Laska and Me - Chapter 5

When a new week began Monday, life seemed to return to how it was – at least for a short while. Eralia went back to her apartment to prepare for the move, and Laska went back to school. Picking her up at the end of the day, a most surprising thing happened as I stood outside the car and greeted her. She threw her arms around me in a hug before getting in the car.

 

Now, that may not seem like much, but for almost a whole year I’d watched her grow distant, and she was almost always in a dour mood after her classes were done. To me, it was a sign that the Laska I knew was gradually returning. She’d hug me more often or want to cuddle whenever we watched TV together, little things like that. It was still difficult to get her to say words like ‘I love you,’ but I’d take what I could get. However, this was only when Eralia wasn’t around.

 

If she was around, Laska would keep her distance, or even sulk. She was still the ever-jealous girl, even after all we’d gone through. At least she seemed to handle herself better, and would vent to us about whatever frustrations she had, be it school, friends, or just life in general. Though I suspected Laska still viewed Eralia as competition for my affection, she’d still often confide things to her that she wouldn’t tell me. Sadly, whenever I asked Eralia what they talked about, she’d just laugh, and then tell me that girls needed their secrets.

 

To be honest, it made me a little jealous, but also happy to know that the two of them had managed to form a friendship.

 

Laska’s school life was on the upswing as well. Though her grades still weren’t great, she was managing to pull them out of the pits. Her social life was still… poor, but fortunately things had started to improve with Zoe. When Laska and Zoe began drifting apart, the wolf girl showed up less and less often for the morning carpool until she never came around at all.

 

The first hint I got that their friendship was rekindled was when I saw Zoe stroll up one day just as summer break had begun; I was outside unloading our garage. The girl had grown yet more, and was probably pushing at least 180cm. She was starting to fill out as well - taut, sinewy muscles were visible wherever her skin was bare. Even at her young age she’d be an imposing figure, were it not those gentle eyes and disposition of hers.

 

Her tail wagged when she saw me, and she bound up to me in a manner not too unlike an excited dog.

 

“Oh, long time no see, Zoe. What’s going on?”

 

“Laska called and said she wanted to hang out, so here I am~”

 

She paused in front of me, and it was then that I realized her clothing was a touch on the provocative side. Zoe had been, I guess, more of what one would expect from an adolescent monstergirl – like Lydia’s doing.

 

I stopped what I was doing and stretched. “How’re you doing these days?”

 

“I’m alright~ Ah, how are you and what’s her name? Erelia?”

 

“Eralia,” I corrected her, smiling. “And we’re doing well.”

 

“Is that so…?” I noticed her eyes dip down, then slowly drift back up to meet mine, followed by a smile. “That’s good.”

 

 “Er, well, Laska’s in the house. Nice to see you again.”

 

An impish grin revealed two of her pointed fangs, and she lingered for a moment before replying. “Yeah, nice to see you again…”

 

She seemed to look me over once again before she turned towards the house, and then disappeared inside. I’d been familiar with those sorts of appraising looks, and in a way I had always wondered when I’d get them from her. No doubt I’d need to be on my guard against her in the future, though with her build it’d probably be difficult to fight her off should it come down to that.

 

--

 

During the rest of that summer, Laska and Zoe saw each other several times a week, and every time she was over, Zoe would give me these little looks and gestures, signaling her interest. Of course, I ignored her flirtations - I had Eralia, and who knows what would happen between Laska and Zoe if my daughter discovered that her friend had seduced, or raped, her father.

 

I wasn’t sure if I should mention anything to Lydia or not, considering it was more or less typical behavior from a girl like her. My thought was that growing up relatively close had caused her to develop some sort of fondness towards me. Or maybe it was just her increasing lust. I liked to think it was the former, if only to bolster my ego slightly. Either way, she seemed to limit herself to simply being flirty or occasionally flashing me her bra or panties along with a lurid gaze.

 

Zoe was careful to avoid being too coquettish whenever Eralia or Laska were around, but her clumsy methods were no match for Eralia’s intuition and years of experience.

 

“How long do you plan on letting her do that?” she’d said one day after Zoe had gone home.

 

I coughed, focusing on looking out the window to avoid her gaze. “Letting her do what?”

 

Eralia sighed and pushed me away from the window, forcibly turning me to face her. In place of the angry or irritated expression I’d expected was something more… concerned.

 

“You know what I mean. The longer you put off telling her you’re not interested, the more of a chance she thinks she’ll have.” Eralia’s long ears wiggled slightly, then laid back ever so slightly. “Unless that’s your intention, of course…”

 

Her eyes began to regard me with disdain, and those ears folded down a bit more when I didn’t respond immediately.

 

“But she hasn’t done anything besides acting a bit flirty…”

 

She crossed her arms under her breasts, and then began to tap a paw on the floor. “That’s because she’s aware of me, and she’s still Laska’s friend. She won’t do anything so long as you have my scent, and she probably wouldn’t initiate anything so long as she and Laska are friends. But, that doesn’t mean you can allow her to do as she pleases.”

 

“Allow who to do as she pleases?” I heard Laska’s voice from behind me as she came down the hall. Her tail was darting back and forth, signaling her curiosity.

 

“Oh, just talking about people…” I said, glancing at Eralia as I spoke. She didn’t say anything, but her arms remained crossed and her paw continued its irritated tapping. I couldn’t tell if she was envious, jealous, or simply annoyed that I hadn’t told Zoe off yet.

 

Laska eyed the two of us before continuing. “And who’s that?”

 

“No one important. Just idle chatter,” Eralia said, shifting to place a paw on her hip.

 

Laska’s face soured. “If they’re not important then why won’t you tell me?”

 

Telling Laska about Zoe probably wouldn’t end well, so as much as I hated keeping secrets from her, this was one thing I simply couldn’t say.

 

“Er, I just remembered I forgot the… I’ve gotta go do… something…” I mumbled quickly and made for the front door. Fortunately I was quick enough to slip past Eralia before she could stop me, and I escaped outside as Laska watched on in disbelief.

 

Making a bee line for the garage, I heard the front door close and saw Eralia stomp out. My sudden departure must’ve put her on the spot.

 

I was certainly going to catch hell from my daughter later, but for the time being Eralia and I could finish our conversation.

 

“That was reeeal smooth,” she mocked once inside the garage with me. I shrugged.

 

“Well, I guess I’ll talk to Zoe the next time I see her, and tell her to quit being a tease…” I said, noticing Eralia narrowing her eyes at me. “And that I’m taken.”

