Page 56 of Follow Me Down

“What amIdoing here?” His nostrils flare as he squares his shoulders in the typical Buckley way. I’ve always been able to tell when I’m in trouble based on my father’s stance. “The real question, young lady, is what are you doing here? You were supposed to be home three days ago.”

“I can explain,” I start, not really sure what kind of explanation I could possibly give him that he would find acceptable.

“Explain? Explain how I had to call Senator Riley to find out where my daughter was only to learn that you didn’t return home with Christy. Explain that you didn’t feel it was necessary to call your own father and let him know that you’re okay? Do you know how worried I’ve been? How many people I’ve had looking for you? How many times I’ve tried to call you?”

“My phone was dead.”

“Your phone was dead.” He crosses his arms in front of his chest. “That’s your excuse. Your phone was dead.”

“Dad... I...”

He cuts me off. “Get your things. You’re coming home with me right now.”

“No.” My response startles us both. I can say I’m going to be my own person until I’m blue in the face, but I’ve never had the courage to defy my father... At least not until today.

“No?” He rears back like I’ve slapped him across the face.

“No,” I repeat, my voice stronger, more confident. “I’m not going home with you. I’m staying here.”

“You are most certainly not.”

“Actually, I am. And you can’t stop me.”

“Like hell I can’t.”

“I’m eighteen. I’m out of high school. I can do whatever I want and there isn’t a single thing you can do about it.”

“What has gotten into you? What about your friends? Your life?”

“My friends? My life? What friends? What life? The only life I have is the one you’ve forced me to live.”

“You mean the life I’ve provided for you? The life I’ve worked extremely hard to give you?”

“Don’t for one second pretend that anything you have done is for me. It’s for you. It’s always been for you. You have dictated every single second of my life down to the shoes I wear on my feet. Well, not anymore. I’m an adult now and I can make my own choices and I choose to stay here.”

“That’s enough, Fallon. Youarecoming home.”

“No, I’m not.”

“So then what? What’s your plan? You’re going to stay here in this shack with those two junkies.” He gestures through the front door.

“They aren’t junkies!” I explode, my temper flaring. “Those two in there have been more of a family to me this last week than you have in my entire life.”

“You can’t be serious.” He balks at me. “Are you forgetting everything I’ve done for you? What about the plans I helped secure for your future? What about Harvard?”

“I don’t want to go to Harvard. I’ve never wanted to go to Harvard.”

“Yes you do. You’ve always wanted to go. That’s been your dream since you were little.”

“No, it’s beenyourdream. Don’t you get it? I don’t want to go to school where you went. I don’t want to become an attorney or run for public office. I don’t want to be anything like you.”

“Because being like me would be such a bad thing?”

“For me, yes. Because I’mnotlike you.”

“Well, you’re right there. Because I would never act as selfishly and irresponsibly as you have. Running off. Not calling to let anyone know where you are or if you’re okay.”

“I didn’t call you because I knew this would happen. I knew you would show up and that was the last thing I wanted. I love you, Dad. I do. But you have to let me be my own person. You have to let me live my own life and stop trying to make me live yours.”

---