I thought I looked great.
I was wearing a tight blue tank top with no bra. My boobs were the size of honeycrisp apples, but the elastic from the top held them in place just fine, and you could barely even see the bumps of my nipples. My cutoff denim skirt (which I had worked on all weekend) also looked good. It looked great, actually. This was an awesome outfit.
I told Meg I'd be at her party by 7:30. She was the last of our group to turn 18, so we were going all out for her. Half the school was coming. We were meeting at the Old Gym, which is this weird old sports building that our student council converted to a party space. (We have a pretty cool high school.) There was going to be an Extreme Foursquare tournament, and a DJ, and they were probably going to sneak in kegs.
The only obstacle was my dad in the kitchen, making spaghetti. I'd have to get past him to reach the door. My dad was a big guy who was always smiling, but for the last year, he'd been getting kind of pushy with me. Like always trying to get me to eat meals with him, and telling me what colleges I have to apply to. I was pretty sick of it, and I really wasn't up for his opinions tonight.
I checked the closet for the jacket that would hide my outfit, and grabbed a knee-length black raincoat. Then I barged down the stairs talking fast, and aiming for the door. "Hey dad, smells great! I promised Meg I'd meet her at 7:30, so I gotta go. See you at breakfa--"
He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back with a "Woah there!"
I stopped.
He looked me up and down. "Where's the rainstorm, girl?"
I didn't know how to answer, so I stuck to my original story. "Daaaad, I promised I'd meet Meg at 7:30, and I'm running late. I have to go."
He gestured to the kitchen. "I've prepared this wonderful meal for us, and you're just going to leave me all alone with it?" A large pot of water was on the stove, getting ready to boil. A smaller pot of spiced red sauce simmered next to it. On the counter, a loaf of bread was freshly sliced, and a bowl of olive oil sat beside it.
It actually smelled amazing, but I had places to be. And his hand was still on my shoulder.
"Sorry, Dad, I gotta go." I tried to twist away, and his grip tightened.
"You're staying right here young lady, and enjoying this delicious dinner with me." His voice was still friendly, but it was clear he wasn't asking.
I couldn't deal with this tonight. Not on Meg's birthday. So I did something I've never done with my father before. I yelled.
"NO. DAD. I DON'T NEED DINNER. I HAVE TO GO. NOW."
He flashed a look I had never seen before: surprise and anger and control. Maybe it was rage. "DON'T YOU DARE. EVER. YELL AT ME. DANIELLE MARIE THOMPSON." He used his free hand to grab my other shoulder and stood square in front of me, looking me up and down again. "And what the HELL are you wearing?"
I stood there frozen as he untied the belt of my raincoat and threw it open. His mouth dropped open, and he was quiet for the longest five seconds of my life. Then he looked me in the eye, and his voice went cold. "You're dressed like a slut."
"Dad..."
"Danielle, you are dressed like a goddamned slut. Do you just walk around town like this, inviting every guy you see to have their way with you?"
"Dad, no."
"No? Then do you even know what you're wearing? Do you know what it does to people? Jesus, how have I not taught you this? I make you these great meals, I buy you nice clothes, I'm helping you get into college, but I missed the part about how not to be a slut."
"Dad..."
"I've failed you as a father, haven't I? Clearly. If you're dressed like this, I've done something horribly wrong."
"Dad, you're a great fath..."