 

“Good,” Eralia replied, regarding me with a somewhat malicious smirk. “I’d hate to have to force you to do something about it.”

 

Force me? As much as I wanted to tease her for getting jealous, it was probably for the best to let sleeping jackals lie.

 

 

 

A few days later, true to my word, I had a little chat with Zoe. She was disappointed, but admitted that she figured it would be a remote chance. Though I never said anything to anyone, it was rather flattering to know she specifically pursued me despite knowing her chances of success were slim. For a while after that, I felt a bit more prideful… even if it was a young girl, and even when I already had the second best thing to happen to me – Eralia.

 

--

 

The rest of the summer break was rather uneventful, though we did have our garage rebuilt. I had a dinky little one and a half car garage before, so we had it rebuilt into a deep three-car unit in order to house all of Eralia’s motorcycle stuff, along with Laska’s. It was rather costly, but as my savings covered our day to day costs of living, Eralia’s income from her job became largely disposable.

 

Laska entered eighth grade without much fanfare, and her grades continued to improve, along with her attitude. Mostly. Other than Zoe, she still didn’t really have any friends. So, while she didn’t complain overtly, she was never the sort to want to linger at school or rush to be there. Her teachers all mentioned her quietness in class as a point of concern, yet none of them wanted to do a damned thing about it. I was beginning to sense a pattern that the staff at schools could identify when a student was having issues, but didn’t want to bother with working on some sort of solution.  

 

Then again, you can’t really force a quiet, unsociable girl to talk to people, can you?

 

I chalked it up to not only her quiet nature, but her lack of interest in typical ‘teenage’ things. Laska didn’t read, watch, or listen to the same things her peers did. Her interests and hobbies were certainly uncommon; how many 14 year old girls participate in motocross? The way she dressed probably had some small influence as well. Most of her female classmates, human or otherwise, tended to wear… revealing clothing, Zoe included. Laska’s rather boy-ish attire of loose-fitting shirts and pants served to ‘hide’ her. Though, if I’m allowed to say, her curves made themselves known even through her relaxed clothing. Most of the other girls in her classes were about as curvy as a carpenter’s level no matter what they tried.

 

Ultimately, as much as I hate to admit it, her scars probably scared people off as well. They weren’t horribly disfiguring, and they were indeed lightening and steadily vanishing as she got older, but all of those things combined marked her as being very different. And, when you’re an adolescent, ‘different’ doesn’t garner you many friends.

 

 

Eralia had similar concerns, though she seemed to consider Laska’s sexuality far more than I did, as she made apparent one night when we were in bed.

 

“She’s 14, you know. At that age I wanted to fuck anyone with a pulse; from what I’ve heard Laska and Zoe gossip about, they’re not too different. Zoe’s already become well-versed, from what I gather.”

 

Eralia was sitting up against a bundle of pillows. The magazine she’d been reading was laid open on her chest, and her arms were folded up behind her head.

 

“Oh come on…” I complained, grimacing like someone who just stepped barefoot in a pile of shit. “That’s like… not only are you talking about how much sex you had, you’re also talking about how much sex Laska should be having.”

 

“Now listen here. You know full well that we’re horny as hell - no exceptions. It’s a fact of life when being with us, for better or worse.” Eralia glowered at me, likely growing tired of my aversion to talking about sex. “Despite – or because of – that, we don’t have any great difficulties securing sexual partners. Whether said partners want it or not,” she finished her glower shifting to something bordering on malicious.

 

My face twisted in discomfort even more when I applied her words to Laska and formed a mental image. “Are you saying Laska should be out raping unsuspecting men? She’s my daughter! No matter how much you complain, I don’t want to think of her as… doing those things.”

 

“I understand dear, but I don’t mean it has to be rape. It’s just that our kind and… lots of sex go together hand-in-hand. Or it should, anyways.” She sighed, then chewed on her lip for a moment. “I’m going to tell you something Laska told me in secret, so don’t you breathe a word of it.”

 

I nodded my head. “Sure.”

 

“She’s still a virgin.” A look of deadly seriousness adorned her face, like she’d just told me Laska was actually a murderer or something.

 

“That’s great. Isn’t it?”

 

Eralia rolled her eyes and sighed, then picked her magazine back up and showed me the cover: “MGC.” From what I knew, it was some publication that was focused on human/monstergirl relationships. I’d never bothered to read it since it had a reputation as being little more than a bundle of ‘How to please your monstergirl’ articles. Kind of useless for me, considering Eralia tended to climax plenty as it was.

 

She then flipped through the pages, stopping once she discovered the article she sought. “Look, this was a study they did that corroborates nicely with what I’ve been telling you,” she said, handing me the magazine.

 

Slipping on my reading glasses, I scanned through the article, which was appeared to be little more than a survey about when monstergirls lost their virginity and how many times they’d have sex in a month. Unsurprisingly, species that went into heat had sex the earliest, and the most often. Cheshire cats, on average, lost theirs at 11 and had sex 23.7 times a month.

 

I removed my glasses in the most dramatic fashion possible, leveling a stare at Eralia. “So she’s a late bloomer, what’s the big deal?”

 

“Did you read it or just look at the graph?”

 

“Er…” I stumbled, trying to quickly scan through the pages.

 

“Yes, of course you didn’t read it,” she said, snatching the magazine away from me, then she rolled it up and hit my shoulder with it.

 

“Hey, that’s abuse,” I said, rubbing at my shoulder.

 

 “What’s abuse is that poor girl having to endure her urges without relief,” Eralia said, scolding me by wagging a furry finger at me to accent her motherly tone.

 

“So what do you want me to do about it? I can’t force boys to like her, nor can I force her to like someone.”

 

Eralia crossed her arms and stared at me. “Well, I have an idea, but I don’t want to do anything without your consent.”

 

Sitting up straighter, I felt a wave of dread wash over me. “And what’s that?”

 

“I was... thinking of taking her out prowling. I’d show her how to ambush men.” Her arms uncrossed, and she began to tap the ends of her paws together, and her ears flattened out on her head. At least she was aware of what she was asking me.

 

Closing my eyes and leaning back, I weighed my fatherly instincts versus what my daughter supposedly wanted. What Eralia had said made a lot of sense… and maybe Laska never behaved like other monstergirls because she had been alone with me for so long. But, to give my approval for have some guy to have sex with her? Er, no, she’d be the one on top if she ambushed someone, wouldn’t she? Still, it didn’t sit well with me.

