#nothing puts a girl into a reading slump like dany's chapters sorry

[a-chaotic-dumbass]

finally start reading asos again after a reading slump:

the very next chapter is dany's:

[deans-baby-momma]

The Padackles Link-Chapter 63

A/N: Thank to @blacktithe7​ for reviewing the last chapter and making me realize I hadn’t posted this one yet. Oops!!! Anyway, this MAY or MAY NOT answer your questions and it MAY or MAY NOT make you all mad, but just know that I have a method to my madness. Bahahahaha!!! As for now, read and enjoy some Padackles. 

Ackles Home

I sit on the edge of the bed, the garment box on my lap, admiring the babydoll lingerie Jensen had apparently purchased. I wonder about when he bought it and how he had gotten it not only into the house but hidden it in our closet. That man continues to amaze me every single day.

The fabric of the nightie is gorgeous; emerald in color with exquisite eyelash lace that is sheer and sexy. Anyone wearing it would definitely feel desirable and wanted. The bralette has strappy details and underwire to support and hold up my boobs- lord knows I need it right now! The bikini briefs are made of the same material with a swatch of cotton lining the crotch.

Along with the teddy is a gossamer chiffon robe of the same green color with delicate ivory lace trim along the opening and capped sleeves.

I anxiously slide the terrycloth robe from my body and pull the negligee on. Walking back into the closet where the full-length mirror is, I stare at myself in the outfit. How the man knew what size to buy was beyond me but the material fit my body perfectly, accentuating each and every curve. I cannot wait for Jay to get back so that I can surprise him!

Glancing at my phone, I am surprised to see that he has already been gone for a couple of hours. ‘God, I hope Dani didn’t give him a hard time when he dropped JJ off,’ I think to myself. I know she wasn’t happy with the fact that I had showed up unannounced to ask if JJ could accompany us on a day out on the lake. If Gen hadn’t been with me, the little girl probably wouldn’t have been allowed to go. Whatever Gen had said to Dani once they went inside had made her change her mind and I will forever be grateful for it. Now I just hope she isn’t taking it out on Jay. It had been my idea, after all. If she wants to bitch and complain to someone it needs to be me.

Brushing those thoughts off, I walk back into the bedroom and grab the fluffy robe I had discarded. Although the lingerie comes with one, it was transparent and I am not about to walk around practically naked. I tie up the robe as I exit the bedroom and head toward the kitchen for some wine and a couple of glasses. My plan is to be on the bed with a glass of wine when Jay gets home; his own glass sitting on the table beside the bed waiting for him.

Padalecki Home

Jared pulls a shirt over his head as he nears the front door. Whoever is on the other side had better have a suitable excuse for interrupting his and Gen’s seldom love-making. Having two small rambunctious and curious kids really puts a damper on regular sexy times.

Turning the knob after unbolting the door, Jared opens it and is surprised to see his co-star, best friend and pseudo-brother standing there. “Jay, what are you doing here?”

“I don’t know, man,” Jensen signs, a fabricated smile painted on his face. “Questioning shit, life.” He chuckles and rubs a hand down his face. “How’d my life get so fucked up?”

Jared just stares at his co-star. He can tell someone had gotten into his head and filled it with a bunch of bullshit and lies and it was going to take a real effort to get him back on track.

“Come on in,” Jared says and steps back to let Jensen in. “Want a drink?”

“Water?”

Jared stops in his tracks. Whatever is bothering him, Jared was sure he needed something stronger than H2O.

Grabbing two bottles of water out of the fridge, Jared hands one to Jensen. “Okay, Jay. What’s up? You never shy away from a drink.”

“Already had a couple at Bob’s,” Jensen tells him, sitting on one of the stools at the kitchen island. “Need to be sober. Too much shit running through my head.”

The sound of footsteps on the stairs causes both men to look toward the entrance to the kitchen. Genevieve appears with a fluffy robe tied around her body and as soon as she sees Jensen, a look of curiosity covers her face.

“Jensen? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be home with Drea? It’s-” she pauses to look at the clock. “-after midnight.”

“Should I? Really? Is she who I should be with?” Jensen questions, which lead to both the Padalecki’s looking at him with alarm written all over their faces.

“What are you talking about?” Gen prompts, confused by his behavior.

