Tasmine’s POV
It’s one of those mornings where you want to sleep in but no one lets you, Lee was very keen for us to leave the house before seven-thirty in the morning, he is lucky I am even up this early on a weekend, which I know it’s not the weekend just yet but it sure feels it to me right now.
I got dressed in one of my mother’s favourite outfits for me, a white dressy singlet, that I had teamed up with my high waisted pastel pink short shorts, with my mum’s colourful sheer chiffon retro floral batwing shawl baggy kimono, with the matching necklace that my mum bought me when she found the pants, I know I am angry at her right now but she did have a good sense in fashion.
Walking out of my room towards where dad was waiting for me he looked up from his phone and right away I knew I was in trouble. “Oh, you are not wearing that today!” He snapped at me, I glared at him, “Nothing wrong with this! My mum bought me it and this is hers!” I snapped at him, I glared at him as I swished the kimono around.
“I know! I bought her that kimono! Now get out of it and into something a sixteen-year-old would wear!” He snapped at me, I like that he bought it for her, and she kept it, but I know this hurts him but doesn’t stop her from still being my mum.
“The rest is what a teen wears, dad!” I snapped at him, I glared at him, “Those shorts are about the same size as your underpants so no! Go change now!” He yelled, pulling off the kimono, pulling it up and throwing it at his feet, “Argh! Nothing is wrong with this outfit or my pants size!” I screamed at him, he bent over picking up the kimono, “My house my rules! Change now!” He yelled, “NO! You cannot boss me around like this!” I screamed back at him.
“Oh, I can, and I will change now!” He yelled back at me, hold your ground Tasmine, “No!” I screamed back at him, wow, he looked pissed off, “Don’t you dare make me bring my old man out of me! Move it or you are getting a sore bum, young lady!” He roared, I glared at him, he looked scary. “FINE! FUCK YOU!” I screamed.
Storming towards my room slamming the door shut, while I am trying to find something else to wear that he would let me wear he storms into my room with a screwdriver and starts to unscrew my bedroom door. “What the hell?” I asked.
Not even looking at me as he continues to unscrew my door, “Well one you swore then you slammed the door so you now lose the door and nearly any say over your daily life.” He snapped at me, my mouth dropped open, “What! So, what now I am being punished for my mother buying me clothes and lending me hers?! If that is the case you best go out and buy me a whole new wardrobe! Because news flash she bought me everything in that wardrobe!” I screamed at him.
He looked shocked that I snapped back at him, “You heard me you have five minutes to move it! You act like a spoiled child and you will get treated as such. I don’t care if the clothes are from her or she bought them. If I see too much flesh or breast then you are not wearing it! I don’t care if she has approved of it, because she is not here, I am, so it’s my rules.” He snapped, he took the door away, all I want to do is scream some more at him. Instead, I just screamed out not caring how much trouble I am going to be in either.
I found my Metallica black shirt that has the shoulders cut out and black jean shorts that stop just above my knees. Once I was dressed, I stormed off into the kitchen for something to eat. “No longer have time for that, grab something to go!” He snapped at me. Is it wrong that I want to punch him right now? “Argh! Fine!” I snapped at him, “Car now!” He yelled, grabbing a banana as I yelled back at him, “I am coming!”
I ran down to the car slamming the front door behind me, which locks it, jumping in looking at him extremely pissed off. “Metallica uh? Right, I sure hope you are wearing that cause you know their music and you like it.” He snapped at me, eating my banana. I replied to him with a mouth full of it, “Yes, I do, and why?” I asked with my voice dripping with sarcasm.
As I say this very loud Metallica music is coming from the car sound system, he takes off and we are parked in front of the school within a few minutes, I follow him to the office building.
He talks to the other adults that are at the school and enrolled me into the school for this Monday. He hands me my class timetable and shows me to the uniform shop. He tells this lady that I need enough school clothes for the week, so he only has to wash on the weekends only.