 

“Surely you’ve seen how she gets… antsy, and spends a lot of time alone in her room with the door closed at certain times.” Eralia continued, heaping more supposed evidence of my daughter’s wants onto my conscious.

 

“Will you… participate?” I asked, opening my eyes and facing her.

 

“No, no of course not.” She said, then sighed and hooked a corner of her mouth up. “I love you dear, and would never do that to you. In fact, I’m almost insulted that you think I’d do that.” Her paw shot up to her mouth and she feigned indignant shock.

 

“…Fine,” I hissed out, exhaling deeply. “If you think it’ll help her or whatever… “

 

Her ears shot up to their full perkiness and she smiled broadly. “I’m glad you agree.” She then rolled over, bringing her face inches from mine, and gave me a quick kiss. “Now, how about we take care of my wants, hmmm?”

 

--

 

Eralia waited for a night when neither she nor Laska had to get up the next day, then the two of them departed. It took all my willpower to avoid following them out, and I spent most of the night lamenting the loss of my daughter’s innocence. A small part of me, however, whispered that she would never do something of the sort. I couldn’t explain why, but I felt like I knew her well enough.

 

Turns out, the whisper was correct.

 

They returned earlier than I had expected. Eralia seemed defeated, and Laska shuffled in awkwardly. Laska wasn’t aware that I knew the purpose of their little trip, so she simply tried to play it off like they went out for a girl’s night or some such... and I guess it was, in a manner of speaking.

 

Laska hung around for a short while before trotting off into her room, closing the door. Fortunately that gave me the opportunity to talk to Eralia about what exactly happened.

 

“She’s too much your daughter,” she said, something between a laugh and a sigh coloring her words.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I lined up some nice, easy targets for her, but she wouldn’t budge. She kept saying it was wrong, and she wanted her first time to be with someone she liked, and then only if he liked her back. You know, lovey-dovey stuff.”

 

My heart swelled with pride and relief, allowing me to relax for the first time all evening.  

 

Eralia folded her paws on her lap, sighing and giving me a soft smile. “When I asked her why, she said that you’d told her several times sex is better if it’s with someone you love.”

 

I stroked my chin, thinking about that for a moment. “I don’t recall ever saying that particular line.”

 

“Well that’s what she picked up from you – probably before either of you met me. I can’t win against that.”

 

“Is it so bad that she wants her first time to be special?” I asked.

 

Eralia held up her paws in defeat, shaking her head. “…No, I guess not. However, I hope that her ideals don’t get in the way…” she cut her words off as her ears turned about on her head before focusing in one direction. Her eyes shifted that way momentarily, before returning to me.

 

“What is it?” I asked, turning around towards where her ears had focused.

 

Sighing, she spoke quietly. “Lonely idealism.”

 

It took me a moment to realize what she’d meant. When I did, I was suddenly very thankful for my rather poor, human-levels of hearing.

 

Eralia largely dropped the subject after their ‘failed’ adventure. About the only time she made mention of it is whenever she’d read an article about this or that, usually to complain about how Laska wouldn’t tell her anything. Apparently, from that night on, Laska kind of stopped telling Eralia about her love problems.

 

--

 

The rest of eighth grade went by in a blur with little drama. Before I knew it, her school year was over. Laska had managed to pull up her GPA to a fairly respectable level, but then reached a point where she didn’t want to put more effort into things – as far as I could tell, anyways.

 

When her final grades arrived in the mail, I decided to ask her about them.

 

The end of the semester heralded Laska’s habit of sleeping until the early afternoon. So, I had to wait to ambush her as she stumbled wearily from her room and into the kitchen at the crack of 2:00pm. Unfortunately she’d also picked up Eralia’s morning attire – whatever shirt and underwear she happened across on her bedroom floor before greeting the world. And, like Eralia, she scratched at her posterior and stomach while yawning and perusing through the cabinets.

 

I sometimes felt like I was the only one who made an effort to look halfway decent in the mornings – afternoons, in this case.

 

Once she’d picked through everything that contained food, she finally took notice of my presence as I watched the sad spectacle in front of me.

 

“Oh, good morning dad,” she said, smiling sleepily. “What’s for breakfast?”

 

Well, I was somewhat happy she remembered to greet me before demanding food.

 

“It’s a bit late for that, sweetie. Hell, it’s past lunch now,” I said as I walked over by her, poking through the cupboards as well.

 

She then stretched and yawned wide, her shirt pulling up to expose her stomach. The sudden chill across her skin also made it apparent that the shirt was indeed all that covered her impressive-for-her-age bust. On one hand I appreciated that she felt comfortable around me, but on the other it drove me crazy. Was it hypocritical of me to say that I wanted her to be at ease around me, only to get flustered when she allowed herself to be comfortable? Or was it wrong of me to acknowledge her womanliness? I think I was beginning to understand why other fathers often said that teenage daughters sent them into an early grave.

 

I sighed and rubbed at my temples briefly, earning a somewhat confused stare from Laska.

 

“Something the matter?”

 

“No, just thinking about something,” I said with a bit of exasperation. “So what do you want? We have deli meat… why don’t you make yourself a sandwich?”

 

She frowned with one side of her face, then poked her head inside the refrigerator. “Ehh, I guess.”

 

“You guess? How picky.”

 

“Well, you know how it is when you get up,” she said, gathering various things together from the bins and cubbies.

 

Watching her pluck things out was always a little interesting. Despite being ‘human-oriented’ with drawers and bins designed for human hands, Laska managed to use her retractable claws in good measure to overcome her large, cumbersome paws. This refrigerator was the last thing I had that wasn’t ‘paw-friendly,’ much to Eralia’s irritation.

 

Dumping everything on the counter, Laska finished her thought. “You’re hungry, but it’s kind of a nondescript hunger. You want something, but you don’t know what.”

 

“I suppose…”

 

I walked back towards the table where I had set down her report card. “By the way, your grades came in the mail today. Interested in seeing what you got?”

 

Fiddling with a bag of bread, Laska replied without bothering to look up. “Nah, I already know what I got. Like, low 3s across the board, right?”

 

She was spot on, furthering my suspicions that she was sandbagging. But, for what purpose? “Yeah, you’re right. But that makes me wonder…”

 

“About what?” She asked, still focused on her task.

 

“You’ve been improving throughout the year, but you seemed to plateau. I’m just wondering if you’re still having any difficulties is all.”