“Am I supposed to be with Drea or did I fuck fate and screw up my life by leaving Dani? Are me and Drea even supposed to be anything?”

Gen felt puzzled by his words. How could he be saying something as crazy as that? He and Drea were perfect for each other and they loved one another deeply. How could he even think something so ludicrous? 

“Jensen! What on earth are you going on about? Of course you and Drea belong together. You love her and she loves you immensely,” Gen urged. 

Jensen sighs and takes a drink of his water. “Yeah I do but-”

“There are no buts, Jay! Now, you want to explain to me what the hell got you thinking that way?”

Jensen slumps and places his elbows on the counter, holding his head in his hands. He explained everything to his two best friends; from what Dani insinuated about Drea not watching out for JJ to not correcting Bob when he assumed Jay and Dani were still together.  Jared and Gen sit quietly and listen, getting pissed at Dani’s words. Anyone can see that Drea cares for Jensen’s daughter like she was her own. 

When Jensen finishes his tale, he takes the last drink of water and crumples the bottle in his fist. He waits for the couple to give him a piece of their mind and hopefully figure out how to right whatever is wrong.

After hearing what Dani had said to Jensen, Gen was livid! She couldn’t believe the crap Dani had spewed. She understood Dani being upset about the divorce but she brought it on herself. She was the one who cheated and kept cheating even after they were married. She was the one who was unsure who fathered her child. Jensen had done nothing wrong. 

“Jay, you’ve done nothing wrong,” Gen tells her friend. “This is all just Dani being a jealous and resentful bitch! Drea loves JJ. I know she does, Jared knows she does, and if you can just get Dani’s words out of your head, you know she does.”

Walking around the table to approach Jensen, Gen stood right in front of him. “If she didn’t love that little girl as much as she does, would she had risked Dani’s wrath by going to plea for JJ to join us today for a family day? Would she have made sure that JJ was safe and secure with the boys while we were in the boat? Drea loves that little girl like nothing else. To her, JJ is as much hers and she is yours,” Gen declared. “So get your ass out of your head and get home to your woman!”

"I can't, Gen," Jensen sobs. "How can I look her in the eye when I have all these doubts floating around?"

Jared walks up to his best friend and lays a hand on his shoulder. "Jay. Listen, man. Think about it. Just today, we all were witness just how much Drea loves your daughter. Hell, how much she loves kids in general. Not only did she brave Dani's rage to make sure you got to spend time with JJ but she ensured that all the kids were safe and sound the whole time we were on the boat. And when we ate, who made sure each kid was fed and that no one was left out? All while holding her son to her? 

"Drea wouldn't hurt a hair on JJ's head and you know this. So let Dani's accusations and allegations go and face the cold, hard facts. Drea loves you, JJ, and Jackson. Hell, I would trust her to the ends of the Earth with Tom and Shep."

"That's true," Gen speaks up, visibly calmed down from her earlier outburst. She smiles a meek smile at Jensen. "When Jared needed me after his breakdown and my parents were too far away, the first person I thought of, that I was sure would guard and protect my babies was Drea. I knew she would step up and do whatever it took to take care of them while I flew halfway across the country to take care of Jared."

Jensen sits there and ruminates on the words from his two best friends. They’re right. Drea has never displayed any ill will toward JJ, Tom, or Shep. He runs a hand down his face. "You're right," he mumbles.

"Hell yeah, of course we’re right!" Jared exclaims, getting a chuckle from his wife and best friend. Jensen finally takes in the state of disarray his two confidants are in and realizes what he had interrupted. Gen's face is somewhat still flushed and she has her robe tied tightly around her lithe body, a sure sign that she doesn't want to accidentally give a sneak peek to anyone. Jared's tee is on inside out and his hair is messy and tangled.

It reminds him of his earlier discussion with Drea and the promises he had made. Thinking of the green nightie he had hinted to her about, he imagines her at home with it on. His dick embarrassingly twitches in his jeans and he jumps up.

"I have to go," he declares and rushes for the door.  As his hand lands on the knob, he turns to see the Padalecki's standing in the entranceway, arms slung around each other. "Sorry for interrupting. Go back to what you were doing," he winks and smiles. "I'm going home to do the same."

As he practically runs out of their house, he hears Gen's laughter that quickly turns into a moan. Jensen can't wait to get home to Drea and hear that same sound from her.

