Angelina's POV

"Dad, Ash is not giving my phone back!" I whine, making a sad face. He chuckles and opens his arms for me to snuggle. I pout in annoyance making him stop chuckling, but I snuggle with him on the couch anyway.

"Ash give her, her phone back." Dad yells.

"I just wanted some phone numbers. I was going to return it to her anyway." Ash says entering the living room.

"You could have just asked me." I point out.

"Now where is the fun in that?" He teases making Dad laugh. When Dad sees me pouting again he stifles his laugh.

"You should not annoy your little sister." He tries to act stern, but even a kid can guess he is not serious at all.

"Great! You are mocking me too." I try to get up but Dad tightens his hold.

"Sorry, but it just seemed funny how you still act the same way you did, when you were a kid." Dad says. Ash goes and sits on the beanbag.

"Yeah I remember, I took her Barbie doll to mess with her and she started fake crying in front of you. But you believed her!" Ash says.

"I knew even then that she was acting but you were at fault too. And this sad face she makes has always been my weakness." Dad says bopping my nose. "And when are you going to fight your own battles young lady?"

"I can, but when you are already taking care of everything, why bother?" I say giving him a cheeky grin.

"I want you to become independent as well stay like my small baby girl. What am I going to do with you?" Dad asks, shaking his head.

"You don't need to worry about this one. The things that go inside her head even scare me." Ash snorts gesturing to me.

"What do you mean?" Dad asks confused. I shake my head slightly to indicate that he shouldn't tell Dad but he gives me a devilish smirk.

"You remember the accident that happened on the first day of school?" He asks. This boy will get us grounded for life.

"You two said that it was a mutual accident and both the parties apologized." Dad says tentatively. I give Ash another look but he just ignores me.

"Actually it was the guy's fault and he didn't apologize at that time. He even insulted us in front of everyone."

"And you are telling me this now? What is the name of that boy? Let me talk to his parents, all his attitude will escape him." Dad says angrily.

"You don't need to do that!" I exclaim.

"Why are you saying that? Will you just leave him like that?"

"Anne already put him in his place. You don't need to worry." Ash says.

"How?"

"She had punched and kneed him that day and pranked him later. There was a whole prank war which took place in the span of two weeks. And she won it." He explains.

"Snacks are ready!" Mom exclaims entering the living room with homemade French-fries and vegetarian sandwiches.

"Thanks darling," Dad says smiling at mom then exclaims turning to us "What prank war are you two talking about?"

"Prank war? Don't tell me you all are starting a prank war in this house." Mom asks pleadingly.

"No mom we are not." I say. I am going to kill Ash later.

"Apparently these two had a prank war with another guy in their school and we had no idea about it. Will anyone of you tell us what happened exactly?" Dad says, rubbing his face with his hand exasperated.

"Anne, would you do the honors?" Ash asks.

"Here goes nothing." I mutter then explain them everything except the thing with Tyson and Ash pipes in between but doesn't spill the beans about Tyson. By the end Dad is in tears from laughing too hard and Mom is giving me a disbelieving look.

"What were you thinking, young lady?"

"But no school property or his personal property was destroyed!" I point out.

"You were right; I don't need to worry about this one not being able to take care of herself. But what I need to worry about is, how did we not get even get a hint that something is going on?"

"We didn't exactly discuss anything related to it at home." I shrug.

"Still, I think we need to pay more attention in your lives."

"Yeah, I guess we do." Mom says pensively.

"Mom, Dad you both pay enough attention in our lives. You don't have to dedicate all your time to us. While working at the law firm you pay, more than enough attention in our lives." Ash reassures.

"Yes, we just didn't want to worry you guys." I say.

"Wait is Jacob the same Jacob who is helping you with chemistry?" Mom asks suddenly.

"Yes and I need to tell you guys something else as well." I had still not told anyone about the date and it is tomorrow.

"Holy sh*t!" Ash exclaims suddenly.

"Asher, watch your language." Mom scolds.

"Wilson finally asked you out?" He asks.

"Yeah he did, but how do you know?"

"He sent you a text saying I quote "Hello love, are you ready for our date tomorrow?" "

"Give me my phone back!" I exclaim going over to him and try to snatch my phone.

""You looked really good today, can't wait for our lessons." "No need to be jealous sunshine, you are the only one for me." Wow, who knew he is so cheesy." He says reading our olds texts.

"Both of you sit down properly, Asher give Anne her phone." Dad orders us. We comply without another word as he seems really angry.

"Why don't we know about this date?" Dad asks.

"I was just about to tell you about it."

"This should be the last time you two hide something as big as these things. Do you understand?" He asks when we don't reply.

"Yes"

"Now go to your rooms."

"Dad..."

"I said go to your rooms!" The disappointed look on his face is enough for my throat to tighten up. I just nod and go upstairs. When I am out of their sight I sprint to my room and lock the door. I had heard Ash's distant voice but I ignored it. When I lay on the bed hugging my soft toy tightly, the tears I was holding back finally escape.

I don't know how long I cried imagining the disappointed look on Dad's face. Whenever I remotely calmed down, I remembered again about how proud Dad is of me usually. And today I disappointed him so much, that he doesn't even want to talk to me. He didn't even call me baby girl. There is a knock on the door but I ignore it.

"It's me baby girl, please open the door." Dad pleads from outside but his voice only makes me cry harder. He tries for a bit then goes away. After a short while there is another knock.

"Sweetie, won't you open the door for me? It's only me." Mom's soft voice comes from the other end. She shuts the door again after I let her in.

"Come here," She says sitting on the bed and opening her arms. She whispers sweets word and strokes my hair till I stop crying.

"I...Dad..."

