I nearly leapt out of my black sneakers at Dad's sudden appearance. Despite wearing my long-sleeved shirt, all the hairs on my arms - even my purple-and-black one - were raised by the cold shudder that had faded as soon as it came. I tried not showing or feeling fear because I am not supposed to. The perfect daughter can never be frightened of anybody or anything, not even suspicious strangers at the front door. Dad warned that his sniffer can scent fear no matter how huge or small, even when he is in a different room. So he will be the first to know when I fear for my life. I imagined myself both pushing and beating my fear out of my brain.

Ticking off your parent or parents is already terrifying. But my father ramps it up to a whole different level. So far, I have disappointed him only twice. I am surprised and thankful that it is not more. Wish that it was none, though. Trust me when I warn you to never anger him. He may be human with zip powers - other than being a genius - but it is his intelligence that makes bad people think twice about messing with him.

Dad is not a villain. He is a superior father mistaken by Forlot's residents as a mad scientist - despite them not getting to know him well. They are not practicing what they preach, which is to never judge someone by his or her characteristic, personality, or talent.

I shoved myself off the door and straightened my back. I raised my purple-and-black hand and looked down at it. People outside of my small family would just call me monster and the other names in the book not because I am Hugo Maxwell's daughter. 'Cause of my deformity.

Hope that he makes an antidote soon. Despite that one of his many rules is to never step outside, I want to see the world's beauties. If it offers any. The people may be monsters in human skin. But how will I know if I never experience this world for myself? The minute that Dad cures me of my deformity - making me look completely normal - I will leave Forlot to explore the world. I want my family to join, but they will keep me from leaving. I am on my own.

"Who is at the door, Margo?" Dad asked, grinning. His hands were in his lab coat's pockets.

"Uh, some boy who gave me an invitation to a dance. A Valentine's Day dance. What is Valentine's Day?"

He strode past me. "I will happily explain after the boy and I have a little talk." He stretched out an open hand and motioned for me to hand him something. "I would like to see your invitation."

I opened my mouth, but the boy was quicker. "It is out here on the ground, sir. She chucked it and mentioned that she is uninterested in attending the dance."

Dad's pleased expression changed to a scowl. "Why did you chuck your invitation?"

Feeling ashamed, I lowered my head to the ground and folded my hands together. "I was—" I caught my words before mentioning that I was worried. I could not once again disappoint Dad. "I thought that he was a danger. He would call me a monster and harm you by...kicking you in the nuts."

His response was silence that made goosebumps cover my whole body. Yes, even my deformed side.

Without thinking, I blurted, "How can I know who and who does not pose a threat when I cannot even answer the darn door?"

More uneasy silence. Was he that disappointed in me? He could not talk to me? What I did was not the end of the world. I did not think.

To my surprise, he chuckled, which was lighthearted. I lifted my head. "Why are you chuckling? Is my concern for our family funny to you or what?"

Dad patted his pocket. "That young man has no chance of kicking my nuts. More specifically for those readers, my small bag of nuts. Nobody can lay a finger on me..." He patted the other pocket. "...unless that they want it. I have plenty to take out the—"

"Do not say it," I hissed. "Not when the boy is standing on the other side of the door."

He patted my head. "You are becoming more and more of the perfect daughter every day. My perfect daughter. No other child compares to you."

I blushed. My smile was as wide as his.

The boy interrupted our father-daughter moment. "Do you still want the invitation? Your dad brought up that you will be attending the dance."

"Yep," Dad answered. "I will take care of him, Margo."

I raised my normal hand to my mouth and bit the side, hoping that he would not inject his deadly toxins in the boy's bloodstream. The police could easily connect him with the boy's killing and take him away from me. Just when I was close to being his perfect daughter.

He opened our front door before I could even convince him to spare the boy. "Hey, kiddo. What is your name? And are you passing out invitations around here?"

My invitation was in the boy's hand. "I am Cosmo. And yep. I am handing out invitations within this section of the neighborhood. I am a volunteer of this dance. Most students are not coming this year. So us volunteers are informing the town that the dance will be the best yet." He gave him the invitation. "Not everybody must bring a date. Bringing yourself can be as fun."

"My daughter will not be all alone at the dance because her date will accompany her."

"My date?" I blurted out. "I do not have a—"

He turned up the volume in his voice. "They will show. I guarantee. You need to be nuts to reject a Valentine's Day dance." He snickered.