(Minah's point of view)

I stepped into the house as quietly as possible so no one would try to talk to me and ask questions. I feel bad enough for going off on appa. What if he knows I was lying? If he asks me so many questions I'm going to cry!

"Minah-yah."

I froze and turned around slowly. "Oh, hi appa."

"Did you finish all your homework?"

"Mhmm." I nodded.

"Good, good. Can we talk for a moment."

"What about?" I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"What we discussed on the phone earlier today."

"Oh, about that.."

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble."

I gave him a strange look and cocked my head to the side in confusion.

"What?"

"Minah." his voice got sincere. "Am I really suffocating you?"

"Uh... just a little." I admitted, wincing at every move he made. At any minute he could blow up!

"Ah, I see." he sighed. "What kind of freedom do you need? Are you unhappy?"

"N-no. It's just that I am a big girl and I can handle myself and I just want to be my own person. Not just Daddy's little girl."

"Come here." he held his arms out. I ran into them, smothering my face into his chest. A weird smell came off of them. "To me, you'll always be my little girl." he squeezed me tighter. "My only child. It's so hard to let you go out on your own."

"I promise not to stray too far." I assured him.

"Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Don't hang out with that blonde delinquent. He looks a little off."

I swallowed again. "I-I promise."

'You idiot! You can't break a promise!' I thought.

'What are you, ten?' my conscience sassed.

I went up to my bedroom and ran to my bed as if I had been away from it for years. I pushed my face into the pillows and let out a long scream to let out the nerves bubbling up inside me. I looked up at the clock which read, "1:15". I had thirty minutes to get ready before I had to go meet Soya at the mall. She's going to be so mad. I just got home too. I sluggishly peeled myself off my bed and went to the bathroom to wash up and take a shower. I put on make up again, kind of liking the look I had last night. After the morning incident with Zelo all up on my like a lost puppy... a cute puppy... anyway, I decided to put on something comfy and less revealing than last night.

My hair was still wet so I moussed it and let it dry and get wavy the way Soya taught me, except her hair puffed up like a poodle. I headed out to the door and was once again stopped by my father, with mom by his side.

'Oh