 

Quietly assembling her lunch, Laska glanced up briefly to let me know she wasn’t ignoring me. One of her ears twitched, and I could see her tail was darting to and fro. “Nah, things are fine. Not everyone can be a straight-A student, you know? Especially in AP classes.”

 

There was something off about the way she said that; unfortunately I wasn’t sure if I should press the matter. Thinking for a moment, I decided to trust that she’d matured somewhat.

 

“True. Not everyone can, but I know you can.”

 

Putting the finishing touches on her sandwich – a layer of chips atop the meat and cheese, I heard her exhale through her nose. She looked at me with one eye, and then came over and sat down at the table.

 

“What makes you think that? If I was capable of it, wouldn’t I have already done sho?” Her last word was muffled as she took a bite.

 

Pulling a chair out, I sat down heavily and folded my arms across my chest, then gave my best attempt at fixing her with a knowing stare.

 

“Wut?” she mumbled, her cheeks puffed out with sandwich.

 

I then leaned forward, elbows on my knees. “I think you’re purposefully holding yourself back.”

 

Laska swallowed, then blinked a few times. “Why would you think that?”

 

“Well, I was hoping you could tell me.”

 

She took another bite, chewing slowly. Bit by bit her sandwich was chomped away until it was gone, but she made no effort to get up. Patiently I sat, waiting for her to make her decision on what, or what not, to tell me.

 

“Why bother?” she muttered, staring at the table.

 

“Why not?”

 

Something about my quick response seemed to set her off in a way I hadn’t intended. Her eyes regarded me with anger; fierce emotion bleeding into her voice.

 

“Because what’s the damned point? If you think I’m so clever, then why do you ask me questions like I’m an idiot?”

 

Gritting my teeth, I wasn’t quite prepared for this sudden turn. If I’d known this was a touchy subject for her, I’d have exercised just a bit more tact. Leaning back to avoid looking like I was interrogating her, I had to decide whether to wade forward in the shit I found myself knee-deep in, or abort and flee. Well, there really was only one viable answer.

 

“Maybe I’m the idiot that can’t figure out what you mean when you ask me ‘why bother.’ Why not explain it to me?”

 

“The only reason you want to get straight A’s and shit is to get in some fancy college, right?” She said, some of the venom gone from her voice.

 

 “Right… so are you saying you don’t want to go to one of those fancy colleges?”

 

I was having some difficulty following her logic, but I suspected there was something besides her ability or ambition at play here.

 

“If that was all it took, that’d be no problem. Grades aren’t enough when a quarter of the class has the same GPA, so they use all the extra stuff. Extracurricular activities.”

 

“Yeah, I know that. You haven’t even started high school yet. I don’t think they really look at what you did or didn’t do during middle school…”

 

 

She took a deep breath, then stood and took her plate, and calmly set it in the sink. With light steps, as if attempting to sneak past, she made for the hallway. I would’ve let her go, had she not looked quite so peeved. What could I have said, or maybe didn’t say, that upset her so much?

 

Moving quickly I blocked the doorway, laying my hands on her shoulders. Laska looked glared at me, but didn’t move to break from my hold.

 

“Honey, I’m sorry if I upset you, but if you don’t tell me what’s going on I can’t help you.”

 

“There’s nothing going on. I just don’t want to have to deal with all that extra shit. So it’s just like, why bother?” A dry, bitter smile replaced her glare. “Let’s just say that I’m content with going to a regular old local school. Okay?”

 

Something besides anger had rushed into her as well; I only noticed as I saw her eyes take on a watery sheen. I lowered myself slightly so I was eye level with her, hoping maybe she’d say more. She blinked a few times, but said nothing.

 

One of her eyes could then no longer contain itself, letting a tiny drop run partway down her cheek. When I wiped it off her with my thumb, her bitter smile became a genuine one. I sighed.

 

“…Okay. I’ll let you off the hook this time, but please Laska – don’t close yourself off to me.” I then gave her a firm hug that sent her arms splaying off to the sides before she pushed herself free and acted like I was smothering her.

 

“Yeah, sorry for getting all worked up…” she said with a little laugh.

 

“And, in case you’re wondering, I’ll be asking you about this later. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but eventually.”

 

She frowned slightly, then sighed. “Fine, I guess… “

 

Laska trickled by me, stopping by her room for a change of clothes before heading to the shower.

 

For the rest of the day I racked my brain trying to think of what upset her so much. I think it had to do with those extracurricular things she mentioned, but had no idea why they were so troubling for her. When I spoke to Eralia about it later that night, she seemed equally as confused. Eventually we settled on the whole thing being a quirk of her adolescence.

 

--

 

A month later, while the three of us were at a motocross track, I was reminded of her small fit for some reason.

 

Watching Laska speak and move about with others that were many years older than her, I couldn’t figure out why Zoe was still her only friend. The first time we came here she clung to Eralia the entire time, hardly uttering a word. And now here she was, mingling in the group as well as anyone else.

 

Eralia and I spent a rather good deal of time Laska-watching; I was in a chair and she was standing just behind me.

 

“Nice to see her getting along so well,” I said, looking up at Eralia. She looked down and smiled, but before she could say anything a bead of sweat dripped off her nose onto my face.

 

“Egh, that’s gross,” I moaned, wiping my face off with a hand.

 

Eralia rolled her eyes. “You’re going to call that gross when we’ve shared far more, and far dirtier fluids than that?” She said with a wink and sultry smile. The bulky leathers and armor she wore concealed most of her figure, and sweat had matted down her hair and fur - not exactly the sexiest image to go along with her words.

 

“One is love and the other is sweating onto someone, so yes, one of those could be considered ‘gross.’

 

“Well then,” she said, bending over to kiss me, rubbing her face sweat on me at the same time. “I just have to make it about love then~”

 

“Why do you two always have to do that?” Laska moaned, escaping from the crowd and sun under our canopy and letting herself collapse into a chair.

 

Eralia looked up and giggled. “It’s one of the perks of being in love.”

 

Laska spit her with an ornery glare, then looked at me. Like Eralia, she looked an absolute sweaty mess. Rummaging around in the cooler next to the chair, she fished out a bottle of water and then chugged the entire thing in moments.

 

“Hot out there, huh?” I asked.

 

“A little, yeah,” Laska replied, wriggling about to shimmy out of her armor and leathers.

 

She wore a compression suit designed to wick away sweat, but the tight, stretchy garment did little to protect even her modesty. At least she had the foresight to wear panties underneath after what happened the first time she wore it.

