Cordelia had to be at her high school in less than thirty minutes. She had a game to practice for, and all the other cheerleaders were waiting on her. She only had time to throw on some gym shorts and a sports tank. She grabbed her gym bag and ran out of her room and out the front door. She was so focused on getting to practice that she didn't see whom she bumped into until it was too late.
"Wow! Nice to see I was missed. Knocking over Dads the new 'fad'?" Cordy's dad, Michael, was standing in front of her holding her arms for support. She looked at him for a moment seeming as if she had never seen this person before, and then she threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek with all the love a daughter could give her father.
"Daddy I missed you so much! When did you get back?" she pulled away and looked up at her father. He didn't look his age really, she always thought of him as some sort of classic guy in those old detective movies in black and white. He was always in a hat and his hair was kind of graying, but he had the heart of a teenager.
"I just got in. Where are you going so early? Not to see any boy I hope." He joked with her. The last boyfriend that he had actually met was Xander and they had gotten along really well, which is also why none of her other boyfriends have never met her dad.
"No, I have to get to practice. I slept in, and… well it is going to look really bad if me, being the captain of the squad is late, so I have to go, but I'll see you later right?" She said walking over to her car. A part of her was worried that he would have to leave again.
"You know what I'll drive you to practice. I have to stop by the office anyway. And we can catch up on the way there, isn't, what do you say… a plus!" She laughed as her dad tried to use on of her common sayings. He was always trying to be cool for her, but he was still her embarrassing dad.
They talked all the way to the school. Cordy told him everything, excluding her mother's new habit, and they had enjoyed seeing each other. Things were starting to look up again. She was so glad that her dad didn't have to leave on another business trip. This one was one of the less convenient, because he and her mother had just finished a fight before he left, leaving her mother in a very sour mood.
"Okay, well here's your stop. Call me when you need a ride back. Have fun Kiddo." He father said as she got out of the car. She gave him a priceless smile and waved goodbye.
When Cordelia finally got to her cheerleading practice, she tried really hard not to get too sidetracked at the thought that her father was home now. This changed everything. I have to tell Angel, Cordy thought as she did a backhand spring, back tuck. She thought that it was a little funny that she immediately thought of Angel, but he had helped her a lot these passed days.
"Cor… are we going to keep practicing or is this over? I have a manicure in an hour." Harmony's voice brought Cordy out of her thoughts. "And the others have places to be, come on we nailed this routine."
"Yeah, go! It looks good, but we still have to make it better, but we can do that later. See you guys." The mood switch that had taken place in less than a day took Harmony and the other girls aback. Cordelia was happy and that's a lot better than the mood she had been in all week. They were al happy to have their best friend back.
Cordy had changed and relaxed when she got home later that day. She had spent sometime with her friends, and went with Harmony to get a manicure. She was in such a good mood, and planned to stay this way.
That night at dinner, Cordelia and her parents had sat in the dining room silently eating. It was a new change and it seemed to please everyone. Cordy's mom occasionally glared at her father from across the table, but other than that it was like a normal family eating dinner. Hopefully nothing would change, and go back to the way things were. Times were going to get better as long as Cordy's dad didn't have to go on another one of those long business trips. Cordy remembered one time that her mother had told her where her father goes on 'business trips'.
"Whores! That's why he leaves. Business my ass! You… I swear Cordelia Chase if you ever think that you can desert your family just to go to some foreign country and jump some young, hot thing I will disown you." Cordelia's mother scolded her one night when her father was in France.
Her mom had this notion that he never worked on his trips. It was understandable, what woman wouldn't worry about her husband thousand miles away? The thing was that Diana Chase would take all her insecurities out on her teenage daughter. Cordy knew her dad loved her, and would never leave her permanently, but he had work to do. Her mother was horrible to her dad, and they always found something to fight about.
Focusing back on the dinner in front of her, Cordelia, liked it that she wouldn't have to have another talk like that with her mom. It was painful for the both of them when Michael Chase decided to leave his wife and daughter Cordelia alone for possibly months at a time. Hopefully he wouldn't have to leave for a couple months, or maybe never. He could, with time, bring his family back together.
The next morning, Monday, Cordelia had a new sense of security. She wasn't afraid to be around people and hear what they had to say. She was back to her old ways. Today no one was making her feel bad about herself, but, instead, she was going to make the whole school bow at her feet. She was happy that she was feeling good enough to have a manicure done yesterday? Today she was putting the past behind her, and cut the loose ends and security blankets she didn't need anymore, starting with a curtain undead vampire.
This is where I have to stop for the time being...sorry! I have a vacation coming up, and I don't think I can get the next chapter out before I leave! Again...sorry! H.B.