Chapter
17
“I’m going out, Dad. See
ya,” Angela called, grabbing her car keys and heading out the door, a few
nights later.
“Angela, wait!” her father called.
“What?” Angela asked, stopping in the doorway and turning to face
her father.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
Angela shrugged, trying to act casual. “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m just gonna drive around.”
Her father studied her suspiciously. “Just drive around? Why?” he asked.
Angela shrugged again, unable to think of a good answer.
“Honey, do you realized you’ve been living with us for months, and
we’ve barely seen you. When you’re not
at school, you’re always gone, and you never tell us where. Where could you possibly be going all day?”
her father asked.
Angela’s face flushed red.
“That’s none of your business, Dad,” she said. “I don’t have to tell you where I’m going all
the time.”
“Ang, I’d just like to know where you are. You’re not familiar with Orlando, and I don’t
want you to get lost,” her father said.
Angela rolled her eyes.
“Dad, I’ve been her for months.
I’m familiar enough by now. I’m
not going to get lost,” she said stubbornly.
“Now can I go?”
“No,” her father said. “Why
don’t you just stay here instead? If
you want to go out, you and Lynn and I can go do something together later.”
Angela sighed heavily.
“Look, Dad, can’t you just me have some time with my b-“ She stopped suddenly, knowing she’d already
said too much.
“With who?” her father asked, his eyes narrowing.
“No one!” Angela insisted.
“What’s going on in here?” asked another voice. Angela sighed as she saw Lynn come into the
room. “What’s all this yelling for?”
Lynn asked, her gaze shooting from Angela to her father.
“How come I can’t go anywhere without the third degree!?” Angela
shouted in exasperation, her voice rising.
“Honey, where do you need to go?
Don’t you want to spend any time with your family?” Lynn asked.
Angela glared at her.
“That’s none of your business.
You’re not my mother, so just stay out of it.” She turned to her father and shot, “And I’m
nineteen now, not a little girl. I can
do what I want.”
With that, she spun on her heel and stormed out the door, slamming
it behind her. She hurried to her car
and started it up, gunning the engine as she sped out of the driveway and off
down the road.
“Paul, go after her,” Lynn said, her eyes narrowing as she watched
Angela’s car speed away.
Angela’s father nodded, curious to see what his daughter was
trying hide from him. He hurried out to
his own car and hopped in, hoping he wasn’t too late to catch up to Angela.
He sped down the street, just barely able to see her silver car up
ahead. His eyes fixed on her car, he
approached an intersection. The traffic
light changed to yellow, and he gunned his engine, determined not to lose sight
of Angela.
As he entered the intersection, the light changed to red. As he stared straight ahead, he didn’t see
the car come whizzing towards him from the intersecting road until it was too
late.
***