 

I glanced up at Eralia, who was still standing above and behind me. Without words, she instantly understood my pain and pat me lightly on the shoulder. But, she was not to remain and help me through my difficulties.

 

“I’m gonna head back out for a bit,” she said, donning her helmet. She had to gently tuck her ears down and back across her head, then carefully wiggling the helmet on to avoid shifting her ears. Supposedly it wasn’t as uncomfortable as it looked due to the slight indentations made in the padding and shell so her ears weren’t being squashed flat. Laska’s was much the same, though her wider, more triangular ears required a different set of reliefs.

 

Gloves on, she walked back out into the blazing sun and lifted her bike off its stand. Kicking it to life, she took off towards the entrance to the course.

 

“Well, having fun?” I said after a period of silence.

 

Laska was reclined back in the chair, a rag soaked in ice water on her forehead. “You know it… but the heat is a killer today.”

 

“That it is… I figure it’s for the best that I avoid anything today so I can ferry both of you back home when you’re passed out from exhaustion.”

 

For the past week we’d been having temperatures far above normal for this time of the month, and I was sweating even while sitting in the shade with a fan pointed at me. I don’t know how those two girls, or anyone else, can stand it.

 

Laska and Eralia had been going out in 15 to 20 minute stints, then would come in to cool off for an hour or so. I was a bit hesitant to come out today due to the heat, but it was the last practice before Laska’s first race in two weeks, and Eralia’s first race in several years. They wouldn’t be together in the same race since they had different classes of bikes, and Eralia was in the expert group.

 

Giving a grunt as reply, Laska continued to remain motionless as she relaxed. Without her to speak with, I was left alone with the sounds of small-displacement two and four-stroke engines screaming around. At least, that’s how it was for a few minutes.

 

A group of people wandered over, acknowledging Laska and myself. They were all guys, of course, and the youngest appeared to be at least 17 or 18. Still, Laska made herself part of the group easily enough. Their discussion ranged from the weather, to riding technique, things they wanted to do to their bikes. The conversation may have been innocent, but their obvious glances to her chest and crotch were… difficult for me to deal with.

 

I swallowed my pride as a father and vowed not say anything, not wanting to risk chasing them off. It was only natural, I suppose, for young men to behold what they’re shown – despite her age she had assets most 20-year-olds would kill for. And, I begrudgingly allowed it since they did actually consider her words and opinions on things, rather than acting the part to catch a show.

 

That was the important part. I think.

 

Throughout the day the cycle continued – Laska would ride, come back, and a crowd would soon form around her. I chalked it up to her friendly attitude, but I’m sure her looks played some part in it. Much to my surprise, the scars that adorned her face wound up being something the majority of the guys here liked. From the bits and pieces of conversations I’d picked up, the comments on her scars ranged from simple comments like ‘they’re cool,’ to one guy talking about how they were badges of honor from trials she’d endured and survived.

 

Watching and listening to all this, I could not reconcile the Laska I saw here with the quiet, timid Laska that trudged to and from her classes. If she could be this social and congenial here, why did she have such difficulty with her peers at school?

 

 

 

Soon the sun began to sat, and the course was closed for the day. We – or rather I – loaded up the trailer. Eralia and Laska had climbed into the back of the truck, leaving me alone up front once I was done.

 

In one of the first motherly scenes I’d seen from the pair, Laska had laid her head down in Eralia’s lap, and the two dozed off as her ears were stroked by the woman she had called a whore not all that long ago. How things change.

 

--

 

Summer marched on, the days rushing by far faster than they had any right to. Laska finished sixth in her first race – something I was certainly proud of considering her inexperience and the fact she was in a grid of almost 20 bikes. Eralia showed everyone that an old anubis wasn’t to be trifled with, placing a solid second.

 

Not to be content with what they had, both of them looked forwarded to more practice sessions and another race near the end of the summer. Sadly Laska did a bit worse, coming up in eighth. Eralia managed to snag first, however, and took home a small trophy she placed with her others on a crowded bookshelf. Laska moped for a while, but soon was back to needling Eralia for information on how to get better.

 

The racing season continued through the fall, with Laska pestering me the entire while about how she could afford to miss a few days of school. Finally I gave in after Eralia joined in on her side, taking her to the track a few times until the end of October. Her placements and times continued to steadily improve, but she was never quite happy with things. If only she could be so competitive and passionate about school… what’s a father to do?

 

Laska’s grades remained about the same as they’d been at the end of eighth grade; somewhere in the low 3s. Her effort, or rather lack thereof, only solidified my feelings that she was more than capable of being a 4.0 student. I’d avoided broaching the topic with her for many months, but I felt like it was time to bring it up again. The problem was that it was easy for her to avoid and dodge at home, so I thought about a way to sort of make her a captive audience.

 

Then, during the winter break of Laska’ 9th year, I came up with an idea. It’d been a while since we got to do something with just the two of us, so I proposed a three day camping trip – somewhere relatively remote that would only be accessible by snowmobile. It’d be fun, I thought, along with giving both of us the chance to ride something new.

 

Laska seemed a little iffy at first, but agreed after a day of thought, saying she’d like the chance to spend some time along with me.

 

--

 

At the so-called ‘base-camp,’ there was little more than a large building I assumed to be some sort of maintenance building, and a smaller one that appeared to the office. Thanks to the snowfall of the previous few days, everything was covered in several inches of the fluffy powder.

 

Laska went over to one of the snowmobiles and began pacing around the machine. “Hmmm, controls are more like an ATV’s than a bike’s.”

 

“Is that so?” I said, walking towards the office building.

 

Satisfied by her cursory inspection, she jogged over to me as I opened the door and slipped inside.

 

The man inside gave us a map and told us where to go, along with a pair of keys for the snowmobiles – though he called them sleds.

 

Attaching our equipment to the sleds, we then set off down the trails. Fortunately the place was laid out in a friendly manner, with clearly marked and well-groomed paths.

 

Unfortunately I had allowed Laska to be the lead.

 

She started off easy enough, meandering down the trails at a leisurely pace. As she got used to the handling of the thing, she began to wick up the pace. All while apparently unconcerned with our supplies that were inches behind her. Or me.

 

It was a struggle to keep up with her; she whipped around corners, powered up hills, and slammed down hard after clearing the crests. Really, it was a miracle we got to our campsite with everything we’d brought.

 

“If you’re going to go that fast, at least wait until we don’t have all our things with us,” I’d said, scowling at her.