Ackles Home

I look at the clock beside the bed and sigh. It is after 10 pm and Jay isn’t back yet. I’m becoming worried and a little pissed that he hasn’t let me know where he is and that everything is okay. 

There’s no way that he is still at Dani’s hashing out whatever preposterous idea she has come up with. Since they have split Dani has given Jay a hard way to go when it comes to spending time with their daughter and I know Gen and I showing up earlier to ask for JJ to accompany us on our little family outing probably just gave her more fuel to add to the fire. 

I take a sip of wine and then grab the remote for the sound system that we had installed in our bedroom. A little light music shouldn’t wake the baby and will hopefully sit the mood when Jensen finally does return. I get up and turn the overhead light off, leaving just the illumination from the closet bulb glowing. It gives the room a sexy and sensuous vibe. 

As I lay my head back onto the pillow, I silently pray that Jay will be home soon and that everything is okay. The last thing I remember before closing my eyes is how much I love that man.

@lostinaseaoffictionalbliss​ @carryonmywaywardcaptain​  @darlingpeanut​ @sunskittlex​ @sis-tafics​ @sea040561​ @pretty-fortune​ @squirrelnotsam​  @death-unbecomes-you​ @sandlee44​  @internationalmusicteacher​ @kricketc28​@natura1phenomenon​ @mannls​  @nickie-amore​ @spn-tw-37​ @frozenhuntress67​ @blacktithe7​ @supernaturallymarvellous​ @thetardishasaquidditchpitch​ @sirod-30​  @heyitscam99​ @smoothdogsgirl​  @i-just-wanna-run-hell​ @paintballkid711​ @closetspngirl​ @starfirerules​ @vickiq9761​  @rainflowermoon​  @spnbaby-67​ @drakelover78​ @jessieray98​ @81mysteriouslyme​ @travelingriversideblues-x​ @akshi8278​ @keymology​ @topthis808​ @lilulo-12​ @onethirstyunicorn​ @i-love-superhero​ @tftumblin​ @markofdean79​ @thevelvetseries​

[wheresmynaya]

Meeting in the Middle Ch. 5 | Brittana

Link to FF (x)

It’s been a pretty action packed week while my mom has been visiting so this is going to be a shorter chapter than usual but I wanted to put something out there after that last update. Enjoy!

             For the next 24 hours, Brittany struggles to understand what went wrong. She goes through explanation after explanation but nothing makes sense. She goes through the should’ve, could’ve, would’ves, but it doesn’t make a difference because what she comes to realize is that Santana isn’t into her.

It’s apparent now and Brittany feels like such an idiot for letting it get this far. She read the signs wrong, she’s read them wrong this whole time, and she crossed the line last night when she kissed Santana.

           Why else would it explain why the woman ran off in such a hurry?

 /

             It only makes things worse as the days go by and Santana’s nowhere in sight. She’s not in the lobby, she’s not in the lift, she’s not at Lucy Q’s.

Even LT gets shut out.

           After the fourth day, Brittany begins to feel like Santana’s disappearance isn’t just a coincidence.

Maybe it’s deliberate.

           Maybe Brittany’s being ignored.

           She finds herself getting so worked up in her thoughts and worries that she finally has enough. She’s over trying to figure Santana out on her own; she’s over trying to fill in the blanks that Santana leaves behind. She wasn’t alone in wanting that kiss, because Santana kissed her back. Right? It wasn’t a figment of her imagination, it happened, and she needed to know Santana’s feelings. She can’t string her along like this, making her guess. She needed to know where she stood and if she didn’t feel the way Brittany did then she needed to speak up and say so.

           If she cares about their friendship, it’s the lease she could do.

 /

           Quinn begins to notice Brittany’s decline in mood and when they talk about what happened, Brittany feels even more confused as she says her story aloud. She expresses her worries and concerns to Quinn but that only fires up her best friend because to Quinn Santana is an ass for treating her like this.

She goes on to pinpoint every idiotic thing Santana’s done, but Brittany doesn’t get on board with that.

           She can’t because those bad things don’t nearly amount to the good. Santana can’t be defined by this one time, not matter how hurt Brittany is by it. There’s more to her than this.

           “She’s so inconsiderate to your feelings,” Quinn huffs, working herself up even more, “You don’t need that in your life, Britt, if she doesn’t respect you now, will she ever? How can she play with your feelings like this? She’s so selfish!”