I ordered four school polos, six navy shorts, two sports polo in red, two jackets, two hats, two formal blouses, two formal skirts, and two ties. I made dad buy me enough if he’s going to be doing washing once a week, you just never know what could happen. Dad paid he was saying his goodbyes to the ladies, as we got to the car I thought I better ask how he managed this. “Dad, how did you manage this? No one is here today, I know it’s Friday, but the school looks empty and the uniform shop says it’s only open Wednesday.”
He chuckles, “Oh did I forget to mention the Principal and Head Office lady are my exes? They would do anything to help you get into school. Plus, they love your grades which helped, and the chance of having another famous hockey player from the town.” He said, sounding so proud of himself.
I groaned, “Oh, gross are you sure they just didn’t want to get into your pants again now they know your wife is dead and not going to come back from that?” I asked, he looked shocked, “Oh, God I hope not, their husbands are my best clients.” He said.
“Right, what’s next?” I asked, “School supplies and the last of your uniform which is shoes, and then BBQ supplies.” I nod my head in response, an hour and a half later we are pulling up to the house as a van pulls up. “Perfect timing.” Dad said I smiled yes, a bed, “Sure is!” I smiled.
The delivery drivers brought the bed up to my room and set it all up for me. I put all my new clothes into the washing machine and set that up to go. Dad has two washing machines. I see one is dirty as hell and the other is brand new. I'm using the new one. “Tasmine use the new one! The old one is for my work clothes only.” He yells out to me, I roll my eyes, “I have!”
“Go fix your room up with your bedding etc! Once done you can help me with this BBQ stuff before everyone starts arriving!” He yells from the kitchen window that I can hear him downstairs. Finally I sorted out my room the way I liked it. It felt good until I turned around and saw Noah is watching me at my open doorway. “Argh! Fuck! How long have you been here watching me you creep!” I girly screamed at him.
He is trying not to laugh, “Long enough to know you're sexy as hell when you’re in your zone.” He said softly. I quickly looked towards the kitchen, “Shh don’t say shit like that with Lee in the kitchen!” I whispered and yelled, and he started laughing. “He’s not, he has gone downstairs setting up the patio area for the barbie. Do you think he will let me join in on it?” He asked hopefully.
I think about it for a bit, before I put him out of his misery, “Right, doubt it as far as I know it is a family thing.” I said, he smirks at me, “ahhh but I am family.” He said, I raised an eyebrow up at him, “Are you?” He nods his head, “Sure, I look up to Lee as a father figure.” He said smugly. “Sure, your dad wouldn’t mind at all?” I asked him.
I see something flash across his eyes that I cannot read again, but before I could question him about it, it was gone just as quickly as it came, “Please, he is way too busy being at work or too drunk to notice what any of his offspring are doing.” He snapped out.
Wow, something is going on here, but he hasn’t said anything about it yet. What I didn’t realise was that we are standing remarkably close to each other now, he leans down just a little, his lips not far from mine. “I really want to kiss you, Tasmine Kelly.” He whispered. “Then what is stopping you?” I questioned him.
He smiles as his lips lightly touch mine, he stays still until I start kissing him back, as soon as I do that his hands grip my face pushing me up against my wardrobe as we fight over who takes control of the kiss, for my first kiss this is amazing. I moaned out, pulling at his hair as he whispered in my ear, “I am dead for doing that, but I want to do that again.” I smiled back at him, “So do I.” I whispered back at him.
He moves away from me while he is whispering, “I hear Lee, better not risk it just yet.” I smiled up at him and nodded, wow not even forty-eight hours living here and I had my first kiss!
Whoowooo!
My first kiss I feel like dancing around my room!
“I have left you speechless?” he asked, I nodded my head, “A little maybe.” I whispered, I blush, “Am I your first?” He asked softly, I blushed again while nodding my head yes, “Really? A beautiful girl as yourself, really? I am honoured Tassie.” he sounded so shocked, I cannot stop blushing, “You seem shocked at that news?” I whispered back. “Just a little.” He whispered.
