Ever since my dad picked me up from the afterschool school program where I was a little disappointed that Angela picked Sofia up, I've been the perfect daughter.
I didn't fight Vince and Dani when I got in the car, and instead sat in the backseat sandwiched between a sweaty post practice Vince and a drooling Sawyer. I even took it upon myself to not argue with Dani when she changed the station on Lauryn Hill's Doo Wop to the pop station, and actually asked everybody about everyone's day.
Vince shrugged and pretended like he didn't have a stressed day hustling back and forth across the field more than the other players because some scouts were in the bleachers.
Dani had a splendid day as any 5th grader would, my dad on the other hand apparently couldn't make any beats or any good ones, which is very counter intuitive considering he's a sound mixer.
Being in my good daughter mode I said he would probably make something great, which earned me a snicker from Vince. Normally I'd come up with a smart ass response about how Vince's coach cussed him out when he missed the ball, but I pushed my usual attitude aside and smiled.
All of this good daughter behavior of course was being done alongside me texting Ziyah and scheduling for us to go to the park on Friday. I felt a tad mischievous as I did this, but not mischievous enough for me to not tell Ziyah I have to ask my dad first.
This leaves me at my dining table scooping the vegetables and rice off of my plate as the rest of the table including Sawyer who is having an airplane of food into her mouth slowly eat their food.
I feel like now would be the time to bring this up considering my dad and I are both at the head of the table, so if he's going to lash out it's going to be at Vince and Dani who are sitting on the sides of him. Also Tara and Sawyer are right beside me being cute, so every time he takes a look at me, he'll have to take a look at Sawyer patting her high chair which Vince, Dani, and I have all sat in.
"Umm dad I was wondering if I could go to the Poetic Justice movie in the park on friday with a friend." I clear my empty throat and get everyone's attention.
"Harper makes me feel poor," Dani adds immediately after I smile at my dad.
"Yea it's weird because she doesn't do it on purpose, it's in a subtle way which makes it worse," Vince nods along with Dani.
I can't be mad at them Harper is really my only friend.
"Can you go to Harper's house, and ooh bring over some leftovers that quiche was amazing."
"Yes so light and so delicate." Vince licks his lips like he's gordon Ramsay.
Finally speaking up my dad says, "I could use some leftovers."
Gosh this family is so ridiculous, Sawyer is even patting her hands as if she also doesn't want me to say the truth.
"It's not Harper I want to go with it's-"
With a mouth full of rice Vince interrupts me , "It better not be those tennis development hoes." I don't know what Sienna would do if she knew the exact neighborhood I live in, or really Vince lives in.
"Language vince," my dad scolds, but his hands are together in interest for what his son just said. "Who are these hoes?" he asks not in the concerned parent way, but in the actually curious way.
"I'm not inviting them I was wondering if I could invite this boy in my french class over."
The room goes silent with the exception of the fan blowing our wall calendar.
"What boy?" Vince asks like he's the one I should be getting the approval from.
My dad and the rest of the table all look at me, I had a feeling they never expected me to interact with a boy. I don't think my parents worry that much about me with boys being that I spend most of my time behind a camera or writing scripts.
"He's never seen Poetic Justice, and with John Singleton's recent passing I thought maybe we could see it together." I scoop the rest of my rice into my mouth and wait for the response that's going to make me apologize to Ziyah.
"What's his name?"
"Ziyah," I say it so quickly it sounds like a sound.
Even at that speed Vince doesn't miss a beat and scolds me, "Oh hell no not that nigga!" The good daughter act has finally gone down the drain.
"Vince," Tara and my dad bark in unison.
Taking the attention off of Vince and his little sorry, Sawyer starts mumbling syllables making us drop our forks.
"N-Ni Ni," she mumbls for some seconds. "Mama," she finally says and we all including Dani who could ruin the mood and potentially curse herself let out a breath.