 

She pulled her goggles up over the helmet, then looked at everything strapped to the back of her sled.

 

“Er, oops? Guess I kind of forgot.”

 

I rolled my eyes. “Laska, please. That excuse might work if you were an airhead.”

 

As she removed her helmet, her ears sprung up under the balaclava, tenting it slightly. Removing that, her ears twitched and wriggled fiercely now that they were freed from their woolen prison. Was this part of a ploy using her cute antics to make me less angry? Well, it was working.

 

“So I may have gotten a little carried away… everything’s fine, isn’t it?” she said, clouds of white vapor appearing in front of her mouth.

 

Due to her paws she didn’t require cold weather gloves; something I was a little envious of… though looking at them, they had become full of snow and ice. Brushing them off, and then rubbing her arms against her jacket, she looked highly annoyed when her attempts at ice removal were not working.

 

“That’s not the point… look, just help me get everything setup, alright?” I said, leaving my balaclava on to hide my smile.

 

 

 

Setting up camp took a bit longer than I had anticipated. Clearing away snow was easy enough, but then a series of challenges awaited us. First, the frozen ground had proven resilient to driving a stake into it, requiring Laska find a large rock to use as a hammer press. That problem solved, the second made itself known in the form of a strong, sheer wind that rapidly changed direction. Every time we’d attempt to raise the tent, a gust would nearly rip the thing from our hands. Through some careful timing and attempted wind blocking by me while Laska fed the supports through the fabric, we finally managed to get it upright as the last vestiges of daylight slipped away.

 

Scrambling inside our canvas shelter, I fired up the propane range that pulled double duty as our heater and stove along with a kerosene lantern.

 

Laska appeared shortly after, tossing our sleeping bags inside followed by a bag full of things she’d brought along with food. I helped her unroll and setup our make-shift bedding, and she promptly collapsed atop one of them and began stripping off her thick layers until all she had left was her sweater, sweatpants, and a thin thigh-length flannel jacket.

 

She hovered her paws above the warm currents generated by the propane range, letting out a relieved sigh while I escaped my heavy winter clothing.

 

“So, are we having fun yet?” she asked sarcastically, looking my way with her reddened, wind-burned face.

 

“It’s… a little colder and windier than the forecasts said… but sure.”

 

Laska flopped back down on her sleeping bag, then rolled to face me. “A little? It was supposed to be just below freezing. And not wind so gusty it feels like it’s raping you right through your pants. I hope I get feeling down there back soon,” she groaned.

 

“Oh, sure. That’s just what I want to hear from my daughter. Thanks for letting me know.” I was beginning to think Eralia was a negative influence, rather than positive, on my poor Laska.

 

She flashed me a mischievous grin, then stretched out and sought refuge within the bag. “Yeah, she said you’re weak to those sorts of topics,” Laska said as she burrowed rather cat-like inside the warm confines.

 

“Only when it comes to you,” I said with a sigh, reaching into our sack of provisions. A toothy grin is all I received as a reply as she watched me.

 

My stomach rumbled slightly, and I’d realized it’d been some time since we ate. Now was as good of a time as any to cook something. Rummaging about, I settled on a can of hot dogs and beans. I held up the can, then pointed it at Laska. “Time for some good ole’ fashioned camping chow, eh?”  

 

Her grin vanished, replaced by a look of apprehension. Which made me smile.

 

 

 

 

 

“So, what now?” Laska asked as our not-so-delightful meal concluded.

 

“Well,” I began, “we could go out there –“ to which the wind buffeted the walls of our tent in perfect time, “or we could stay in here and hope it’s a little warmer tomorrow.”

 

Basking in her warm confines, Laska gave an exaggerated shiver and hugged herself. “I’m fine here for now, I think.”

 

“Mmm. I agree,” I said as I turned the range to a low setting to conserve fuel, and then checked the lantern to make sure it wasn’t burning too quickly. “An early night, I suppose?”

 

Laska nodded, then reached over to grab her bag and plucked a book from within. I thought about reading as well, but the day had left me a bit tired, so I elected to simply close my eyes.

 

Gradually falling into sleep, I didn’t quite make it there before being pulled back awake.

 

“Hey, dad,” Laska called out softly.

 

Turning to look at her, she had nestled so deeply within the confines of her sleeping bag, only the barest hints of her face were visible in the pale glow of the lantern.

 

“What’s up sweetie?” I said, rubbing the almost-sleep from my eyes.

 

Pulling back the top portion of the bag slightly, most of her head was revealed along with her ears as they sprang up. “Aren’t you… gonna ask me stuff?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Well, I thought you wanted to do this so we could talk or something.”

 

Pretty sharp of her, I thought. Or, was I that transparent?

 

“Well, sure, but I don’t want to force you, nor will I sit here and interrogate you. If you want to talk about something, then I’m game, but if you don’t want to, that’s fine too. Really, I just wanted to spend some time alone with you since it’s been a while.” I said as I closed my eyes again. Being pulled awake when inches from falling asleep sure made one feel miserably tired.

 

 I heard her rustle about, and when I opened my eyes I discovered she had drawn a little closer, scooting her bag closer to me.

 

“Cold or something?”

 

Her face flushed a little red, making me wonder what she had planned. I thought she was over her… confused love for me.

 

“Ah, no… I was just… wondering…”

 

“Just wondering…”

 

“Well… this is going to sound stupid… but I was wondering if we could share? It’s not that I’m cold…”

 

Fifteen years old and she’s still the same as she was when she was five in so many ways. “Aww, you’re just as affectionate as always,” I said with a chuckle. She fussed nervously, but seemed relieved that I was aware of what she was going on about without further explanation.

 

We unfurled our bags, undoing the zippers to make larger sections we then combined into one large, two-person bag. Admittedly, I thought it’d be a bit… well, weird, and I wasn’t entirely sure of her motives, but reliving a bit of the past didn’t sound so bad. Sticking on that thought for a moment, I also wondered if maybe she was still a bit too clingy. Now that I thought more on it, I wondered if any other fathers ever let their teenage daughters cuddle with them in bed? Purely platonic, of course, but still. I also wondered if it was wise to indulge her childish desires at this point in her life.

 

Well, whatever, she’s my daughter, and I’ll spoil her if I want to.

 

Laska snuggled into my arms just like when she was a kitten, and I must say it was nice. Holding Eralia was one experience – one of romance and passion, but Laska was just like I remembered it. If I had to describe it, it’d be like I was giving her somewhere safe to hide – from the world and herself.

