Daisy sent me a text with details about the party. Her house at 8, that made things a little easier. I had plenty of time to come up with a plan. Now I just had to decide what to do with my time for now.

I walked into the office where the others were.
"Hey dad, is it okay if I go for a walk?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe.
"Sure, but be back in an hour" he said, not looking up from the his phone.
"Thanks dad" I smiled and took off. As I opened the door leading to the parking lot, I took a deep breath and paused. It was a beautiful day. Suddenly, I remembered I left my skateboard at home. Oh well, guess I was taking a leisurely stroll instead.

There was a park down the street from the studio so I decided to head in it's direction. I knew dad wouldn't want me hanging out with anyone while I was out, but that doesn't mean I can't be around people. Okay, I didn't really want to be around people, but some people have dogs and that's what I want to see on this walk.

My phone buzzed as I entered the park. I pulled it out to see a text from Daisy.
"Guess who's going to be at the party tonight?"
Really Daisy?
"Who?" I wrote back, slightly curious.
"Cody"
She couldn't have meant Cody from Algebra last semester. He never talked to her before, unless he was David's friend. Daisy knew I had a huge crush on him.
"I hope to run into him then"
I put my phone away and focused back on my walk.

Once I realized my hour was almost up, I decided to head back to the studio. I was hoping to run into at least one dog today, but none were around. At least I still got to appreciate the nice weather. I just wish I had my skateboard with me.

As I approached the parking lot to the studio, I saw dad, Barry, and Eric hanging out by the door.
"Ah Parker, perfect timing" dad said as I walked over to them.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"We're just about finished for the day" Eric explained. I watched them chat a few minutes longer before dad and I said our goodbyes and headed toward the car.

"So did you have a good walk?" Dad asked as he started the car.
"Perfect weather for one. Too bad I didn't see any dogs" I chuckled. Dad laughed and I suddenly felt terrible. We were just having a good moment. Was I really going to disappoint him again tonight?

By the time we got home the sun was starting to set. I was pretty quiet as we got out of the car and entered the house.
"Everything alright?" Dad asked as he tossed the keys onto the table. The guilt started eating away at me, but I had to hide it.
"Oh yeah, just tired from the walk. What's for dinner?" I asked.
"Didn't really have anything planned" dad admitted. He started towards the kitchen and opened the fridge.
"That's alright dad, I'm not that hungry anyway" I told him. Dad raised an eyebrow at me.
"Okay then.."

I had three hours to get ready and find a way out. I went to my closet to pick out an outfit. It had to be something nice but not too much, I didn't need dad getting suspicious. After putting together a couple of ideas, I settled for my black button up top and some black skinny jeans. I chose my white beanie to accent the colors. I laid down my clothes on my bed and decided to take a quick shower. Wanted to look my best for tonight after all.

I dried myself off after my shower and wrapped a towel around my waist and noticed I still had some time to get ready. I decided to go to the kitchen to grab a drink before starting to get my look together. I heard the television turn off as I made my way to the kitchen. I walked in just as dad did from the living room. He did not look happy.
"Parker Zachery Smith, you are dripping water everywhere" I ran a hand through my hair while he scolded me.
"Sorry, didn't realize my hair was still wet" I mumbled. He just rolled his eyes and sighed before heading to his office. Great, now I really can't afford to be caught.

I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before heading back to my room. Removing the towel from my waist, I used to to dry my hair before throwing it on my bed. I quickly got dressed and walked back to the bathroom. I grabbed my comb from the counter and started working on my hair. I really wanted to look my best. Once I felt it was good enough, I put my white beanie over it. I thought to myself while staring in the mirror. What else? Makeup? I grabbed dad's eyeliner and did my best to make it look nice. I've never applied it to myself before, so it wasn't easy. It was a little sloppy, but I gave up trying to fix it after poking myself in the eye.

Now I had to figure out how to get out of the house. I walked towards dad's office, just close enough to see if he was in there without being in his line of sight. I saw the lights on and heard music playing, so I assumed that meant he was still in there. The door was open, so I rushed by in hopes of him not seeing me. I paused at the end of the hall to listen, and felt relief when I didn't hear him get up or speak. I rushed down the stairs and thought of my next move. The front door was too risky, he'd hear me. If I went out the back door, maybe he'll assume I'm staying in the yard.