"I know why you are upset. He was just upset and he didn't want to take it out on you two. But he sometimes forgets how much his words and even his expressions affect you. But you are still his baby girl, he is just scared you would grow up too fast and when you told us a bit later, it just set him off. He is really sorry; he is beating himself up on how he made you cry. Even your brother is just staring out of his window without responding. Just talk to them." Mom says softly.

"Can I talk to Dad first and till then will you tell Ash I am not angry with him?" I ask.

"Sure, just wash your face or it would hurt them even more seeing your tear marks." Mom replies. Nodding I go and wash my face then sprint to mom and dad's bedroom.

"Dad, can I come in?" I ask knocking. I get disheartened when I don't hear anything. But suddenly the door bursts open and I am enveloped in a bear hug.

"I am so sorry baby girl. I yelled at you and...and I can't believe I made you cry." Dad says.

"It's okay dad, I am sorry too. I should not have hidden anything from you. From now on I will tell you everything even if you beg me not to." I say making him chuckle.

"May be not every single detail but at least inform me about everything vaguely." He says cupping my face.

"And Dad, if you don't want me to go with him tomorrow then I won't. I don't want to do anything that disappoints you." I confess.

"Do you like him?"

"Yes"

"Does he treat you as you deserve to be?"

"More than I deserve."

"Then I have no problem, your Mom made me see that I can't hold you back forever. But I want to talk to him before you two leave." He says giving me a sad smile. For the first time I noticed how much time has passed and how much older dad has become now. He still acts the way he did all those years ago so I forget he is getting older too.

"Thank you Dad." I say smiling genuinely.

"I have one more question; you didn't have a secret relationship right?" Dad seems so vulnerable that it makes me want to tear up again.

"No of course I won't do that."

"Now go and message that boy back. He must be thinking what he did wrong to be ignored for so long, that too the day before your first date." He says smiling.

"I will do that but I wanted to tell you one more thing but promise me you won't be mad."

"What is it?"

"You remember that guy Tyson?" I ask tentatively.

"Yes, you almost threw a tantrum so I let you go." He answers confused.

"I did not go to another date with him because he was being possessive. He used to forcibly talk to me but he shifted town after some days. He has been appearing again recently but Jacob saved me both times. I only talked to him the first time but nothing too much happened."

"Do you want to get a restraining order? Because next time, it can be worse especially if you are going to date someone."

"I...I don't know." I answer scared, not wanting to involve the cops.

"Hey you don't need to be scared. Please get one as someone can't be with you 24/7." Dad pleads.

"Okay" He lets out a relieved sigh and kisses my forehead.

After I reach my room, I take out my phone and as dad said there are ten unread messages from Jacob.

Jacob: Hey love, are you ready for our date tomorrow?

Jacob: Why are you not replying?

Jacob: Sorry, I said love just for fun. Please don't get angry.

Jacob: Sunshine, I am really sorry.

Jacob: Please talk to me.

Jacob: S

Jacob: O

Jacob: R

Jacob: R

Jacob: Y

Jacob: :(

Anne: I am not angry at you. Ash had opened that message and after that I was talking to my family so I couldn't reply to you.

Anne: And before I forget, you need to come early since Dad wants to talk to you. And there may be a tiny problem for you.

Jacob: Thank god! I thought it made everything awkward and you were ignoring me because of it. Should I come at your place at 3 O' clock?

Jacob: And what problem?

Anne: Yeah, that would work. Ash and I spilled the beans about the prank war but he started it. And you may not be in Dad's most loved people list. And

The send button gets clicked by mistake.

Jacob: There is an 'and'?

Anne: Yeah...

Anne: I told you that Ash read the message. Actually he read it and some old messages out loud.

Jacob: Which ones?

Anne: "You looked really good today, can't wait for our lessons." "No need to be jealous sunshine, you are the only one for me."

Jacob: At least now I know which ones so that I can do some damage control. I still remember how jealous you were. You even blurt about liking me.

Anne: You ignored me multiple times and you were only talking to her! And we both know that if we had waited for you to propose, we would have become sixty years old.

Jacob: That's mean. I am pouting right now.

Anne: And I am rolling my eyes at you. Tell me something new.

Jacob: I am going to woo you tomorrow, just wait.

Anne: Whatever you say.

Jacob: I mean it!

Anne: Okay Mr. I will woo you; I have to eat dinner, so bye.

Anne: Good night!

Jacob: You are so mean, you are lucky that I like you.

Jacob: Good night! Will I get a goodnight kiss?

Anne: You are an idiot.

Jacob: But I am your idiot.

I close the phone with a smile and I bet he knows that. But he is right, he is my idiot.

*****

Author's Note

Hello everyone 😄! How are you all?

Thank you so much for all your love. Smitten anyway now has over 2.5K reads and 800 votes.

My other book 'Views of a pensive girl' is going good as well at least according to me. If you haven't read it and don't even know about it, let me explain you in brief. It's a collection of mostly poems and some write-ups that I have written over the years. They are divided into eight corners; take them as eight corners of a rubix cube that is me. Since everyone is unique and complicated I decided to take reference of a cube.

And some of my friends johny_englosh7, aryavartm, vanii3105 and I have started a community 'The Imperials' on discord for readers and writers. Its basic information is on wattpad in my profile under the book 'The Imperials'. I hope you all join it since the more, the merrier. But you must have discord since most of the things will take place at our server there.

As for this chapter, I actually cried while writing it. I had to stop for a moment, collect myself and write again. It's because I am like Anne in this case, whatever rest of the world says won't matter as much as our Dad's do. That's why only my mom scolds me because they know my Dad's scolding will affect me too much. It has become a bit better now since I have grown up but it was really worse. So yes, I am a Dad's little girl but I am a proud one.

Anyways I hope you all like the story so far and have a great day/night ahead 🙃!