his little girl // jiley

Chapter IX

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A U T H O R S
N O T E
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I posted a chapter before this if you didn't notice :)

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C H A P T E R
N I N E
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WHEN I GET out to the car, Hazel is listening to music on the crappy stereo and sitting in the front seat, her legs crossed. I hop into the car and she grins. "Get what you needed, Daddy?"

"Um," I say. "No. I couldn't find it."

She shrugs. "Okay."

This is why it's easy to talk to four year olds. They don't ask that many questions (when the questions are relevant. When they're not, in fact, important, they practically spill out of their mouths.)

"Can we go see Eldon and West again?" Hazel asks. She met them a few days ago, and now has this attachment to them. I think it's something to do with the fact they both act as if they're the same age as her.

"Yeah, sure." I say. I actually need to talk to them about... well her. Riley. I need advice.

I start driving to Eldon and Wests shared apartment, which isn't that far from the studio.

All the way there, Hazel goes on in her usual way, explaining in detail why the boys at her preschool get on her nerves 'so very much', and I listen attentively.

"They don't let me play sport with them." She tells me. "They say it's 'cause I'm a girl, so I can't."

"Don't listen to them, baby," I reassure her. "You can do anything you want to." 

I pull up outside the apartment block, and we get out. I take Hazels hand and make our way to the third floor, where Eldon and West live. As soon as we're a short distance from the door I can hear their voices. Loud voices.

"Yesterday West told me he was a raccoon in his past life." Hazel tells me. "I think he dreamt that."

I smile. Even a four year old is more intelligent than West. Great.

I knock on the door and I hear a yell inside, "it's open!" I push open the door and Hazel runs over to west, who seems excited to see her too. He gets on well with little kids because he basically is one.

"Hey, man," Eldon calls from the kitchen. I walk in and see him eating a sandwich and staring at his phone screen.

"Hey, bro," I sigh, sitting down at the table. He looks up at me from the phone and raises an eyebrow.

"What's up?" He says.

"Girl problems."

In a second he has the phone down and he's sitting across from me. Eldon, who knows literally nothing about girls, who's more clueless than anyone I know, loves to give relationship advice.

"Talk to me." He says, with his most serious face. Honestly it's hard not to laugh at it.

"Okay. It's Riley." I state.

He nods. "Hmm. I seen that one coming." He's trying to act smart. Cute.

"She, um. Kissed some dude."

Eldon stares at me, as if expecting me to say something more. "What? Is that it?" He raises his eyebrows.

I narrow my eyes. "Yes! She kissed someone, Eldon!" I exclaim.

"So?" Eldon rolls his eyes. "You's are broken up. She's allowed to do that."

I suddenly feel angry at Eldon. I'd expected him to give me good advice, or be sympathetic, or something. But he literally just told me what I didn't want to hear.

"Yeah, thanks for the help," I spit sarcastically.

"No problem, dude," Eldon smiles, stands up, and pats my shoulder, before leaving the room. I hear him a few seconds later saying something to Hazel.

I roll my eyes in an annoyed fashion.

Why do I bother?

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Later on that day, I accidentally burn the dinner, and end up ordering take-out for the millionth time this week.

I don't think Hazel really gives a shit, though, which is good.

I have a job interview tomorrow, and I'm worrying about it, but I'm trying not to. I'll just act casual and hope for the best.

"Hazel! Pizzas here!" I call out as I shut the front door with my foot.

"Coming!" I hear a toy dropping on the floor and then she skips out of her room, her ponytail bouncing. She's wearing an old stripy blue shirt and denim shorts.

She still isn't girly, but I don't care. I probably prefer it that way, no princesses or whatever. Instead, its baseball and cars and superheroes and video games, all the things I actually understand.

We sit at the table and dig into our shitty take out pizza from the shitty take out place, which has become the most eaten food in this house over the course of the past week, because the place just down the street is cheap as anything.

"It's my birthday soon." Hazel tells me, smiling. I smile back.

"I know, sweetheart," I tell her. "28th of September. Same as every year."

She laughs and shakes her head at my painstakingly bad joke.

To be honest, I'm dreading her birthday, because I'm not sure what I'll buy her.

But it's two weeks away, I'll have a job. At least, that's what I'm telling myself...