"Now remember Hailey. I will call you every night. It will be just like you're with me." Mark said.
I hugged Mark tight. We both knew better than that. But I didn't say anything. We had to deal the best way we could.
"I love you baby girl." Mark said kissing me one last time.
"I love you too daddy." I said and then I let go of him.
Scott put his arms around me.
"Remember everything I taught you kid. You're a winner ya know." He said kissing my forehead.
"I love you Scott." I said.
"Love you to Kiddo." Scott said.
I got on the plane without looking back. I didn't cry either. I was determined I was going to come out of this a winner.
MY first few months at School were hell. A 14 year old living and going to college is a little weird at best. Of course all the assholes picked on me cause I was so young but there are assholes everywhere. I ignored them and along the way made a few friends I could hang out with. Just like daddy promised he called me every night and we still had our bedtime talked only over the phone. He would fly up once a month and spend a few days with me which was great sometimes he would bring Scott with him. On the whole school turned out to be not so bad. The only major trouble I got into was when I had been there about 3 months. I went to this party with a couple of people I knew. I got wasted decided since I was on my own I could do what I wanted to. Well most the people there was under drinking age and it was on campus so we got busted. Of course everyone's parents got called but I wasn't that worried. Mark was god knows where on the road and I figured he would just call and bitch me out. Imagine my surprise when I walked in my room the next day and Mark and Scott were both sitting there.
"Hailey Callaway just what in the hell were you thinking?" Mark yelled at me.
"Daddy I'm sorry it won't happen again. I just screwed up." I said.
Mark ranted and raved for a while but Scott just set there. I knew I was going to get it from one of them but I hadn't figured out who yet.
"Are you both here to beat me or what?" I finally said.
Mark stopped in his tracks.
"Hailey I aint never beat ya and you know that. If you're askin if I'm going to spank ya the answer is yes." Mark said.
Scott got up and left the room.
I decided not to try to talk my way out of it that would just make it worse. Let me tell you layin over my daddy's lap that day I found religion, made promises to never drink again as long as I lived, hell I promised I'd never do one bad thing in my life again. Hell he didn't use nothing but his hand. I guess he wanted to impress on me what to expect if I pulled this shit again. Well he impressed it on me alright. After that I wouldn't touch a drink for anything and I stayed away from people who drank. After he let me up. I sat there and cried awhile. He came back and sat down next to me.
"Hailey you drinking scares me to death you around a bunch of older boys lots of bad things could have happened to you." Mark said.
"I know and I really am sorry. I won't do it again." I said.
He pulled me in his arms and hugged me. I guess the fact he flew up to Rhode Island just to beat my ass made an impression on me. He wasn't going to forget about me or dump me. He still loved me but it also meant I would have to keep my ass in line.
Scott came back later and we went out to dinner they stayed a couple of days. I got endless lectures which I put up with happily just glad to have them around. Of course Chris called me and bitched me out. That's the way it works with the three of them when I screw up it's like the Hailey misbehavior hotline everybody knows. I gave him the same promises I gave Mark and Scott no more drinking.
I took off from School and went to Mark and Doc's wedding. I'll give Mark credit he gave me enough time to get used to it. By the time the wedding rolled around I was used to the idea and me and Doc had actually became friends. I wasn't used to having a woman in my life but Doc didn't push. After a while I realized it was okay to have a female to talk to about stuff. I could talk to her about the way I felt about Chris and she didn't give me that 'oh how cute you have a crush speech' I got from Mark all the time. I had never seen Mark as happy as on his wedding day it was obvious the two of them were very much in love. After the wedding Mark came up to me.
"Baby girl thank you for being so supportive. It means the world to me." He said giving me a kiss.
"You know I want you to be happy daddy." I said hugging him.
And he was. The one thing I can say about Doc she loved Mark. She lived for him. She doted on him like a mother hen and he ate it up. They say your last love is your best love and that certainly proved true for them two.
All in all things were going well I adapted to college and did well just as Scott had predicted. I missed Chris like crazy but they say you can get used to anything. I was getting used to my new life at college, having a stepmother, and living with out the people I loved around me everyday.