Chapter 29: Call me Brat (Flash Back)

"But why daddy?! You said we could plan somewhere to go before winter arrives and I'm asking you for it." I cry.

"Princess, I'm just asking you to wait for some time because daddy's got a load of work right now." Daddy takes me in his arms. "I've to ride for the town to run some errands, honey."

"But daddy I told my friends that we will be going this week." I cry again. "I even invited a new friend," I say, looking at him.

"And who is this new friend of yours?" Daddy asks, tilting his head to one side, skeptically.

"Umm.... Jamel." I hesitate before telling.

"No boys allowed other than the Adams son," he says, sternly. Father is always considerate when it comes to boys.

"But why him!" I half shout.

"Because I know that kid but it's not like I'm going easy on him too. He's my best friend's son and so I trust him."

"But we all will be in front of your eyes, you don't have to worry daddy. Please say yes!" I plead him with my puppy dog eyes.

"No, that's not going to work again," he says, pointing a finger at my face.

"But Maria would be there too, making us all stay together like before," I say, rolling my eyes, remembering how bossy she was the last time for making us all stick together.

"Still no."

"If you agree to this, I'll agree for you to delay the picnic," I say, folding my arms.

"We aren't negotiating on this."

"I'm going to cry until you say yes." I look at him and hold an arm of his.

"No Sarah! I refuse." His answer was serious because I could feel it in his gaze. "Stop being so stubborn." But I still wanted to convince him.

"Daddy please allow my frien-"

"I SAID NO!" This time he yelled at me and such moments were rare. I stood up, my eyes burning with hot tears, I back away from him and run out of the house. I can hear him calling my name again and again in the background but I wasn't crying and running because he refused to accept my demand but because he yelled at me. I always was very sensitive towards daddy's anger. Daddy never yelled at us, never. But when he did, it was always for the better, when I and Maria were being very stubborn towards our wishes and right now I know he's just being a considerate father but I couldn't just take in the way he said it, I guess I'm a spoiled child after all. I came running towards the place he and I always did when we were bored or when we would feel down.

To the pond, our pond.

I sat near the edge of the pond where grass has grown slightly. I see fishes under the water and my reflection over the surface. I heave a sigh.

Why do I have to be so stubborn sometimes? daddy sure knows the best, right?

I calm a little after admiring the place around me, the green and cool place but somehow it came back to me and I couldn't stop my tears from falling.

"Why are you here alone?" Calls a familiar voice behind me. I quickly wipe off my tears from my face by the back of my sleeve and start looking into the pond to avoid him.

"Where's your new friend? huh?" He sits beside me.

"What are you doing here anyway? You should be at home with your mom." I say, avoiding his gaze which is lingering over me.

"Were you crying?" He speaks gently this time.

"N-no, would you expect that from me? Ha-ha." I try to laugh at his question but he wasn't certainly caught into it, he turns my face towards him.

"What happened Sarah? Tell me." He speaks slowly, worry evident in his voice.

"Nothing of your concern, just go eat ice cream with Magneta." I turn my head back.

"I never did eat ice cream with her." I turn my head back to him and he was looking down at his hands. "I never even talked to her in the first place, she was all clingy and I couldn't even stand her. I'm sorry it was all a lie what I told you before." He looks at me and a gush of guilt rushes through my body.

How could I be rude to him when I was doing the same with him? I looked ahead into the pond again, avoiding his stare. I didn't want to say anything. I was guilty for twice now already.

"I'm sorry Sarah, sorry for being rude, sorry for not caring that all this time you were trying to help me." I look at him as he spoke. "I know you were also lying about the things with Jamel and so I came here to check up on you guys even though I already knew that it wasn't true but I couldn't just sit at my home wondering that my best friend had someone other than me hanging around with so I came here to get rid of all the doubts." He looks briefly at me. "And I'm glad I came here, I came out of my home and found my best friend crying for the first time, all alone. And this time I want to be with you to help you with those tears of yours. This time I want it to be me to make things easy for you." I didn't know but I was crying in front of him now, I couldn't control my tears. Blame me for being still a child. "I'm so sorry Sarah for not being the best friend you expected me to be but now I'll try my best." He holds my hand and presses it against his hand, he wipes my tears away from my face and for the first time, I felt something weird happening in my stomach by his touch. "I'm sorry it took me so much time to understand what I was loosing again but thank you."

"I missed you D, I missed you so much." I cried but the tears that came next were out of happiness.

"Call me brat, it suits me better."