“Are you coming or not?”

Dani rolled her eyes and pushed her hair back behind her ears, ignoring her fathers shouts from downstairs. She inspected her cheek, smoothing out an area where her foundation was uneven. Tonight was Elle’s party, and Jason was going to be there. She had to look good. She had straightened her brown hair, bought new mascara to emphasise her striking green eyes, red lipstick to give her sexy pout, and new clothes to show off her curved. She hoped she looked good enough.

“Daniela! Get the hell down here!”

“Fucking hell, I’ll be there in a minute!” she shot back, frustrated.

“Don’t use language like that! I’m being kind enough to give you a lift to your party, the least you can do is be ready on time. Daniela! Are you listening to me.”

She listened on her bed, idly scrolling through her phone. She was ready now, but she decided not to let him know that. Making him huff and complain was pretty much the only power she had in this stupid house.

Dani was fifteen years old, and ready to leave home forever. It had been just her and her father for a year now. Her older sister, Lucy, had left for Uni last September, and then a month later her mother moved in with her fitness instructor. Her parents had fought for years, and they explained to her after the divorce that they had been staying together for Lucy, they didn’t want to upset her during her exams. Apparently they didn’t need to stay together for Dani though.

She could hear his heavy steps batter the stairs, so she rolled off the bed, grabbing her bag and reaching the door just as it burst open.

“Daniela! I’ve been waiting for you!”

He stood in the door, tall and thick, with his black hair and beard peppered with grey. His brow was furrowed and he clenched his car keys in his fist.

“What? I’m ready! Let’s go!”

She slinked past him and trotted down the stairs, unable to stop herself smiling as she heard him exhale moodily behind her. They walked out into the sunny evening, towards the car.

“Is that what you’re wearing?”

She shot him an angry look. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

“Gonna be freezing, aren’t you.” He gestured his head towards her high-waisted skirt that exposed her whole leg, and her tight vest, which fastened around her neck and left her back bare, her bra strap plainly visible.

“What? I’m wearing tights!” She stomped into the car, slamming the door behind her.

She sat in silence most of the way to Elle’s house. Her father, forever, wanted to take this time to impart some life lessons. She stared out the window as he droned on. Don’t get drunk, don’t take drugs, don’t have fun, become a fucking nun and lock your vagina up, blah blah blah. She tuned it out, refusing to respond.

“… And don’t go anywhere with people you don’t know. Don’t get into a stranger’s car…”

She gave him a withering look. “I’m not a fucking idiot.”

“Don’t swear. And I know you’re not an idiot, but you’re fifteen. You’re still young, but you’re developing into a woman and there are people out there that want to take advantage of that.”

She gave a coy smile. “What do you mean?”

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, eyes fixed on the road. “You know what I mean.”

“Nah, I don’t. What do you mean?”

He ignored her.

“Guess I’ll just get into some stranger’s van then…”

“I MEAN you’re clearly becoming an attractive young woman. There are men who will want things from you, but they won’t respect you.”

“You think I’m attractive. Gross.” she snorted.

“Don’t tease, Dani, you know perfectly well what I’m saying.”

“Right. You’re saying I should put on a chastity belt and have no sex until marriage.”

“No, I’m not saying that.”

“So I SHOULD have sex then?”

“For fucks sake, I mean-”

“Language!”

She giggled He gave an exhale so loud she thought he might explode, and closed his eyes. Luckily, they were pulling up on Elle’s street, and she clambered out of the car, smiling at her own ability to rile him up.

“Just… be good, yeah? Be back before midnight. And don’t get drunk!”

“I knoooow!” She rolled her eyes and headed towards the party.

***

Seven hours later, Dani stumbled out of the taxi at the bottom of her own road. It was two in the morning, and she was drunk. She took her heels off and padded down the wet pavement.

Her house was dark and quiet as she eased the door open. She was sure she could slip into bed and nobody would be any the wiser come morning. Until she reached the hallway at the top of the stairs, and the light flicked on.

“What time do you call this?”

He was standing there, outside her bedroom door, arms crossed and a furrowed brow.

“Time you got a watch?”

“Don’t make jokes. This is serious, young lady. Where the hell were you?”

“At the party! Where I said I’d be!”

“Really? Because I drove to Elle’s house an hour ago. It was silent. Where were you?”

She looked down at her muddy feet. “Maybe we went… to another party..”

“Another party? Whose?”

She shrugged.

“Seriously? After everything I said about meeting up with strangers? How could you be so STUPID?”

“Come on Dad, it’s not a big deal! I’m home now, so what’s the big deal?” She made a motion towards her bedroom door, stumbled, and caught herself on the railing.

“And you’re drunk too. What the fuck, Daniela?”

“I had a couple of beers! It’s perfectly normal, and I know because you never shut up about all the great fucking stuff you got up to when you were my age, so you can just fuck off!”

“Don’t you dare talk to me like that! You’ve stepped way out of line here!”

“I went to a party and had a bit of fun! What’s all this drama about?”

“It’s about the fact that I’ve been sitting here, worried sick about you! I couldn’t stop thinking about in a ditch somewhere, or getting raped, or anything that could’ve been happening to you!”

He was really angry, she could see. His face was red, and a vein bulged in his temple. She felt absurdly guilty and knew she should apologise.

She didn’t, though. “I’m fine! Why would you even think that?”

