"Let's go home, dad." I told my father, packing the food and folding our picnic mat.
"What happened, Helena? I thought you wanted me to meet your boyfriend." He stood up, dusting the small bits of crispy corndog off his t-shirt.
"Maybe next time." I sighed and picked up my bag.
"What did you think of the show?" I heard a voice behind me as I started to walk. I turned to see Harry in a black t-shirt with a backpack strapped around his shoulder.
"It was spectacular." My father complimented before I could even say anything. "Minus the jungle man part, of course." They both laughed. That 'jungle man' is my boyfriend! Oh my god. The jungle man is my boyfriend.
"I'm guessing you're Helena's father." Harry held out a hand. "I'm Harry. Nice to meet you, sir." He introduced himself. Pfft. He was a good actor; putting up an innocent act.
"You can call me Uncle James." They shook hands. Uncle James? Come on, dad.
"Well Helena, aren't you going to congratulate your boyfriend?" My father asked.
Surprised at my father's words, Harry raised his eyebrows. Then a smirk appeared.
I wanted to die. I just stood there not knowing what to say, my mouth slightly ajar.
"She's seen me sing loads of times before. She's used to it." Harry responded. "I was just a bit nervous because I came here straight from school and couldn't rehearse with the rest of the guys this morning."
"School? It's a saturday and you were at school? You must be very hard working." My father said.
"Well, I was helping out with the cleaning. Since the holidays have started, everyone has just... run away and the poor old cleaners are cleaning up after them." Harry explained.
Yeah, like he's generous enough to do that on his own. The principal of the school found out about his fight with Zayn and both of them have been made to help pick up rubbish at the school everyday until Sunday, or they would be suspended. He sure does know how to play with words.
"What a nice thing to do. The majority of the youth nowadays aren't half as generous as you." My father patted him on the back. "Glad to see some thoughtfulness left in today's younger society."
"You know, just trying to make a difference." Harry shrugged. Why was he playing along? Why was he pretending to be my boyfriend? More importantly, why wasn't I saying anything about it?
"Why don't you come over for dinner tonight?" My father invited him.
"Dad, mum's going to worry... we should go." I quickly interrupted and pulled my father's arm.
"I'd love to." Harry replied. "But only if it's okay with Hel."
"Well, of course it is." My father turned to me. "He is your boyfriend."
I couldn't say anything, although my mouth was agape. I weakly shook my head but he didn't notice.
"Be sure you arrive at seven-thirty." My father told him.
"Yes, sir." Harry chuckled and winked at me before we parted ways.
Alright, I was officially in a huge mess. What would Daniel think if he found out? He wasn't the monkey that was having a seizure on stage tonight. It wasn't him at all. He was just intoxicated at the wrong time and place.
"Helena, you've gotten yourself a real gentleman!" My father exclaimed as we buckled our seatbelts in the car.
And he wasn't talking about Daniel.
I scoffed at his remark. "Dad... I have to tell you something."
"Yes?" He said as he started driving us home.
"Harry's... um... he's..."
"I know." He didn't let me complete my sentence. "You're afraid your mother won't approve of a 'rockstar' like him. That's why you were a bit shaky when I invited him over for dinner."
"But Dad..."
"Well, I'll tell you something. I was one hell of a rockstar back in the old days when I first met her and boy was she crazy for me." He laughed. And I knew he was going to go on and on about his 'golden days'.
I rested my head against the cushion and my breath hitched. I'm a bad person, I thought. I kissed Harry and I couldn't even tell my father that he wasn't my boyfriend.
But if I told him the truth, he'll make me break up with Daniel for sure and give me a never-ending lecture about choosing a guy with the 'right type of character'.
It is at times like this that I hate being the only child. My parents' attention is always on me and they're too over-protective.
So I laid out a plan. And that was to unwillingly keep up the act of Harry being my boyfriend without Daniel knowing, just until tomorrow. I'll tell my parents that I 'broke up' with him and everything will be normal again.
Except that I'll have to date Daniel in secrecy.
My head pounded at the thought of how dinner was going to turn out.
