Rainbow High OC Scraps

Alexander Athanasiou

Nixie glanced around and tightened her shawl around her shoulders. There were plenty of people around, and her friends and Guy knew where she was. There was nothing to worry about. And yet, her heart raced as she pulled open the cafe door. It was nice out, but the chilly air conditioning made her glad she'd covered up more.

"Hey, Nix, over here!" She shuddered, and this time not from the chill. Waving to her from one of the tables was someone she hadn't seen in a very long time. Her father.

Nixie slid into the chair across from him and bit at the inside of her mouth nervously. "Hi, dad."

He looked older than he had the last time they'd met. His hair had greyed, and he'd put on more weight, but he didn't look tired. Or nervous in the slightest. Nixie wondered what he thought about her. She'd changed quite a bit too over the years. 'Not that he could see most of it. She'd made sure to cover up her tattoos, and that meant covering up her stronger, more toned limbs as well.

"So....pink hair!" he said finally, gesturing to her head.

Nixie winced. The one thing she hadn't been able to hide. "Yes. It was Terra and Carly's idea."

Her dad immediately broke eye contact. Was that guilt? Maybe? "Hey, have you had anything yet today? Get yourself something! It's on me.!"

She nodded and spun around, heading to the counter. She'd let him change the subject for now. But the day was still young.

Once Nixie returned with her drink, her dad scrambled to steer the conversation his way. "You've grown so much, Nix! Such a beautiful young lady."

"Thank you." How much longer could she last trading these stupid pleasantries with him? Part of her wanted to make a scene. To stand up and scold him like a bad dog, or immature bully in front of all these people. Tell him EXACTLY why he hadn't seen her since she was 7.

But that wouldn't help anything. She had to keep her cool for now. Scolding could come later. For now, she wrapped her hands around her hot tea, willing it to magically calm her down.

"What have you been up to?"

"Nothing, really. Shadow High keeps me busy."

"Been making friends?"

"Yes."

Nixie took a sip of her tea, only to practically choke when her dad continued, "Meet any boys you like?"

She coughed and averted her gaze. "I have a boyfriend, yes."

Her dad smiled, trying to inch his way into a full conversation. "What's his name? How'd you meet? He treat you well?"

"Yes." She squirmed in her seat, biting at the inside of her cheek again. "His name is Guy." He watched her eagerly, gesturing for her to go on.

She sighed and pulled out her phone, quickly showing him a photo of her and Guy at the beach together. Guy hated the beach, but she'd managed to wear him down enough that day, It'd been so nice...compared to the dim, cold cafe, it was paradise.

"He looks like a nice guy," her dad said encouragingly. "Will I get to meet him sometime?"

Nixie stiffened. Did he REALLY think that was what this was? One cup of tea and everything's forgiven? She fell silent and looked away.

They stayed quiet for some time, until her father finally spoke up, placing a hand on the table to get her attention. "You can't stay mad at me forever, kiddo. I'm your dad!"

As if having a child makes you INCAPABLE of doing wrong. Nixie couldn't hide her scowl any longer. Who gives a shit if she has his DNA, she could be as mad at him as she wanted!

"Terra is doing FINE, by the way," she finally spat out.

"What?"

"Terra. Your OTHER daughter? You hadn't bothered to ask about her. But she's great."

Nixie's dad frowned and sighed, "You don't understand. And that's OK. You're just a kid. You don't know the real world yet, and-"

"That's so condescending! I understand plenty."

"If you did, then you'd see it's actually just a tiny portion of the world that's...like that. It's just that the media is brainwash-"

"Stop!" Nixie's tea was losing its power very quickly. "You're just homophobic, Dad."

He looked genuinely surprised at this. "No, I'm not. It's just that almost no one is actually like that! I'm old-fashioned, you know. I don't like all these new trends, like rap music or being gay. It's just not how the real world works."

She tightened her grip on her cup. WHY had she agreed to meet him? This was all so bullshit! "Dad, do you love me?"

"Of course! I'm your dad!"

"Then how come Terra didn't receive the same treatment?" Nixie saw him start to defend himself again, and she quickly jumped in to stop him. "You were supposed to love both of us no matter what. But just because you couldn't handle your daughter being different from your perfect vision, you ran off like a coward!"

"Don't talk to me like that."

Nixie shuddered a bit at his serious tone, but not enough to back down. She stood abruptly, giving him her most disapproving glare. "Don't talk to me at ALL, ok? This was a mistake." She spun around and ran out of the cafe before he could catch her.

She found a secluded spot near the beach and pulled out her phone. She didn't want to be alone after all that. What if he followed her? What if he finds her to continue arguing? She needed someone.

She scrolled through her contacts, biting the inside of her mouth. Felice? No...Cream? No.....Guy?

No. She couldn't bother him. And then she found just who she needed and dialed.

"What's up?" Nixie immediately felt better hearing her sister's voice. In the background of the call, she could hear the sound of the waves, and Terra's wife Carly playing with their son, Alan. It sounded like home.

"Hey...do you have a minute?"

"For you?" Terra said, "of course."

For the first time that day, Nixie relaxed. And she started recounting the day to her sister.