a/n: Yay! Chapter 2! Well, three if you count the prologue. It's not too long, but that's jsut me. Well, have fun reading!
Alice turned off the music at the sight of her dad. "Hi," Danny said, entering through the door and coming to sit next to her. Alice had sat up, hiding her sketchpad beneath her pillow. "What you got there?" Danny asked then.
Alice looked at him with strange anger in her eyes. "Nothing that concerns you," she said coldly.
"Gee, sorry I asked," Danny mumbled. He looked around at the room. Everything was entirely different. His gaze fell onto Alice's computer. She's gotten his computer since it was nearly new because he stopped using it soon after his parents had gotten it for him. It was currently turned off.
"Dad, what do you want?" Alice asked, standing and cutting off his view of the room. Danny looked at her. Her arms were crossed over her chest, a slight pouty-angry expression on her face.
He sighed and stood. "Alice," he started, standing and walking past her. He put his hands in his jeans pockets. I guess his wardrobe was part of what had changed about him. Now he wore blue jeans and a button-up shirt that was red and white over a white T-shirt. Not much of a difference, but still different. "Alice, I just wanted you to know that I know you don't like me very much. And I think I might get on your nerves sometimes."
"You have no idea," Alice mumbled, plopping herself onto her bed.
Danny turned to her slightly. "Well, Al, I guess I owe you an apology. I'll try not to be too much of a immature teenager, and I want you to know that that's just my job: to embarrass the pretty little girl called daughter Alice."
The slight compliment made Alice laugh silently. "Thanks, Dad," she said. "Anything else?"
"There's a condition so don't thank me just yet," Danny said, wagging a finger Alice slightly. Alice waited to hear what he would say. "Alice, you've been acting a little strange since your birthday, and you're making your mom get worried. Alice, I want you to be honest with me, what's wrong?"
Alice hesitated. There were times when she thought she could tell her dad anything. But this, this was not something he would understand. She knew he wouldn't understand. "Dad, I'm fine," she said. She saw a slight knowing look in her father's eyes when he nodded slightly.
"Okay," he said quietly. "Well, I'll be going now. Why don't you go to the park later? It's sure to be a great day to go. Besides, when was the last time you went out with your friends? Uhm...what are their names?"
"Jeanette and Jonathan, Dad," Alice said, rolling her eyes slightly. "And Yeah, I think I will. But later."
"You don't have to take your brother, but I think it may be a good idea," Danny said then.
"I'll think about it," Alice said. Danny laughed slightly.
"Make sure you do, well, later," he said and walked out the door.
Once he'd gone, Alice collapsed onto her bed, shaking ehr head. "He did not say 'later'!" She laughed.
Outside, Danny was listening, ear pressed against the door. He smiled, hearing her laugh. "I hope you don't have to face this curse," he mumbled, then walked back down the stairs to talk to Sam.
Somewhere else, across the hall, someone was listening. "Curse?" the vocie whispered. Frightened, dark blue eyes twinkled with slight fright.