Proactive Protection - Coach's Daughter

01 - SETTLING INTO CHAOS

The breeze went through Poppy's hair. She leaned into it smiling making herself comfortable putting her feet up on the dashboard much to her dad's dismay. 

"This car is worth much more than your shoes on it." Poppy smirks keeping her shoes firmly placed on the dashboard without thinking twice. Her father rolled his eyes before focusing back onto the road and the idiotic cars in front of him. He cursed and Poppy watched in amusement. Once the car turned onto a different road her father dialed back to a calmer demeanor.

"School will start up for you tomorrow, what are you looking forward to?" 

"Honestly, I look forward to see my dad in his natural environment. What can I say? I'm a gem in that way." 

"Well if you want to see me more then you should sign up for a sports team." Poppy cackled loudly at the mere idea of that. 

"That's really funny dad but I would rather stick a snake down my throat than run for an hour," Poppy rustled a bag of chips popping five into her mouth at once, "want one?" 

"You know that having one chip is higher in calories and fat then a nice bunch of carrots." Poppy didn't stop offering until her dad gave in a grabbed a handful. The ride then was at a hush of silence before her dad attempted at something serious. 

"Hey, I know that you and your mom didn't get along but I don't want that to be us."

"I wouldn't worry about being like mom, she's a bitch. That's why you guys separated, right?" Bobby swallowed, that was more or less the truth. Less because it wasn't him who was the one to initiate the separation in the first place.

"Yeah, that's the reason. Anyway, you know even though I don't see you a lot that I still have an emotional connection to you right?" 

"Yeah like a dog," Poppy remarks salty at the wording. 

"You know I don't mean it like that. I like you like a daughter." 

"Too afraid to say the 'L word'?" 

"No!" Her father said quickly in denial. Before many other tussles could be made her dad pulled up to the driveway of his residence. Poppy remembered times where she visited her father in the same small household.  Awkward times where Poppy would sit at the kitchen dinning room table with a box of cookies by herself. The times when she would get chased by her dad in the small backyard. It was bittersweet since Poppy never felt real joy in that home but she never felt joy at her mom's house either. 

Bobby directed Poppy through the home to the place that would belong to her. She was in awe of the time capsule merged in the small bedroom. The only pictures were of her and her dad 10 years ago at least. The crafts she made for him also sat in the room with her old bed that she slept in as a five year old staying over from some sort of controversy in the family. 

Poppy packed light since it wasn't like she had a lot of things to bring over. She plopped her bag lazily on the mattress that she swore flew up dust on impact. 

"So are you going to show me the residence of this town?" Poppy asked her father curious about the amount of people she was going to meet. 

"Uh I don't think you would like them so much." 

"Why? I'm not judgmental." 

"Well for one thing whenever its my birthday the teens of this town raid my office and prank me to celebrate." 

"That's creative." 

"No it's not. They're devils." 

"It's not like I'm the poster child of innocence."

"If I get a prank from you Poppy. I swear to god-" 

"Don't worry," Poppy lied, "scout's honour." Poppy made sure to hide her crossed fingers behind her back for good measure. It was believable enough though not to have her father question her further. 

A bit later after Poppy got herself situated with her new environment her father entered her room yet again for an outing to dinner. Though her father reiterated that everyone in this town was weird so they wouldn't be eating at the restaurant, merely take out. Poppy suddenly felt her empty stomach make itself known enough to make Poppy comply without hesitation. 

At the quaint dinner Poppy decided to stay in the car not wanting to move more than she had to. Fortunately, this resulted in a cute boy taking notice of her in the car. 

"I would have thought I saw all the pretty girls in Beacon Hills by now." 

"You flatter me. Please take my heart and my virginity," the boy's features looked shocked, confused and interested, "I'm kidding... I'm not a virgin."  

"Uh what's your name?" The boy asks diverting topic interests. 

"Poppy." 

"Well that's a beautiful name." 

"It's not like I choose it. My parents choose it before they even saw me so that's just a coincidence that I apparently look so fitting to my beautiful name. What's yours?" 

"Nathan."

"Beautiful."

"So do you go to Beacon High?" 

"Yep just transferred from San Francisco." 

"Then what are you doing in a little town of Beacon Hills." 

"You sure do ask a lot of questions." 

"Curious." 

"Snoopy is a better word for it." 

"Is that the better word for it because I know the word to be associated with my favourite dog character." Poppy simply gave him a look their banter could go on forever and she knew that wasn't going to fly with her dad. Nathan straightened up to head to his car. 

"I'll finish this conversation with you tomorrow then Poppy." 

"Looking forward to it, Nathan." Nathan gave Poppy a smile before getting into his car and drove off. Poppy looked at him drive away and was only snapped out of it when her father got into the car and the door slammed shut. 

"Bored?"

"On the contrary. Did you get my extra fries?" 

"Of course." 

"What is there to do in this town? You know besides going to school." 

"Well this town in synonymous with lacrosse. You could go to a game and watch me coach. I have been told that its the best side of me."

"Your asking me to go to a game where hot, sweaty boys with muscles- okay." Poppy thought back to the boy she ran into and couldn't help but wonder the others boys in that school who could look like that or better. Needless to say Poppy was looking forward to the game.