted. "What if I don't want to go?"

Nolan stared at him. "You'd skip my wedding? I thought you'd be thrilled to go. This is a big deal, you know. It's important to me."

Riley shrugged, picking at the small hole on his jeans. "I don't want to go."

"Dinner first. Then we'll discuss the wedding. I want you there, Riley. Caitlyn and I have sent you an invitation. I wrote you multiple letters."

"Yeah, well, I never received any of them."

"You can blame your mother for that." Nolan pulled open his car door. "C'mon, let's go inside. I'm starving. Remember, you be on your best behaviour, and I'll think about giving you your phone back when we're done."