           Brittany could feel herself getting riled up the more Quinn talked until she finally had enough.  

“Look, I appreciate you sticking up for me and everything but you’re wrong about her.” Brittany states with little room to argue.

Quinn eyed her curiously but stayed quiet.

Brittany took a calming breath and spoke softer, “Everyone thinks she’s a bad person but she’s not.”

Quinn remained quiet for a moment then sighed, “I’m sorry, Britt.”

           When Quinn apologizes, Brittany is thankful. She wasn’t there to be yet another person who speaks badly of the Latina because she knows she’s just misunderstood.

At least that’s what she’s telling herself.

           “It doesn’t seem like you understand her either.” Quinn points out and she’s not wrong.

           There’s so little she knows about Santana, but she feels like she’s slowly breaking down her walls. She doesn’t know why, but she thinks Santana is worth the wait.

She wants to understand her and that might be what separates her from everyone else. She’s willing to be patient.

           “So?” Brittany finally shrugs, “I don’t know all of her yet, but I’m not going to judge her or label her as this or that. I’m going to keep trying. I’ll figure her out eventually.”

           “She has to let you though.” Quinn said, “What if she doesn’t want that?”

           Brittany nods quietly because she doesn’t know what to say to that. It’s true, all of this means nothing if Santana doesn’t work with her. Santana won’t let you in unless she wants you to be let in, Brittany knows that much already.

           “What if I’m right where she wants me then?” Brittany mumbles, deep in thought.

           Quinn just shrugs, “What if..”

           It only confuses Brittany even more.

 /

             Another day goes by and Santana’s still nowhere to be found. Brittany thinks maybe she has to be the bigger person here and approach her first. If she’s ever going to get closure, she has to be the first one to make a move.

When Brittany goes next door and there’s no answer, she isn’t really shocked. All her texts go unanswered as well. She knows she’s blatantly being ignored and if it wasn’t making her angry before, it is now.

           It’s not fair that Santana can walk in and out of Brittany’s life whenever she wants and maybe she’s been over thinking things but she feels so much and for Santana to tell her that those feelings are wrong, or that they’re a bad idea isn’t fair.

Who is Santana to tell her how to feel?

What to feel?

Maybe it’s Dani? Maybe Santana still has feelings for her or something?

Brittany continues to wonder and Santana continues to be a mystery.

 /

             Brittany’s back to ranting to Quinn later that day but this time Quinn just sits and lets her unload. She nods when she needs to and listens quietly. When Brittany’s finally out of breath and slumps back with her head hung low, Quinn leans forward.

           “Maybe you’re in love with her?” She suggests simply, “Maybe that’s why you’re so confused by these feelings? Maybe it’s because you’re in love with her?”

           Brittany just shakes her head, “No, that’s definitely not it. It can’t be, we hardly know each other.”

           “Yet you’ve been talking about her nonstop for how long?”

           Brittany pauses and thinks about that. Just because you talk about someone all the time and they’re always on your mind doesn’t mean you’re in love with them.

           “That doesn’t mean anything.” Brittany manages to argue.

           Quinn smiles and sits back with her hands up in defense, “Okay, just a suggestion.”

 /

             On the fifth day, the worse finally comes to worst.

           Brittany’s at Lucy Q’s and it’s relatively busy for a Tuesday morning. Tina is at the host desk and Jessie is behind the bar on the coffee machine while Mercedes, Brittany, and Quinn split the floor and wait tables. Nearly every table is occupied, even those outside, which is awesome for business but a little rough on Brittany’s knee. Quinn checks on her every two seconds it seems but Brittany pushes through because they can’t afford for her to be slack. So she zips around and takes good care of her tables and ignores the pain a little longer.

           When the rush begins to die down after two hours of nonstop table turning, the girls finally feel like they can breathe a little. There are still a lot of customers to tend to but at least there isn’t a line wrapped around the building anymore.

           Brittany’s behind the bar taking a quick sip of water when Tina comes over and let’s her know there’s a new table in her section outside.

Brittany nods and heads out.

           When she sees that the new table is Santana, she can’t tell if she’s relieved or rather walk back inside. Maybe it’s a cross between excitement and annoyance with a side of anger, but she plasters a smile on her face because other customers are looking.          

