Author's Note: I was toying on whether or not to make this one or two stories. I have decided to break it up and as I result this is just a build up for what is to come.
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"Daddy!" I squealed, as I jumped into his arms. I had just arrived back home from college after my freshman year and my dad John was picking me up from the airport. We had always been close, so that made the year so much harder for me.
"Princess!" He held me tight in his muscular arms. "I missed you." He kissed my forehead and led me to parking lot. "How was school?"
"It was so much fun. I made lots of friends, but I also missed being around here. I didn't really feel like it was a good idea leaving you, especially after what happened." At the start of my senior year of high school, my mom had died in a car accident. We had both been devastated by it. To distract myself, I had focused on my studies. At the end of the year, I had graduated valedictorian and got a scholarship to Stanford.
I had worried about leaving Dad alone, but my best friend Emily was always around, so I knew she would be able to check in with him every so often. After my mom had died, she had always been there to comfort us and help out around the house, especially right after it happened. She had ended up going to a local school because it was cheaper and since she only lived with her alcoholic father, she could only go to a school that had reasonable student loans.
On the way home in the car, I told Dad about various things I had done at school, like joining a sorority, which he seemed a bit nervous about. "I don't want you getting into trouble at any parties," he said, "especially ones at frat houses."
"Da-ad! We only have them at our own house and only sorority girls can come. Besides, I'm not too involved in it anyway. I only joined because my dorm mate thought it would be a fun idea if we pledged at the same time. She likes it a lot more than I do. She even tried to get me to join the cheer squad."
"And did you?" Dad asked. His voice had a strange hopeful tone to it.
"I don't have any time for it. I'm too focused on my studies." I looked over at him as we drove home. I couldn't figure out why he looked disappointed. He had never made any indication that that was something he'd be proud of me doing. Dad was super proud when it came to my studies. He loved that I turned out like my mom, very smart. He always had a lower opinion of himself because he only had a high school graduation to his name.
We pulled into the driveway and I helped Dad get my bags out of the car. I got them up to my bedroom and unpacked them, putting all my things back where I like them. When I came back downstairs to find him on the couch drinking a beer. "Hey there Alice," he smiled. "Want one?" He indicated to the beer he was holding.
"I think I'll just have a sip of yours if it's ok?" He came back and handed it to me and I took a swig. Dad looked at me with a smirk on his face. "I learn more than what they teach you in class."
He outright grinned at that. "Why don't you invite Emily over tonight? I know she would be dying to see you."
"That's a great idea!" I hadn't spoken to Jessica in a while because we had both been so busy with finals, but I did miss her a lot. I ran up to my room to grab my cell phone. I dialled Emily and she answered immediately.
"Alice! I thought you would have called as soon as you got home!" she squealed. She sounded so excited to hear from me.
"Relax Em, I've been home like 20 minutes. Do you want to come and hang out tonight? I'm pretty sure you'll be able to stay the night too."
"Is your dad okay with it?" It was weird that she would ask that, Dad had never been a dampener on letting Emily come and stay. Once she even stayed a week and he didn't say a thing.
"Yeah of course! He was even the one who suggested it."
"Oh ok." She paused, "Hey wait a second, you get home and you didn't immediately call your best friend?" I knew she was just teasing me.