I opened the sliding door leading into our backyard and stepped out. I close the door behind me and looked around. Our yard was completely fenced in, but if I put a chair up against the fence, I could get over it. I grabbed one of the patio chairs on the deck and carried it to the edge of the yard. Once I placed it down on the grass, I stepped up. I grabbed a hold of the top of the fence and leapt over. My landing wasn't great, but I made it.

I took off walking  towards Daisy's house. As long as dad didn't know I was gone, I didn't feel the need to rush. It was a beautiful night too. The air was cool and the stars were bright. I felt my worries disappear the closer I got to her house.

If I didn't know where Daisy lived before, I would know now. As I walked up her street, I saw kids hanging out drinking in front of her house and heard music blaring. This was a lot for her, I wonder if it was David's idea. I walked up the steps to her porch and rang the doorbell.
"Just come in!" A voice yelled. I shrugged and opened the door. It was pretty busy inside. Kids making out, drinking, dancing, and just having a good time. I squeezed my way through the crowds in hopes of find Daisy.

I entered the kitchen as it was less busy.
"Parker! You made it!" I turned around and saw Daizy smiling at me, arms out to the side and a soda in her right hand. At least she was being responsible.
"Hey Daisy"
"Did you bring your guitar?" She asked.
"I didn't say I would" I crossed my arms, slightly upset that was the first thing she asked.
"But we promised Cody you'd play him a song"
My body relaxed at the sound of his name. I thought for a moment. Maybe I could do one song, for him.
"Do you have something I could use?"
"Oh! My brother has one! I'll be right back" Daisy said cheerfully. She rushed off towards the stairs, leaving me alone.

A boy around my age walked over and offered me a drink. I knew it was a bad idea, but I accepted. I took the red cup out of his hands and took a sip. Whatever it was, it was strong. I coughed as it went down my throat, but I didn't hate it. Daisy made her way back to me with the guitar in hand.
"Here you go Park. I'll have everyone gather in the living room while you get ready"
Everyone? I thought I was just playing for Cody. I finished my drink before walking over the sofa, tuning the guitar as I walked.

The crowd in the living room got fairly big. I think that drink helped me, as I wasn't as nervous as normal.
"Hey everyone, I'm Parker" I started. The group was silently staring at me. I cleared my throat and smiled weakly. "This is one of my dad's songs" Most kids cheered, guess they knew who I was talking about. Or maybe they just assumed that meant someone "famous". I closed my eyes for a moment to focus. After taking a deep breath, I started playing "I'll follow you"

As I played, I tried not to focus on my audience. That was, until I saw Cody standing off the side. He had a smile on his face, making me blush. I shook it off and kept up, trying to focus on the song and not him. Once I finished the crowd roared and cheered. I wasn't used to it.
"Uh, thanks everyone. That'll be it for tonight. Thank" I put the guitar and rushed out the the kitchen.

I needed another drink. I still wasn't sure what I was handed, but I needed more. I found a bottle sitting on the table with the label ripped off. After a quick sniff, I determined this was it. I grabbed my empty cup and filled it before taking a sip. It burned going down again, but not as bad as the first time.

Once I felt I had enough to drink, I went to find Cody. Pushing though everyone, I found him in the backyard. He smiled as I approached him.
"Hey man, that was great"
"Thanks, first time playing for an audience" I admitted.
"No way, you were a pro" he said while putting an arm around me. I tried not to blush again.

Whatever I drank was really starting to affect me. Cody and I stood on the deck flirting back and forth for a while. It was really nice. We locked eyes for a while and I saw him lean towards me. I smiled and leaned towards him as well. Just before our lips touched, I felt someone grab my arm and pull me back.
"Hey, what the fuck!" I shouted. I turned to face whoever grabbed, ready to fight. That's when I locked eyes with them. Two angry, blue eyes stared back at me, making me freeze in place. I was in deep trouble now...