She grabs a pitcher of cold water off the waiter station and walks over.

           “Hey Britt.” Santana says softly as Brittany pours water into her glass.

           Brittany barely mumbles a greeting back, but she can’t fight how her heart beat quickens at the sound of Santana’s voice after so many days without. She’s spent the past five days wanting to talk to Santana but now that she’s there in front of her with a certain sadness about her and she’s making the butterflies in Brittany’s stomach go crazy, she wants nothing to do with her. She’s angry and hurt but at the same time she misses talking with Santana but she can’t let that distract her from the fact that she’s still mad.

Brittany holds her ground and cuts to the chase, asking, “Can I start you off with a coffee or a tea?”

           “I tried calling you earlier.” Santana says instead of answer, “You didn’t pick up.”  

           “Clearly, I’m working.” Brittany bites, refusing to make eye contact as she focuses hard on her notepad. One look into Santana’s eyes and she’d be done for.

           “Look, I know you’re pissed but can you please just hear me out?”

           Brittany looks at her and she almost gives in at the pleading look in her eye, but she can’t let her off the hook that easy. She’s put her through hell this week and it’s not fair.

           “So would you like something to drink or is water okay?”

           “Right..okay.” Santana nods and looks down at her menu sadly, “Could I have a strong cappuccino, please?”

           “Sure.” Brittany scribbles and walks off without another word.

She’s about to walk inside to put the order through but her feelings get the best of her and she finds herself stomping back over to give Santana a piece of her mind. She shoves at a chair that’s been left out and the scraping noise makes Santana look up.

           All the thinking and worrying Brittany’s been doing for the past few days quickly rushes back and floods her brain. She’s done with giving Santana the benefit of the doubt, she wants answers and that starts now.

           “Actually, you know what?” Brittany begins and Santana straightens up at the fire in Brittany’s eyes, “You have some nerve coming here after everything you’ve put me through these past five days.”

           “Brittany-“ Santana tries, but Brittany’s too worked up to let her interrupt.

           “No. You can’t just pop up, being all beautiful and nonchalant, and expect me not to be angry.” Brittany argues and the words just pour out of her without filter, she’s not even thinking of what she’s saying anymore, “And you can’t just kiss me like that and walk away. You can’t make me feel things for you then just leave. I-I thought we had something..”

           “Feel things?” Santana blinks cutely, but that just frustrates Brittany even more.

           “That’s not the point!” Brittany huffs, “My point is where have you been, Santana?”

           “Please, Britt..” Santana begs, her eyes darting around to customers that have begun to stare, “I want to tell you, but this isn’t the place.”

           Brittany pauses and she looks to where Santana is and notes the customers as well. She feels bad for making a scene, especially since this is Quinn’s café, but she doesn’t feel bad for calling Santana out. It’s about time she let her know how she feels and she’s tired of bottling it up, but someone coughs in the background, maybe a customer, it may be Tina, and she realizes Santana’s right. This really isn’t the place for this conversation.

           “Well, you let me know where that magical place is or else I’m done.” Brittany tells her, much quieter this time but her frustration is apparent.

She doesn’t wait for Santana to answer and swiftly turns away. Tina’s looking at her cautiously and all Brittany wants to do is tell her off too for not letting her know the new table was Santana but then her foot catches on something hard. Maybe it’s a chair leg, maybe a crack in the sidewalk, maybe it’s karma, but all she sees next is concrete. Her arms flail out to brace herself for the fall, but they aren’t what hit the ground first.

           The sound of a crunch rings in her ears as her knee hits the ground hard. It’s like all the breath in her lunges to her throat and when she collapses to the floor it drops low in her gut. Tears instantly fill her eyes and she can hear chairs scraping and guests rushing to her. She can hear Santana calling out her name above all of them but Brittany doesn’t look. She’s in so much pain and she squeezes her eyes shut as people crowd her. It’s a mix of voices and ringing in her ears but she can hear Quinn’s voice above them all now too.

When Quinn says not to worry because she’s calling an ambulance, Brittany can do anything but worry.

           Suddenly all the anger and frustration built up around Santana leaves her because it pales in comparison to what she’s just done to herself, to her career.

           Everything’s ruined now and it’s because of her, because of her clumsiness and her stupidity.

