Here's chapter 24
Chapter 24: Hello, I'm Your Daughter
"Hi," I said slowly when I got up to him.
"Oh hi. You're the drummer for that girls band, what is it? The Chicks or something?" he said trying to act cool and suave.
"The Chicklets."
"Oh, oh right! You girls really got something going on. That song was wild, and real bold ya know? I think you kids could really change the music world around. People won't be so uptight and would write about their feelings and not hide the meanings of their songs," he smiled proudly.
"Yeah thanks..." I rubbed my shoulder uncomfortably and shifted my weight from one foot to the other. "You don't know who I am do you?" I blurted.
"I just said who you were," he squinted his eyes in a confused expression.
"No, I mean you don't know my name or nothing. I'm Stephanie Hazen...I'm your daughter."
He stood there, at first with a look of humor like I was joking. When I didn't crack a smile he looked confused, then shook his head. "I don't know what you think your doing by making up such a lie, or even how you know that I have a daughter named Stephanie. But it's not funny."
"You don't believe me?" I almost screamed.
"No I don't. Now please, I'm very busy."
"With what? Writing songs about more kids that you leave behind to wonder when the hell your coming back only to realize your not!" I was at the edge of yelling.
He just stared at me and searched my eyes. I guess to tell if I was lying. It was scary looking back into his eyes, it was like a mirror. We had the same exact eyes.
"It is you," he said with realization.
"Why did you leave?" I asked feeling the tears of 16 years of pain building up.
"I don't know. I was young, your mother was young. I just made my big hit, and it was my only chance. So I took it," he sat down.
"Why didn't you come back? Didn't even think about my feelings?" I asked him, fighting the tears.
"Of course I did. I just thought if you never knew me then it'd be better. You wouldn't be hurt. I thought about your feelings everyday," he tried to explain.
"You already had two kids, you just left them!"
"I know but when Chachi and Montana were older, they started sending me letters. So I assumed everything was okay, that you weren't hurt."
"They were talking to you?" I asked my mouth dropping about 10 feet.
"You didn't know?"
"Of course not!"
"Oh." he said quietly, and then his face brightened up. "Well, we've found each other now. Maybe we can grab a burger and just talk. Start a relationship. We have sixteen years of catching up to do.."
"Bullshit. I don't want a damn relationship with you know. I don't want to know you," I snapped at him.
"If that's how you feel..." he trailed off.
He wasn't even going to try and persuade me! "That's it? Your just gonna let me go? Some father you are!" I barked and headed for the exit.
"Stephanie Louise Hazen!" he yelled like a father should.
I stopped in my tracks, no one uses my middle name, well only Amanda.
He caught up to me and turned me around. "I'm not a good father, but I'm willing to get to know you, to try and be a father. I'm not guaranteeing I'm going to be there for you. But I want to know you."
It was my turn to search his eyes, while still fighting the tears, some of which had escaped during my rage. Then it all came out like a flood. The next thing I knew my arms were wrapped around him and I was sobbing heavily into his black t-shirt, soaking it with my weeps.
I could tell he was shocked, since his hands cautiously patted my back. "It's okay," he murmured me softly.
I don't know what I was crying more about, that I had found my dad or that he wasn't ever there. That I had lost Dally, or that I loved him. That I miss my brother, or that I hate my sister. That I envy Johnny, or that I feel closer to him then Chachi. It was like a big wave of emotion coming out of me and landing on this man, my father's, shirt.
I sniffled and whipped away the tears. He smiled slightly, "You okay?"
I nodded. "Just a little breakdown," I laughed lightly.
"You want to go get that burger or what?"
I nodded again and we walked outside. It was raining pretty hard and I was soaked in less than five minutes, which was good. It was a mask of my little crying scene back in the gym. We walked in silence, the two of us. Like complete strangers.
"So...is your mother around?" he asked suddenly.
"Oh no she's in New York," I told him, kicking a pebble into the street.
"Then why are you and Montana here?"
"I ran away, Montana found out where I was and decided to come and ruin my life," I mumbled the last part, but I don't think he heard anyway.
"Why did you run away?" he looked down at me.