I shake my head at him, “Shh his coming.” I whispered yelled at him, we quickly made a beeline to the kitchen, I started looking in the fridge seeing what needs doing. “What are you two up to?” My dad asked, I looked up at him from the fridge, “Trying to help you with the BBQ.” I said, trying not to sound like I am hiding something from him, he shakes his head at me, “Yeah, get out. I am a good guys, head downstairs and chill with your cousins who have just arrived.” I smiled up at him, “Cool, thanks, dad.” I said I sounded a little nervous, I made my way towards the door, but dad stopped Noah for some reason.
Lee’s POV
“You stay right there Noah,” I said, trying not to snap at him, he looked at me oddly, “Okay?” he drags the word out in confusion. Once Tasmine was out of earshot, I looked at Noah, trying to keep my cool. “Right Noah, you cut the pretending like I did not notice you had kissed my daughter.” I snapped, his mouth dropped open in shock, as he tried to talk, “Wh” I cut him off, “Did I say you could talk?” I snapped as he nodded his head no.
“I may not have seen it but I did hear the pair of you talking, neither of you can whisper by the way. You’re only allowed to be in this house to fix cars, nothing else. No more being around Tasmine. I find out you are near her again lookout, this is not your boss talking right now, this is a father of a girl talking.” I growled out, he looked panicked as hell, “What? Are you kidding me, Lee? I’m her only friend!” He whispered yelled at me.
“The minute your lips touched hers you two stopped being classed as friends. I will see you at the shop for your shift Thursday bye Noah.” I snapped out at him, Noah stormed out of the house, as my brother walked into the house with a questioning look on his face. “Wow, what the hell did I miss?” My brother whispered to me.
Looking up at him as I am doing my best not to race downstairs and start yelling at my daughter as to what she was thinking, “Oh, hey” I said to my twin, he wasn’t buying it at all. “You didn’t answer?” He snapped at me, I let out a loud sigh, “Bloody Noah just kissed Tasmine in her room. I’m pissed off right now!” I snapped at him.
He didn’t look shocked by this news at all and that made me even more angry, “Well it’s bound to happen, she is of that age you know? Also, you cannot be the ridiculously hard type of Dad that normally sends the teen running the other way. Like in the arms of a bad boy like Oliver or just a boy like Noah.” He said, sounding like he knows it all, I glared at him, is he saying I am being too hard on my daughter?
“Really you think that is helpful?” I snapped at him, he threw his hands up in the air, “Come on man father of three girls here. I know some things and that is teenage girls when it comes to father’s being too hard.” He said, I should listen to him, shouldn’t I?
“Well right now please drop it and let’s get this family party started.” He points a finger at me, “Fine, but we will be talking about this later.” I know he is right, we do need to talk.
Tasmine’s Pov
Dad must have wanted to talk to him about work or something. Great, car full of people has just arrived and I have no idea who they are. As a man who looks related to my dad steps out of the car with the biggest smile on his face, makes his way towards me. “Hi Tasmine, I’m your Uncle James, your dad’s twin brother, you are getting a hug kiddo!” He yelled at me.
He has the same body build as my dad too, he draws me into a big hug whispering, “I missed my little sidekick.” I pulled back looking at him in shock, “What?” I was shocked, the realisation that I don’t remember clicks in, “Sorry when you lived here every time, I came to visit you used to follow me around copying what I was doing.” He replied.
He had a big smile on his face, as I smiled at him, I wanted to slap my mum so much right now as I laughed at my Uncle, “Oh, cool.” I replied as to how else do you reply to that? He turned around as three girls walked up towards us, “This is my eldest daughter Amanda she is seventeen turning eighteen this year.” A girl taller than me with very long straight dark brown hair looks a little like me too, brown eyes and tanned skin. She has a big grin on her face too. “Hi Tasmine, cannot wait to catch up.” She said kindly.
She leans in for a hug, whispering into my ear, “Need to talk to you about someone who is spreading lies about you” I looked back at her in shock, “What?” I whispered back. Uncle James didn’t even notice that Amanda had whispered in my ear, as he pointed to a girl who is my height and she looks a lot like me. It's amazing, I didn’t think we would look alike but we do. “This is Ava, my middle child. She's in your grade, oh forgot to tell you Amanda is in year twelve.”
