yestreen
yesterday evening; last evening.
during yesterday evening.
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Carrie rubbed her arm as she entered the living room. Her dad was in his chair, sitting with a pensive look on his face and hands clasped in his lap. The man did not seem to notice her arrival. Or at least, he did not give any indication that he did.
“Dad? Is there something you wanted?” Carrie asked.
Dad slowly turned to look at her. “What were you doing last evening?”
“Huh? What do you mean? I was studying with some friends.”
“Is that all?”
She slumped her shoulders. “Come on Dad, don’t act like you weren’t in the next room listening in. You know that’s all we were doing.”
The fact that he did not even try to deny her accusation of spying was all the confirmation she needed. She would have been upset, but since the study session was benign she did not see the need to make a fuss. This time anyway.
“And what about those…those looks you were giving that boy?” His hands shook slightly as he spoke.
“You mean Adam? I don’t think I was giving him any kind of look.”
Well, maybe she was. But nothing that Dad would need to get upset about.
“Really? Because I saw the way the two of you were looking at each other.”
“I mean we were sitting across from each other at the table, so it was kind of hard to not look at each other.”
“Not all looks are the same. I want to know what those specific looks were all about.”
“Nothing, Dad. A few glances don’t mean anything.”
Dad fixed his eyes on his daughter. It was almost palpable. Carrie shifted her weight from foot to foot and it became much harder to meet his gaze.
“I…I promise, there’s nothing.” She insisted.
It sounded weak, even to her ears. It wasn’t quite a lie though. There really was nothing between her and Adam. She just thought he was really nice. And funny. And cute. And sure, she would go out with him if he asked, but right now? They were just classmates.
“Really? And you’d tell me if there was?”
“Of course.” Eventually.
Dad looked at her for several seconds before saying anything. “You know I care about you, right sweety?”
“Yeah, Dad, I know.”
“And you know I want what’s best for you, right?”
She nodded. She could already tell where this was going.
“And that I want you to be safe and happy.”
“Nothing’s happening, Dad.”
“Good. Because boys like him are no good. Oh sure, they put on a good face. They seem perfectly innocent and charming. But they’re snakes, Carrie. Snakes that will bite and leave you for dead the moment another victim comes along. I guarantee last evening’s study session was him putting on a fake personality to get…get you. Ensnare you in his little trap and leave you hurt and crying the first chance he gets.”
As Dad spoke, his breathing sped up, his hands shook more and more, and his eyes bore down into her. Carrie wanted to take a step back, but she did not.
“I…” She did not think Adam was like that. Was it too hard to believe a boy could just be nice? “I get it. I’ll be careful around him.”
“Not just him!” Dad said quickly. “All boys. All of them!”
“Yeah, Dad, all boys. No dating for me, I get it.”
Dad let out a slow breath. “Good. So long as you understand.”
“Um, can I…” She asked, gesturing to the doorway behind her.
“Yes, sweety. I’ve said what I need to. I just hope you’ll remember what I said here today.”
She would indeed remember Dad’s words. She might ignore them, but she would remember them.
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I don't have a kid of any gender, so I'm just going off what few stories I know about father-daughter parenthood here. How'd I do?
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