“Oh I don’t know, maybe because my daughter is wandering around in the dead of night dressed like a…”

“Like a what?”

“Like a WHORE!”

She raised her hand to slap him, angry as he was now, but he caught her arm easily.

“Let… let me go.”

“You think this is all a big joke, don’t you Daniela? You think you can go around and do anything you want and nothing bad will happen.” He was very close now, she suddenly realised. His chest was inches away from her own, and it was rising rapidly with his breathing. She could smell his musky aftershave, and a hint of something on his breath.

“You’ve been drinking too!” she exclaimed. “You stink of beer, and you’re having a go at me?”

His grip tightened around her wrist. His brown eyes locked with her green ones. He seemed even closer now. She could see droplets of sweat in his beard. “I’m allowed to do what I want because I am an adult. You, are not.”

“Why? At least I’m going out and getting drunk with my friends, instead of sat at home like a sad old man!”

She really thought he might hit her then. Instead, he released her arm. It burned where he had gripped her. He gritted his teeth and learned towards her.

“You’re grounded. For a month.”

A month?! Rage built inside Dani. A month might as well be forever. “A month? Don’t be stupid, you don’t want me hanging around for a month.”

“Maybe I do, if it’ll stop you going out like…”

“Like what? Dressed like a whore? Why does it bother you so much how I dress, Dad?”

He spread his arms wide. “I don’t want my fifteen year old daughter parading her body around! Is that too much to ask?”

“I think you just want to control me. You can’t stand that I don’t do every little thing you say. You tried to control Mum too! That’s why she left!”

She was really surprised he didn’t hit her then. Instead, he just stared deeper into her eyes. He was boring through her skull into her deepest darkest thoughts. He looked angry, and almost sad, but there was something else too. She forced herself to look away.

“I… I wanna go to bed. Please, just tell me off in the morning. I sure you’ll have plenty to say.”

She moved towards her bedroom door, groping for the knob.

“No,” he stated. “No, we’re not done here.” He moved his body in front of the door, blocking the way as she blindly grabbed. That was when she felt it.

It was thick, and heavy, and stretched the thin fabric of his jogging bottoms. And it was hard. Hard like a steel pipe. And her hand had unknowingly grabbed it. Expecting a door handle, she had wrapped her fingers around it, and now felt it firmly rest in her palm.

Time seemed to stand still. She looked up at him. He looked like she felt – shocked, horrified, and unable to speak. Neither of them moved a muscle, as if moving would make it all real. They just stood, faces mere centimetres apart. She saw the shape of his pink lips, smelled the beer on his breath, heard the rapid thump of blood in his chest. There was nothing but the space between them, no air but their rapid breaths. Until, after an aching age, Dani’s face twisted into a smile, and she let out a bitter laugh.

“Oh. So. I guess that’s why it bothers you.”

He tried to pull away but she moved closer, her hand still tight around his shaft. “What’s the matter, Dad? Is this making you uncomfortable or something?” She cocked her head in mock curiosity. “I don’t suppose the way I dress could cause this, could it? Is that it? Is that why you’re so angry all the time?.” She pushed herself up and looked him fiercely in the eye, hand still firmly on his crotch. “You’re sitting here, a divorced 40 year old, drinking your beers, looking this girl who lives in your house and dresses like this, and stewing over all the awful things you’d do if only you had the guts.” She laughed harshly. “No, that’s crazy. Only a pervert would think like that about his own dau-”

He grabbed her wrist and wrenched it free from his trousers. He grabbed the other wrist too and pushed her hard up against the wall. They were so close now, their bodies were a hair’s breadth away from rubbing up against each other. He looked deep into her eyes, and she could see in his own a powerful mix of fear and hunger. His eyes flicked towards her lips, and then to her heaving breasts. She wondered if he might kiss her. She wondered if he might fuck her.

“What are you doing, Dad?” she whispered. It wasn’t a plea, and she wasn’t even teasing this time. The question escaped her lips, quiet as a mouse, and hung flatly in the air. His eyes filled with nothing but guilt, and he dropped his grip on her wrists. He backed away, staring bashfully at the carpet.

“Go to bed, Dani.” he muttered, then he fled the scene, closing his bedroom door firmly behind him. He couldn’t even look at her. She suddenly realised she was shaking. She pulled her arms close to her body and slinked into her own room.

She got dressed for bed in a trance, and even when she lay down under the covers, her pulse was still pounding in her ears. The room was spinning, and she felt a little sick. It didn’t feel real at all, what had just happened. Perhaps she would wake up soon and it will have been a strange dream.

She pulled the blanket up to her chin, trying to ignore the uncomfortable slickness behind her thighs. If she didn’t acknowledge how wet she was, then she didn’t have to question why. What had happened, anyway? What had possessed her to say those things? She had just meant to rib him a little, but it had all come spilling out. It was just a joke, right? He didn’t really think about her that way. And she certainly didn’t think about him thinking about her that way. But what was that look he had given her? And when was it she had gotten this wet? When he grabbed her wrist? When she had grabbed his…

She felt another hot flush as she remembered how hard and powerful it had felt in her hands, and the ache between her legs became more demanding still. She took a deep breath and pulled the pillow around her ears as if too block out the world. She rolled over and willed her body to fall asleep before she gave into the overwhelming urge to touch herself.

It would all be normal in the morning, right?

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