Ava walked up to me wrapping me up in a big hug, “Hey Cus!” I hugged her back, “Hi” Uncle James pointed to the little girl who was standing so close to him like she is shy. “And this is my baby girl Emma who is ten.” She must take after her mum, she has blonde hair and bright blue eyes, she glares up at her dad, “I’m not a baby dad! Hi, Tas” I smiled at her, “Hi Em.” My uncle looks at me, “Hey, Kiddo where is your old man at?” I smiled as he sounded just like my dad then, “Up in the kitchen with Noah.” He smiled, “Cool, see you soon, girls behave.” Off he goes I turn towards Amanda. “Amanda, you need to explain.” I calmly said.
Tasmine’s PovAs we girls headed towards a private area under the house I spotted Noah flying down the front steps, racing towards his house, I called out to him, “Oi! Noah!” He didn’t even stop to look at me, I know he heard me. Why is he ignoring me?What am I to him?What we just did meant so little to him?Nope, I need answers from him, holding my hand up to my cousins. Am I this needy because of what just happened to my mother? I think so…“Hold up girls, I will be right back,” I said, as I raced off from under the house heading towards Noah’s house, knocking on the front door, his older sister opened the front door and smiled at me. “Oh, you're Lee’s little girl Tasmine, nice to see you again. Here let me show you to Noah’s room.” She had a big grin on her face. She showed me where his room was, as she headed back to the lounge room to watch whatever it was, she was watching before I had knocked on their front door.I knocked softly on his bedroom door. “For the love of god Hann
Tasmine’s POVThe younger three Emma, Henry, and Liam run around playing, screaming, and laughing while Theo and Ava are chasing them, Amanda, Elijah, and I are in one of the cubby houses, watching them running around. “So, Amanda, are you single?” Elijah asked if I wanted to vomit right now. “Yes, and no we are not doing anything.” She snapped at him.“Ok, you only have to tell me once, so cousin what is it like living with Uncle Lee?” Elijah asked, with a smirk on his face. “So far ok, I guess,” I said. I don’t get a good feeling from him, it's creeping me out a little. “How are you doing after meeting your whole family?” he asks me, I let out a loud sigh, “Amazing, wished my mother had not taken off with me, wishing she left and left me here, would have loved growing up with you all, and in this house.” I said with a bitter tone to my voice.Amanda smiled at me, “Yes, I know, hey you know Uncle Lee has an outdoor cinema.” Amanda said with a big smile on her face, both I and Elijah
Tasmine’s POVI make my way upstairs into the lounge waiting for Dad to join me, how am I going to keep this from him? He seems to know everything, how far do I want to push it with him? He walks into the house, locking the door behind him. He walks towards me, it’s like he’s trying to keep his face clear of any emotions which are scary.“Right, now do you remember what I said about boys?” He asked, “Ok, you had said no boys,” I replied quietly, trying to work out where he was going with this, doing my best not to be scared. “You broke the rules Tasmine, Noah has been punished for his part, I am angrier than a cut snake!” He snapped.But I am too stunned by what he just said, “A what?” I was confused, “Angrier than a cut snake!” He snapped, “Right?” I said, still confused, that this is a new one, must be a fair North Queensland thing, “Major rule breaking the punishment is the removal of your comfort in your room.” He said calmly. “What? The hell does that mean?” I snapped at him. “Ex
Tasmine’s POV“What the hell Noah are you insane?!” I whispered to him, he is laughing, he has a cute laugh. “Just watching your beautiful ass trying to garden, it’s very cute you know.” He whispered, I looked at him stunned, “What? Yooou thinkkk Imm beautiful?” I stutter, why the hell am I stuttering? “Yes, I find you are very beautiful, even when you stumble on words.” He said with a smirk on his face.“That’s not funny, shoo I don’t want my dad to see you! I’ll text you ok.” I said, trying to hurry him off, with an eyebrow up in surprise, “You do not have my number.” He said, oh right dumbass, I quickly looked around to see what dad was doing, I couldn’t see him. I quickly found a dirt patch and wrote my number on the ground taking off back to the house as nothing had happened, halfway up the stairs my phone buzzed, a text from him. I smiled. “Food’s ready, why are you smiling like that?” Dad asked me.“uh like, what?” Play stupid Tasmine, “What you are doing right now.” He stated,
