The premiere started at five. We were dressed to impress and at the ropes by one. People had already started showing up. But i had my photo in my pocket and it was burning a hole. I had clutched to the rope so tightly a few times my palms were starting to blister but the guys kept me calm. When it was ready to start the lady announced that the actors of the movie would stop for photos and autographs so to be ready. They needed to get inside by six to start the movie.

              Finally the limo showed up and my dad got out. It was agonizing, watching him with all the fans until he got to me. "Hey there darlin what's your name?" He asked. "Mac." I said handing him the photo. His eyes did a weird thing before he even looked at the photo. I didn't know another person with the name Mac. "Do i know you?" He asked a bit confused. He looked at the photo. "Oh." He said trying to hand it back to me.

               "No you keep it my number is on the back. I thought we could talk." I said. "Well there isn't really much to say." He said looking around to see if other people were listening. "I know about you. I've always known about you. I don't want to sound like a jerk. But there's a reason I didn't come find you." He said. "I know that, but I'm sick." I said. His eyes didn't show the slightest bit of concern. "Look pal, either you call and set up a meeting or we go to the tabloids and run you through." Zyler said stepping forward. The fans started to notice how long he was taking. He didn't like the looks.

                 "Look, you need to go I get that. I'm just asking for a little bit of your time." I said. "Fine, I'll be in touch." He said. "Thank you I have to go back home soon." "Okay I'll call soon." He said. "You'd better like tomorrow or the next." Zyler said holding up a finger. Carter pulled him back. We didn't need to stick around to see the rest of the premiere we hadn't even bought tickets to go inside. I had gotten my dad to agree to talk to me that was the least I could hope for.

              Part of me had hoped that he would care. That he would be glad to see me and hug me. That he would say he tried to contact Reba and I but my mother wouldn't give him our number. But I knew that wasn't true when I saw the lack of remorse in his eyes. He basically said so! But the other part of me hated the guy honestly. He didn't want anything to do with us. So why should I want anything to do with him? Because i needed him. And this was certainly the least he could do?  But did giving someone a kidney come with strings attached? I stayed quiet as we drove to get some food. "Are you okay?" Rosie asked. "I don't know" I answered honestly.

              We pulled into a pizza place and ordered two pizzas. We sat alone in the back of the restaurant looking out of place in our fancy clothes. I was starting to feel worse if i was being honest but i would never tell any of my friends that. I didn't want them to worry more than they already were. Once we had eaten we headed to an ice cream bar. It was delicious. After that we headed back to the hotel. I was walking to the bathroom to change. "I'm...gonna...get...changed..." I puffed out. "Why are you out of breath? Were the stairs to much? That's it next time we take the elevator." Carter instructed.

       "If you want." I said. He pulled my arm. "Hey your legs look a little swollen, are you sure you're feeling okay?" He asked. I nodded. "Yea, I'm okay." I said. He let me go and i quickly got changed heading back out. I was going to do something. I forgot now what it was. I caught sight of my cell phone on the night stand. "Oh!" I said, of course i was going to call my grandmother.

       I stepped out onto the balcony to call my grandmother. We had spoken every night since we had been gone. "Mac, hi!" She answered after three rings. "Hi Grandma." "How did it go? Did you talk to your dad?" She asked.

               "I did, he agreed to meet me. Now I just have to hope he'll do it." I said. "If not there are other ways of tracking him down." She said. "I think he's going to come. Zyler threatened to tell people he's a dad of two. That would ruin him. We have proof, he doesn't know that but even the rumor of it would ruin him. I mean how are you Americas favorite dad yet you can't actually be a good dad." "I guess that's why he's a good actor." She said. "Ha yea i guess so. "Are you scared?" She asked. "Yes, but that's cause I don't know what it's going to be like." I said. 

                 "You'll be fine, how are you feeling?" She asked. "Honestly I've been feeling worse." I said. "Oh no, you're doctor just gave you a general idea of how long you had before your kidneys failed all together. After you see your dad you need to come home. I'm not so sure this trip was a good idea after all." She said. "Come on you know dad wouldn't have seen me otherwise." I said. "I know, I just worry about you." She said sighing. "And I love you for it." I said.