 

“Hey dad?”

 

“What’s up?”

 

“If you want, let’s chat tomorrow… I… do have some things on my mind. Is that okay?”

 

Scratching her ears, drawing happy purrs from her, I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather do. “Sure. You know I’ll always lend an ear.”

 

“…Thanks. I love you dad, even if I don’t say it much as I think I should.” She said quietly, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

 

“Don’t worry about it too much, honey. I love you too.”

 

Turning off the lantern, I relished this moment silently in the dark. It was one of those things were I knew she loved me, but it still filled me with joy whenever she hugged me or said it. At least for one more night, she was my sweet little girl all over again.

 

But, memories have a funny way of leaving out the undesirable moments, which Laska was all too eager to help me relive, even if she wasn’t aware of it. Apparently the franks and beans didn’t sit too well with her, ensuring I had to keep my head well clear of the covers. Fortunately, I guess, her deep slumber prevented her from becoming terribly embarrassed.

 

The subtle joys of fatherhood.

 

--

 

Tomorrow saw us waking with the dawn, or rather, I awoke and when I attempted to escape Laska’s clutches she woke as well. She smiled sheepishly, thanking for me indulging her girlish wishes. Seems her earlier problems had subsided, leaving her blissfully unaware. It was for the best, really.

 

Mercifully, the howling wind and brutal cold of the previous day had passed. While it would be a stretch to say it was pleasant, the shining sun and ‘typical’ temperatures meant we didn’t have to bundle in multiple layers just to venture outside.

 

My attempts at starting a fire were… pitiful, to say the least. Laska watched on, highly amused by my futile efforts. Apparently my notions that frozen wood meant dry wood were horribly ill-conceived. She then had the idea to use some of the gasoline for our sleds to help things along, until I reminded her that it was two-stroke fuel, so it had oil in it that would likely linger in the smoke – and we would be using this fire to cook on. If she was willing to risk it, I guess I would be as well.

 

Laska then declined her idea to use the gasoline.

 

Eventually we wound up gathering up enough twigs and crispy leaves to get something going. It took us nearly an hour to make a fire, proving that neither of us were exactly ‘outdoorsman’ material.

 

Using a heavy cast-iron skillet, I created a nice, greasy camp-fire breakfast of scrambled eggs with bits of sausage, bacon, cheese, and other things tossed in to create some kind of pseudo-omelet. It was surprisingly tasty; probably due to the excess of butter I used to grease the pan. I had expected Laska to give me some typical teenage grumblings about how it’d make her fat, but she hadn’t a care in the world about it – not that she was in any danger of being fat, or even chubby. Girl could eat whatever she wanted without giving a damn.

 

I was sure Eralia secretly cursed her whenever we ate, now that I thought about it.

 

Most of the day was spent hiking around, looking at this or that as we explored places. It brought me back, in a way, to when Laska was new to my home, and I would walk around with her as she explored the neighborhood. Somehow I felt like some things didn’t change, no matter what our ages might be.

 

For the most part, anyways. Though I wasn’t what would be considered ‘old’ by any stretch, my sedentary life combined with middle-age made it a bit difficult to keep up with her at times when she’d scramble up a hill or some such.

 

Laska seemed to enjoy herself; she wore a goofy little grin most of the day. It wasn’t too bad for myself either, really. Getting away from the day-to-day life, even when it’s a good life by most standards, can be an invigorating experience. Plus, I think being able to spend some time alone with Laska had something to do with my relative happiness. Sure I loved Eralia, but with her around it seemed like it created a little bit of distance between Laska and me.

 

But, watching her smile down at me after climbing up a near-vertical rocky outcropping, perhaps the distance was just a figment of my imagination. If there had been any separation between us, it certainly wasn’t apparent out here. I had to laugh, wondering if vestiges of my past self-doubt still lingered somewhere in my mind.

 

We began to head back as the sun sank halfway down the horizon, having thoroughly explored everything nearby our campsite. There was a small ski slope within walking distance that wasn’t listed on the guide I checked out for this place – we decided try it out tomorrow, even though neither of us had ever skied before.

 

Back at our quaint camp I made hamburgers for dinner, though I skipped the beans this time around in case Laska wanted to sleep together again tonight. She was curious as to why I left them out, to which I replied that I didn’t feel like it. It wasn’t a complete lie…

 

As night fell and the temperatures plummeted, we retreated into the tent for the evening. I’d expected her to immediately want to talk about whatever she mentioned last night, but she went straight for a book on sportbike racing – she’d mentioned wanting to try them out sometime. Dirt bikes I could handle, but thinking about her screaming down a back straight at over 150mph and then tipping into a tight corner at 60-70mph was a bit… worrying.

 

She glanced up at me and smiled, maybe somehow aware that I was thinking about her. I pulled out a book of my own to read, and settled in next to her in the still-joined bed rolls. Sometime later, I’m not sure how long it was, Laska clapped her book shut, set it aside, then sat up.

 

Looks like she’d finished organizing her thoughts about whatever it is she wanted to talk about.

 

“Hey, dad.”

 

“Yes, dear?” I responded, setting my novel aside.

 

“I…er…” she trailed off, fidgeting with herself. Then she sighed. Her tail was twitching back and forth in a way I’d come to associate with feelings of anxiety.

 

“Do you remember when we talked about why I wasn’t applying myself, or whatever you said, in school?”

 

“I do, yes. Want to talk about it now?” I said, sitting up as well.

 

She glanced at me, then resumed looking down at her paws. “And I said there was no point, because of extracurricular stuff… Well, what I meant was that keeping up high grades doesn’t matter ‘cause you need stupid clubs and shit, right?”

 

“…Right…”

 

Laska inhaled sharply, holding it a moment before letting it out slowly. “Well… that’s part of it. All the things they have are kinda… dumb, or boring, and it’s like, I don’t want to force myself to do something I’ll hate with people I hate, just for a chance at getting into a ‘good’ school I might not even want to attend.” She said, her words coming out in a blurted rush.

 

I crossed my arms and tilted my head pensively, considering what she was getting at. There wasn’t really much to be embarrassed or skittish about, so maybe she was just scratching at the surface of things before she continued further. It escaped me at first, but then I realized something she’d said.

 

“People you hate?”

 

Turning about to face me now, she looked in my eyes for a moment. “Yeah, it’s like… they’re so… annoying,” she said, her face scrunching up.