           Brittany fades in and out of consciousness because the pain is so severe, but she’s somewhat awake as she’s loaded into the back of the ambulance. Quinn’s right there next to her, holding her hand and she can just barely see Santana before the doors close in front of her.

           “You’ll be okay, Britt, you’ll be okay.” Quinn repeats like a mantra but it sounds like it’s more for her than it is for Brittany because Brittany knows already that it’s a lie.

           She’s not going to be okay because her knee is fucked now.

Completely fucked and if her knee is completely fucked then so is her career. She will never dance again and the thought of that makes her sobs uncontrollably until she passes out again.

 \

             She doesn’t know how much time has passed, but when she comes to she’s lying on a comfy bed in a white room and she feels really, really good. She isn’t in her uniform anymore; it’s now replaced with a papery hospital gown. She attempts to look around but room spins a little and she feels like she’s floating.

           “Honey, she’s awake.” Pierce says as he leans over Brittany, blocking her vision.

           “Oh God, Brittany!” Whitney squeals and rushes to Brittany’s side. The sound makes Brittany squint, “How are you, sweetie? In any pain?”

           Brittany shakes her head, a dopy grin on her face, “I can see my house from here.”

           “That’s the good stuff.” Pierce nods and Whitney just rolls her eyes, ���What?”

           Brittany blinks again, the blurriness slowly subsiding. She tries to sit up but her parents fuss over her to keep still. Pierce sits on one side of the bed and Whitney sits on the other, their shoulders almost touching. She’s confused, she just wants to stretch because she feels a little stiff, but then she sees her leg between the gap.

           “What happened?” Brittany asks and she’s already afraid of the answer.

           Whitney looks to Pierce and Pierce nods solemnly.

           “Well honey..” Whitney begins, setting a hand on Brittany’s, “When you fell and well…you’ve fractured your patella.”

           Tears bead at the corners of her eyes and her bottom lip trembles. She can’t believe this happened, she can’t believe she hadn’t been more careful.

           “Oh sweetie,” Whitney coos and leans in to wipe Brittany’s tears.

           Brittany tilts her head out of reach, “Do I need surgery?”

           Pierce and Whitney look to each other somberly then back to Brittany. Whitney nods hesitantly, “You will. We were told it needs to be done soon so we’re waiting on an operating room now.”

           Brittany shakes her head, tears streaming freely, but she bits her quivering lip and stares out the window, “I’m so stupid.

           “Britt, no. You know better than to use that word around us.” Pierce warns as he places a hand on hers, “You’ve fallen before, you’ll get back up.”

           Brittany just shakes her head again, not wanting to listen and not wanting to talk. Her parents watch but know when to take a hint so they whisper how much they love her and that they’ll check on her closer to her operation time.

           When they leave, Brittany revels in the silence; listening to the various noises the machines around her make and watching people pass her window. She pictures her life without dancing and how she’s cope so far without it, but that only makes her start crying again.

           She’s devastated and she honestly didn’t think she could ever feel so miserable.

           She cries herself to sleep shortly after.

[danithebookaholic-blog]

NEW RELEASE!

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The Journal of Angela Ashby 

By Liana Gardner

Published by: Vesuvian Books Publication date: September 25th 2018 Genres: Middle-Grade, Paranormal

Synopsis:

A Middle Grade “Death Note”

“With great power comes great responsibility.” ~Voltaire

I have great power. That’s what she told me. The old fortune-teller at the school carnival. I thought I was doing the right thing … with the magic journal she gave me. But nothing could prepare me for what happened next. Or, for what I unleashed.

At a school carnival, a mysterious fortune-teller gives twelve-year-old Angela Ashby a journal and warns her to use it wisely. Nothing prepares Angela for the journal’s power—when she pours her heart onto its pages her desires come true.

She tests the journal by conjuring a gnome, a unicorn, and a farting fairy and then uses it to stop the school bullies in their tracks. But the unintended consequences alienate her best friend and puts her favorite teacher in danger of losing her job.

After she shares her deepest desire of all—that her parents get back together—her adversary steals the journal, and Angela fears she will use it to bring mayhem to the entire school if she doesn’t get it back.

Goodreads

Excerpt:

He turned the key. He cranked it for a moment before the engine caught. “You’re going to have to give me more to go on than a shrug.”