        "Well it is my job, oh here Reba wants to say hi." She said handing the phone off. "Hi Mac, did you see dad? What was he like?" She asked. "I did, and he's pretty much like you'd expect. He seemed nice but I suspect it's just an act." I said "I figured." She said sighing. "Are you having a good trip?" She asked. "Yea, California is great. You'd love it here. I wish you could've come." I said. "Me too, maybe next time." She yawned. "It's late here, I should go. Tell Zyler I said hi."

                "What?" "What? Can't I tell him hi?" She asked. "Oh my goodness you like him!" I squealed. "What!? No I do not." "You so do, or you'd tell me to say hi to Rosie and Carter. That's so cute." I said. "Whatever I'm gonna hang up now." She said.

                 The door creaked. "Calling home?" Asked Zyler. "Yep, and I think Reba likes you." I said. "How cute." He said laughing. "That's what I said." I laughed back. "She's a little young though." He joked. "Ew don't even go there. Why do you like people with huge age gaps?" I asked. "Dunno. And I was kidding." "Ms. Zimmerman?" I asked. "Look what guy doesn't think about getting with his teacher at least once?" He asked.

                 "Why do you do that?" I asked. "Do what?" He asked. "Go into perve mode." "Oh...I don't know. I don't handle stuff well and it just happens. I guess I am always trying to deflect." He said. "Right." I said slowly. "Seriously it's a problem. You know when my Grandpa died. I went up to my grandma just like mom told to me to. She said give her a hug, make her feel better. I blurted out. Grandpa gave Mr. Snuggle britches chocolate, and she died the next day. She burst into tears and my mom was not pleased." He said nodding.

              "Oh no, your poor grandma." I said. "Yea, I felt horrible. I just say stupid stuff because maybe I think if I say what I'm really feeling it's somehow worse." "You think?" "Yea, like if I said I didn't want you to die, because I'd miss you." He said. "That's not wrong. That's fine. I'm glad to know your going to miss me." I said. "But you're not going to die, i shouldn't think like that. We are going to get you a new kidney." He said.

              After a minute went by he spoke again. "So your mom, she's a stripper or something?" Zyler asked. I laughed. "Worse she's a Reba McEntire impersonator." "Ouch." He said laughing. "So if you were a stripper what would your name be?" He asked. "Oh! There's a way you're supposed to figure that out." I said. "No, this I gotta hear." He said laughing. "Okay you take the third street you lived on and the name of your first pet. So I'd be Polly pass." "Hey that's actually kind of catchy. I'd be, well I only moved twice. Second street was Candy. So I'd be fluffy candy." "That's even better I love it!" We both laughed.

                 Then Carter and Rosie showed up so we told them about the stripper names. "Oh this'll be good. I would be Tyson Bridge." Said Carter laughing. "And I'd be. Lady Liberty. No way, that is to perfect." She laughed shaking her head. I laughed hard. "You would have to do something wearing green. And say which one of you wants to set me free?" I said holding my sides. But I had to stop laughing because I ran out of breath so easily these days. "Are you okay?" Carter asked as I started gasping for air. "Yea, I just get really winded." He frowned. "It looks like it's getting worse." He said.

               "It is." I frowned finally deciding to be honest. I knew they had heard me throwing up that morning, thankfully none of them questioned me about it. I couldn't do anything about it. But I knew if I didn't get a new kidney soon it would be to late. We stayed up late talking and laughing finally heading to bed.

                The next morning while we were getting out breakfast my dad called. "I'm so glad you called." I said. "Look I'm only calling to make a deal with you." He said. "Okay?" I asked. "I'll meet you, I have some time later today. But I can't promise you anything. I'm willing to hear what you have to say but when were done you go back home and you don't try to ruin my career. You don't contact me, you basically forget I exist." He said. "Okay, that's fair." I agreed. "Great, I'll send a car for you around five. They will bring you to my hotel. We will meet in a quiet corner of the lobby." He said. "Thank you." I said.

             "Don't thank me just yet. I'm already sure this is going to blow up in my face." He said. "Why?" I asked. "Because as far as everyone knows I don't have any kids." "Don't worry I won't tell anybody I'm your kid if they see me I swear. I'll say I'm auditioning for a role in one of your movies or something." I said feeling sick to my stomach and this time it wasn't because of my kidney. It was because I was promising my own father that I'd deny him if asked. I shouldn't have to do that!! But he had agreed to meet me and that was all I could hope for I guess.