Not wasting any time my dad proceeds to give me a whole list of questions about Ziyah which I quickly answer. He's so in his zone that Dani took his phone and Tara put Sawyer to bed leaving just Vince, him, and I.
"What time is it?"
"It starts at 5 the movie is almost 2 hours."
"Are you and this boy close?"
"We're not that close."
"Hmm," my dad sits back in his chair with his arms crossed. "5-7:30 I get to meet him first." My dad concludes and I quickly nod. Hmm and extra 30 minutes nice, didn't expect that.
I'm about to get up from the table, but Vince finally opens his mouth since he apologized for saying the n word. "He smokes a lot of weed," he mumbled under his breath with his arms crossed like a little child.
"What?" My dad turns to him and my eyes follow
Vince and I lock eyes, and I give him a pleading glance that includes me silently admitting I'm lonely while also reminding him of the countless times he has gone out with Vicki. "Nothing," he finally answers.
Vince picks up his plate and walks slowly to the cluttered kitchen sink alongside my dad. They start doing their usual routine of washing the dishes together making it their father and son time, also a justified reason for me to get up.
Too bad the second I place my square plate in the sink my dad directs the conversation to me.
"Best Believe Winston will be keeping an eye on you." Vince and my dad begin to laugh as they start viciously scrubbing our plates.
Winston who I've known practically my whole life is the owner of Junior's grub, a jamaican restaurant 5 minutes from where we live and in the strip mall across the street from the running park where the movie will be showing. He's in his late 40s or early 50s, but just like my dad he jokes and says he can pass for 35 with his barely wrinkled dark skin and bright white smile he shows everyone who walks into Junior's. Junior's has basically been our go to fast food spot when we run through groceries, or my dad simply doesn't feel like cooking.
There was a time when we wanted to see the hype with the Mcdonalds adjacent to us, but some excess pounds later and a scold from Winston made us come back to the loving jamaican spot.
"Haha very funny," I mumble and head to my room where Dani is watching some girl review weird looking dolls.
It's only a little bit before we have to go to sleep, I'm sprawled out on my bed which is the lower bunk reading the screenwriter's bible. It's one of the many movie books my dad has stored in the living room bookcase that he used when he was studying film at UCLA.
Along with the books on the bookcase there is 200 page journals that I filled with screenplays of little scenes from my imagination that now as I read I know they're completely wrong in terms of format. Luckily for me I have all of my dad's books so my next screenplay and film that I'm currently working on will be superb.
Most of my little films I don't write screenplays for because they're just a mixture of short clips with some music behind it, but my next ones will be different. I actually have this one idea for a short film of how kids see the world which is of course inspired by my time afterschool.
"Turn it down," I yell to Dani whose videos are interrupting my reading on establishing shots.
"Fine," she mumbles.
Surprising me the sound of some annoying youtuber completely goes away. "So is this Ziyah guy your boyfriend?" Dani asks looking down at me probably giving herself a head rush.
"Nope just a friend."
"Is he cute?"
I never expected that to come out of Dani's mouth. Everytime she sees a shirtless guy on tv she covers her eyes. Really I think she likes the sight covering her eyes is just a way to show she still can be cute like Sawyer.
"Kind of I don't know."
"Do you like him? Like like him like him." she laughs and I can already hear her singing about me kissing in a tree.
"Nope." If Dani used one less like my answer would've been switched around.
"You better not," Vince yells from his room which now that I think about it might be mine soon.
"Shut up and try to get into college."
"Yea," Dani adds in a stern voice.
"Dani what did I tell you when I say I need a yes man I' ll tell you," I hiss.
She flops back on her bed with a little sigh. Poor girl is always trying to be me or Vince's hype man which is needed sometimes, but really I prefer to argue on my own without adlibs. Seeing as Vince hasn't said anything in awhile I close my book and turn the lights off.
Leaving everyone on a good note I yell in a happier tone, "Goodnight, Sweet dreams, Love you." In the next minute everyone says the same affirmation at different times until Sawyer concludes with a little whine.
My family is so weird.