Her Nerd Next Door

She Let Go

Jennie's pov:

I stare wide eyed as Lisa's locks my hand with her keeping me close while she glares at the man standing before her. "Dad what are you doing here?"

Lisa's dad starts to move closer, walking down the stairs.

Me and Lisa stand completely still until he reaches the bottom step.

He stops and looks at Lisa, then me, and then our hands.

"You didn't come home last night, your mother was worried sick." He says.

"And you?" Lisa's voice came out rough and strained.

"You had no right to just drive away from your father." He says taking a step closer.

Again, Lisa doesn't move backward nor forward. She keeps her place like a lion protecting its territory.

"Some father you are."

"I did not just drive all the way out here for you to speak to me like that."

"Well good job! You found me, want a medal?" Lisa says rolling her eyes at her father.

"Do not use that tone with me!! I am taking you home and you're never coming to this place again. You can say goodbye to boxing because I refuse to have a daughter-.. "

"Do you not remember?! I am no daughter of yours." Lisa seethes, lightly pulling my hand to try and walk away.

I stand still though.

Lisa can't keep running away from her father forever.

Whatever happened to Lisa and her father many years ago needs to end.

Whether it be for the greater good or bad, she can't stop running away from her problems, and pretending like everything is okay when it's not. Lisa looks at me pleadingly, wanting to leave.

I almost give in, but I go against it.

Under her dads stare, Lisa whispers to me. "What are you doing?" Not harshly, but in a rushed tone.

"Please, just finish this with your father Lisa. Make a choice." I whisper back at her.

Whether she decides to follow her dads rule, or break away, I will support her either way.

Because.... I love Lisa.

And I don't want to watch her fight with herself any longer.

I just hope she understands.

Lisa is hesitant for a second, looking at me.

I almost get a sense of doubt, until she nods her head.

I squeeze her hand as she looks back at her father.

"I'm done. I don't want to do this anymore." Her voice was a new kind of confident.

She wasn't going to get pushed around by him anymore.

She needed to let go.

"Done with what?" Her dad questions taking another step forward.

At this, Lisa let's go of my hand.

"I'm done pretending like everything is okay when it's not!" Lisa takes a step away from me and towards hee father.

She continues, "I'm done trying to be the perfect daughtet," she takes a step closer to her dad.

"I'm done trying to have hope that you could be part of my life," she takes another step closer.

"And I'm done being your daughter." She takes one last step until she is face to face with her father.

Lisa's dad stumbles back a little as he looks at Lisa with a new facial expression I couldn't register.