I shrugged, "I was sick and tired of mom bringing home random guys, Chachi was in jail, Montana hates me. Give me a reason why I shouldn't have run away."
"Those seem like good reasons," he said opening up the door to Jay's. I stepped in and sat down at a booth. I saw Steve and Amanda and gave them a wave.
Amanda looked at me confused and mouthed "What is he doing with you?"
"I'll explain later," I mouthed back.
She nodded and Steve mouthed something to her and she elbowed him and smiled at me. I shook my head and laughed silently.
"Well the food looks good.."
"It is good," I told him.
"You know I'm sure you made into the Top Five. I don't think your sister did. I did try to persuade the judge's thoughts but they're pretty strict ya know?"
"Whatever. She sucked, and it's pretty plain to see she isn't going to make it," I told him straight-out.
"She was just nervous," he was taking her side.
I rolled my eyes, and the door opened. "Speak of the devil," I muttered.
He turned around to see Montana, Dally, and Tim Shepard. Of course he only knew Montana.
"Hi daddy!" she beamed and ran over to us. Dally and Tim rolled their eyes but followed. Tim smiled at me, and I looked at him in disgust. He stopped smiling. Dallas on the other hand just ignored me. Nice man, real nice.
"Hi Montana, and people I don't know," he scooted over for them to sit. Montana obliged.
"Move in toots," Tim said putting his big butt next to me, causing me to move to the end so both he and Dallas could fit in the seat.
"Daddy this is my boyfriend, Dallas, and his friend Tim," she pointed them, she was seated opposite Dally, next to Constantine. I refuse to call him dad.
"You taking good care of my little girl?" He pretended to be concerned.
"I guess," Dally shrugged.
I snorted and they all looked at me. "Just ignore me, you already are," I sure was having an attitude problem.
"Why don't you go fuck your little rich boyfriend," Dally glared at me. He was glaring at me! Oh the nerve!
"What did you just say?" I glared back, situating myself in his direction. Tim was looking back and forth, like he was following a ping-pong match.
"You heard me."
I reached my hand back and punched him, not slapped, in the face as hard as I could. I didn't care how angry he got or how "dangerous" he was pissing me off, or even that it's not lady like to punch someone, especially a guy you supposedly "love". I stood up and jumped into the next booth and walked out, as Amanda started clapping and whistling.
"You punched him!" Belle was grinning from ear to ear when I told her the story. I didn't stick around long enough for Dally to do anything and practically power walked home.
"Dallas sure ain't gonna be happy. He's been slapped by broads before, but ain't ever been punched by one," Johnny warned me, bouncing Bethany up and down on his lap.
"I don't care, what he said wasn't right. I mean you understand right?" I was starting to feel unsure of my actions.
"I would have done the same thing, Steph. He's an ass and deserved what he got," Sage reassured me.
"Ya probably ruined his reputation. Well not really, but people are goin' to think he can get beat up by women. Then some stupid kid is gonna try and mess with him, an' he's gonna give 'em a real good lickin'."
"I don't care. I hate him," I said self-assuredly.
"You know you don't, that's why your debating this whole thing," Belle decided to be a psychologist today.
I sighed.
"It's okay, getting your heartbroken ain't easy. I've had mine broken before, ya just gotta wait till ya meet the right guy and then you know everything's perfect," Sage said smiling and kissed Johnny.
"But what if you have and they love your sister and like hate you?"
"Dally don't hate you," Johnny said when he escaped Sage's Venus-Johnny's Lip-Trap.
"Well he doesn't exactly like me."
Johnny went to say something else, but Steve and Amanda came bursting through the door.
"Dally got into a fight with some guy named Kevin or something, but the guy was friends with the guy they think Dally killed, and he pulled a gun on him. Dally's in the hospital!" Amanda panted. I jumped off the couch and headed for the bus.
Hey look at that another Chapter. I'm pretty sure I'll be uploading one more chapter, but I'll probably stop after I get 25 up, I have dance and 8 o'clock till 11 and I have to be bright eyed and bushy tailed. I'll probably update more when I get home though. Love ya! Toodles!