Tasmine’s POVOh, crap Uncle James is here! Shit he's going to tell my dad now. “This is not what it looks like Uncle James,” I said trying to think on the fly and I think I failed big time. I am normally a smart girl but right now nothing. “Tasmine, you think I was born yesterday? It is exactly what it looks like.” He said, shaking his head, “Oh, please don’t tell Dad!” I whispered. “No, I’ll be telling my brother, you can deal with the fallout as you clearly know what you're doing is against what he has told you.” He said as he looked into my trolley confused.“How are you planning on getting all that home?” He asked, “It’s the list my dad gave me,” I said, he started to laugh, “He knew what you were up to kiddo,” My uncle said laughing, he couldn’t stop laughing, as we looked on in confusion. “What now?” I asked, he finally stopped laughing, “It’s what he used to do, and that’s the same list mum would give him.” Oh, fuck I am in trouble, bigger than I thought.“Oh, man...” I groane
Lee’s POVMy twin brother walks out of his car towards me, but I noticed that the girls are still in the car. “Now Lee before you lose your shit just hear me out please.” My brother said calmly, he stated but I cut him off before he could finish, “Why? I know what she just went and done!” I snapped, “Come on man calm down just a little.” He’s using that voice he used to use on me when we were kids.“Really?” I asked as he let out a loud sigh, “Yes, she is your sixteen-year-old daughter who has just lost her mother Lee. Cut her some slack, you've punished her enough, you know you have if I’m pointing this out to you.” He said, I looked at him shocked, “What do you mean by that?” I asked.He holds his hand up doing the counting, “You’ve removed her door, all of her comfortable items, and made her do yard work. Man, those punishments are enough, don't add more of them, losing a parent is hard enough. Do you want her to really hate you? You brought her here to have a father-daughter relat
Tasmine’s POVI woke up to hear my dad yelling at me again. “Why aren’t you awake and dressed and ready for school yet? And is that my swag?” He asked as I rubbed my eyes, trying to wake up. “oghh mmm uh?” I mumbled out. “You're awake yet it’s seven-thirty in the morning, get up.” He snapped, I shot up looking around, fuck I cannot be late for my first day at school, I was going to do my hair, I won’t have time now! “Shit really!” I snapped at him, I jumped up and raced up to my cupboard pulling out my uniform, and raced past him into the bathroom.“Why didn’t you get me up earlier?!” I yelled out at him, “Thought you had an alarm?” He asked surprised, god he sounds old! Rolling my eyes through the door at him. “You took that when you took my phone!” I yelled from the bathroom, lucky for myself my hair is good it can last another day, I quickly had a shower and got dressed. Racing back into my room to put my hair up in a high ponytail for today and put my shoes on.Heading into the ki
Tasmine’s POVOh, crap who am I going to have lunch with? Let’s go the kinder way, “Well, this is a first for me,” I said, looking down at my feet blushing as Noah’s gaze pierced through me, as I chuckled, why is he looking like that at me? “Well, I have a double Design after lunch. Whoever has a class closest to that can sit with me.” Smiling at Noah but his face drops, oh. “Well, then that rules me out,” Noah said loudly.He looks sad, I feel a little bad for that. “I have design next too, come on I will show you to my group,” Vincent said like he just won the prize at the local show, “Mich, Noah you're both welcome to join me if you want,” I asked hopefully, Mich shakes his head, “Ok, thank you for the offer I’m good. See you around Tasmine.” Mich said, yep, he really doesn’t like Vincent. “Nah Tassie, Vinny wouldn’t want me tagging along. I’ll see you at the second break.” Noah said.He goes to leave but Vincent holds up his hand stopping him. “I never said I dislike ya mate. I ju