I braced a foot against the dash. “Wherever. It’s your dinner.”

The engine idled. “No, it’s our dinner. I want to take you someplace you’ll enjoy.” He put the car in reverse to pull around the car parked in front of us. “Hey, how about the Kid Zone. You used to always love going there.”

“Dad, I’m twelve. Not two.” Parents could be so exasperating.

He hit a button to open a ceiling-mounted compartment. “Sorry. I can’t get used to my little girl growing up.” He pulled out his sunglasses and put them on. “Well, because you’re so grown up, do you want to try sushi?”

“You want to make things up to me with a special dinner and suggest raw fish? Ew, Dad. That’s gross.” I barely ate cooked fish, so the thought of raw fish disgusted me.

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“I just want to spend time with my best girl.” Dad sighed. “They have teriyaki and tempura; you don’t have to have sushi. But we can go wherever you want to.”

I didn’t care where we went. “The fish place is fine.”

I turned on the radio and stared out the window as we drove along. Dad had the station set to talk radio. Boring.

When the station went to commercial break, the volume kicked up a notch. “Tired of feeling uncomfortable in a crowd? Struggling to get rid of the itchy, burning sensation and the crusty aftermath it brings? Don’t let jock itch ruin—”

Dad lunged for the button to change stations. I kept my head turned toward the window and attempted to suppress my giggles. His face was probably beet red.

He played with the radio stations trying to find something other than the talk show. I didn’t know what. After all, it was his car; you’d think he’d have other stations programmed.  

Dad finally stopped fiddling with the stations when he landed on KWHZ.

Good grief. He thought he found a station I liked.

I had news for him. No one but young kids and adults trying to act like kids listened to it.

He bopped his head sideways to the beat of the music. “Good beat, huh, Angela?”

Someone please kill me now. I slumped further down in the seat. What if someone from school saw us together? While I sat helpless, a prisoner in his barely functional car, my dad acted like the dork of the century.

“Yeah, it’s happenin’, Dad.” I kept my tone deadpan, hoping he’d pick up the hint.

The restaurant better be close. The shorter the ride, the happier I’d be.

Oh no, he drummed the steering wheel in time with the head bopping. Next he’d start singing along.

My dad. The one-note wonder who couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket with both hands. Maybe I’d be spared because he didn’t know the words.

Nope. He hummed with the music. Or tried. He sounded like a dying bumblebee in the last throes of an agonizing death. Would he get offended if I plugged my ears?

Too late. He broke out into full voice. With the wrong words.

The sound would worm its way around my fingers anyway. At this rate, it might melt my eardrums. “How far to the restaurant, Dad?” I had to stop the torture.

“What? Oh, we’re about five minutes from there.”

Great. Now to keep the conversation rolling for five minutes so he didn’t break into song again.

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Author Bio:

Liana Gardner is a two-time teen choice award-winning author of the Misfit McCabe series and finalist in 2018 International Book Awards for Children's Fiction. Daughter of a rocket scientist and an artist, Liana Gardner combines the traits of both into a quirky yet pragmatic writer and in everything sees the story lurking beneath the surface. Engaged in a battle against leukemia and lymphoma, Liana spends much of her time at home, but allows her imagination to take her wherever she wants to go. She fostered her love of writing after reading Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and discovering she had a great deal in common with the character Jo. The making up of stories, dramatic feelings, and a quick temper were enough for her to know she and Jo would have been kindred spirits. Liana volunteers with high school students through the International Trade Education Programs (ITEP). ITEP unites business people and educators to prepare students for a meaningful place in the world of tomorrow. Working in partnership with industry and educators, ITEP helps young people "think globally and earn locally." Her debut Middle Grade novel, 7th Grade Revolution, launched 10/24/2017 and will be followed by The Journal of Angela Ashby out 9.25.2018. Currently she is working on a chapter book series as LK Griffie, with creator Luke Matthews and co-authors Olivia Claire and Jared Cross, entitled Timmy and the Golden Lion Tamarin. In addition to the children's book series, she is working on a Middle Grade series which will be released under the name Liana Gardner, with the first book titled, The Star Warriors and the Secret of the Red Key. Her most recent YA novel, Speak No Evil, will also be released under the name Liana Gardner.

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From one bookaholic to another, I hope I’ve helped you find your next fix. —Dani

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