JPOV

I didn't realize that I had been starring at her and now she's starring at me too.

"Would you mind telling me what happened?'

"He's not coming, I know he loves his step daughter best than me, but, c'mon, I'm his daughter, for real. Doesn't he love me even at the least he is capable of?"

"How did you know?"

"His pet of a daughter told me, that skunk. She just has the nerve."

"did you ask hi to come?"

"Hello Jazz, Isn't an automatic response for a parent to come to his child's graduation?"

I knew she didn't ask him. She would never tell him about her shits in life, not that she can handle them all by herself but because she's chicken shit of rejection, well we all are I guess. However, I also think that it is extra special if it is your own family, which means, it hurts more when it comes from your own father.

Her only parent was nothing but a hurting machine that is always ready to throw all of his products on his daughter. Now she's beautiful with all her expensive dress and make up and all the other stuff that girls love but she's fucking scarred, because her personal confidence was taken away from her by her own father.

Wasn't that shit enough?

"I understand and I really think he's stupid enough for making that asinine decision but Pix, you need to tell him-"

"no way in hell I'm going to beg me to 'come and join me celebrate'"

"no, you're not going to invite him. who needs that shit anyway?"

"Jazz…" I saw her reaction and it was obvious she is appalled by my comment and I can see that she still loves him; she wants him to be there tomorrow but she's scarred to ask.

"okay, sorry, but kissing asses isn't working out here anymore. You just need to tell him once and for all what he is making you feel."

"what am I telling him?"

"what you feel."

She paused before she spoke again. I don't know, maybe to make a good sentence in her head or a list of all the things that she'll spat flat on her good father's wrinkled face.

Then she started with...

"I'm going to tell Dad to come to my graduation tomorrow, I really want him there… I wanna ask him to stop hurting me and love me and take care of me spend time with me because my heading off to college soon and of course I want to spend time with him first, because I'll be missing him, so much. I will tell Dad that he is wrong about hurting me because it was not my fault, that I was also a victim in that accident, that I am still a being victim because of that. I will tell him I'm sorry, for whatever that happened and I'm sorry I just cannot change it anymore no matter how much I want to. I'm sorry we can't exchange mom's life with mine…I really wanna tell him that 'Dad I'm so sorry for taking mom away from you, sorry for the continued pain that you have to go through every day because she's gone.'"

Then she looked at me, all guards down. This time directly talking to me, like forcing me to believe her.

"I can see it Jazzy, I know it's still hurting him. sometimes I hear him crying for mom, still. And I don't want him to feel that pain anymore, because after everything he said and done, I still love him."

She ended her litany crying once again. I wish I had a voice recorder with me, so I could just to send it to him coz I don't want her to cry anymore. But I don't and there was no other way.

"please tell him that. That is your right and his as well. That someone very special loves him despite of himself." I smirked lightening the mood

Then she smiled, because chicks just love those shit. Praising them.

"you know you're the best?" it was a rhetorical question.

"yeah, I know. It was actually mentioned too much so there's no need for you to bother." And that mad her came back to her same giddy self and stuck out her tongue on me like a five years old.

I laughed and asked her "so, are you okay now?"

"yeah, thank you very much. So do you like my voice?" that was also a rhetorical question.

"Please don't ask me about it. don't want to hurt your feelings anymore"

"oh, look whose talking. Why do you have a talent? Hmp if I know…"

She just kept on babbling when I started beating on my car's hood like it was a drum, and then I sang along with it. the song 214 by rivermaya, it's so perfect for her, for what I'm feeling for her.

Am I real?

Do the words I speak before you make you feel

That the love I have for you will see no ending?

Well if you look into my eyes then you should know

That there is nothing here to doubt nothing to fear

And you can lay your questions down

Coz if you'll hold me

We can fade into the night and you'll know

The world could die

And everything may lie

Still you shan't cry

Cause time mat pass

But longer than it'll last

I'll be by you side.

I meant every single word in that song. Then I stood in front of her, then…

Take my hand *she took it and we started swaying left and right

And gently close your eyes so you could understand

That there's no greater love tonight than what I have for you

Well, if you feel the same way for me then let go

And we can journey to a garden no one knows

Life is short my darling, tell me that you love me

So we can fade into a night and you'll know

The world could lie

And everything may die

Still you shan't cry

Cause time ma pass

But longer than won't last

I'll be by you side.

Forever by your side,

Forever by your side,

So you won't cry.

We barely did anything other than to sway left and right but after showing off my singing prowess, she gave me a 'Thank you'. But I couldn't talk, I was dumb stuck looking at her, it was as if I could see all of her, all honesty and not the usual hiding as a part of self-preservation thing.

"don't you ever try to deny it" she continued, "I know you mean that song" she asked me then I smiled, well what's there to lie for. I've been dedicating that song for her for years.

We were still standing after my song ended and our "dance" is done but it seemed that neither of us wanted to let go of the magic first. Then I decided because it just so perfect, to kiss her. To kiss the girl I loved for so long, beside the river under the moon and stars with no one watching except the trees and my car. And that was it, I know we both understand what would be that mean.

After the sweet defining moment we shared, I told her I love her. that I'll do and give her everything she wants in this world, I'm madly in love with her like that, but she just smiled at me and told me that she already had them, well, I guessed I should have known that, she practically got and can get all the things she want.

"don't be silly, I meant 'you'"

And that put the goofy smile back my face.

I asked her to do what I told her earlier our evening and she promised me she would. I know she's still scared and all I could hope for was that I could share with her the brevity that I was having. I told her to call me if anything gets wrong and of course, we gave each other a sweet goodnight ending with a kiss.