 

Interesting. I’d never consider that she disliked her classmates; I’d always assumed it was the other way around. Now that I think about it, it does make a bit of sense. She’s already been ‘different’ in her likes and personality from other girls her age.

 

“The human girls just chat about stupid shit like TV or some celebrity that’s cute, other monster girls talk about their conquests and how much action they’re getting. And the guys… well, they treat me like… I’m… a freak or ugly or something, and they’re no better than the monster girls in talking about how much they get ‘raped.’ It’s not rape if you want it!”

 

Laska snorted, her voice escalating to highlight her incredulity.

 

Reflecting on what she’d said, I could see the points she was making, even if we were drifting away from the initial topic. I was skeptical, however, of her claims that she found them annoying simply because of those things. However I looked it at, the most likely case was that since she was not… ‘getting any,’ she resented those that were. But, given that she’s had opportunities, such as when Eralia took her out, it didn’t make much sense to me. If she wanted sex so badly, why wouldn’t she just, well, do it? If she was waiting for love, then why did she dislike those that engaged in loveless intimacy? As much as I wanted to delve deeper into her thoughts, I thought it’d be best to return to the original subject first. Not that I wanted to avoid talking to my daughter about her sex life or anything, no.

 

“I see… so you’re content to settle with being ‘good enough’ because of that?”

 

“Well… I said that it’s a lot of work, too. Like, I think I might be interested in becoming an engineer or something, but I’ve still got a ways to go. And, it’s not like I want to work my ass off in college as well…”

 

“So… you’re lazy?” I groaned. Despite my best efforts, it seems like she picked up on my bad habit of avoiding anything that required a great deal of continued effort.

 

“Lazy? What’s wrong with that?” She said, scowling at me. “Because I don’t want to turn into some kinda work robot it’s a bad thing?”

 

When she put it like that... it was hard to disagree.

 

“Don’t you want to be successful and make a lot of money?” I said, then quickly realized I’d just said the same tired shit she’s likely heard for years.

 

“No… yes! I mean, what is success anyways? Is it measured by how rich you are?” Just as quickly as it flared up, her spitfire attitude waned. “What’s the point of having money if that’s all you have?” She added, hints of melancholy on her voice.

 

What was I to say to her when I coasted through life much the same? How could I explain that the reason for ambition is that it gives us the self-confidence to succeed?

 

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with being happy with what you have. But Laska, I think you’re confusing being grateful for what you have, for not wanting something better.”

 

She gave me a sidelong look, pausing a moment before responding. “I… understand what you mean. I want more than what I have, but I’m also happy that I have what I have… and who I have… but, I want more. You know?”

 

And again she said something that confused me. I could see the common, underlying ideas tying her thoughts together, but I had a hard time believing she could feel so strongly about it her age.

 

“So, let me get this straight. You don’t want to bother with extra stuff for class because you don’t like associating with your classmates. You don’t want to put in that effort to deal with them because you’re still confused about your future. You know you want something more from life, but not precisely what. Am I right?”

 

Her tail swished back and forth a few times and her ears stood tall. “That’s… I guess that’s mostly right.”

 

I nodded my head, cupping my chin in my hand. “Hmmm, I see, I see, that’s quite dire,” I said.

 

Laska blinked at me a few times. “What’s dire?”

 

Placing a hand on her shoulder, I shook my head. “I’m afraid you’re… a typical teenager, Laska.”

 

A red hue rose to her cheeks, and she recoiled away slightly. “Whaaat? I’m nothing like those other… assholes! They all act like they don’t have a care in the world!”

 

“True, you’re more introspective than most kids your age, but… but, I think you focus too much on how you’re different, letting your insecurities get the better of you,” I said, starting with a laugh but ending with a sigh.

 

Those orange eyes of her locked onto mine for the barest of seconds before they darted down to her paws. And then back up to me. “They don’t look like they think about anything… but they just… do it…”

 

“Well, they’re probably just putting on airs. Underneath it all, I guarantee they’re just as unsure about things as you. Though, if I had to say something, it’d be that I think you’re probably more concerned about the consequences of your actions than most. A rare thing for a teenager, but…” I sighed, not sure how to phrase it.

 

“…But?” Laska said, impatient at my hesitance.

 

“But, I think you wind up paralyzing yourself; you never act on something.”

 

Laska sagged down, her ears and tails following along with her body and head. I had expected some sort of rebuttal or another excuse, but it never came. Scooting over, I put my hand around her other shoulder and pulled her against me. She looked sullen as could be while resting her head on my shoulder.

 

“So what should I do?”

 

“Well,” I began with a deep breath, “I think talking about your problem was a good first step, even if I suspect you’re still holding back something from me.”

 

She pulled her lips slightly taut, giving me a surreptitious glance.

 

“The next, I guess, is to just… start doing things that scare you or you’re unsure of.”

 

“Like what?”

 

The time to take my own advice had arrived sooner than I’d hoped, I thought ruefully. I also gave a silent apology to Eralia.

 

“Why not… ask a boy out? I know you haven’t done anything yet…” It pained me so to say it, but I knew her continued virginity was likely a major source of anxiety for her.

 

Laska’s cheeks flushed completely, though she didn’t make an effort to distance herself. “Wha… how do you know that?” She said, glaring. Then she realized. “That traitor!”

 

“That’s a harsh worse, you know. She was only trying to look out for you…”

 

She continued to smolder from her perceived betrayal for a while before speaking in a hushed whisper.

 

“So, you don’t mind…?”

 

I closed my eyes, my desire to protect her combating my desire to see her happy. “Not at all. It’s perfectly normal for a healthy, attractive woman like you to want to… be… intimate,” I said, choking on my words.

 

Then I heard her giggle softly. “You think I’m attractive? Not just cute?”

 

Gods give me strength. “Yes, Laska, you are an attractive young woman, and frankly I’m amazed you don’t have a line of boys following you around.”

 

She sighed, looking down all the while. I hoped I’d not given her the wrong impression, or somehow made her think… things about us. Fortunately, and unfortunately at the same time, she let me know she was over that phase of her life.

 

“Well… there is one guy I kinda like…”

 

It took all I had to avoid biting off my tongue right there, and all my willpower to keep my shattered heart together. This was for her happiness, I kept telling myself. “Oh yeah, who’s that?”

 

Laska finally pushed herself off me, shuffling over so that she could look directly at me. “Well… he’s not one of my classmates… rather, he’s one of the guys that talks to me whenever we go out to the track.”

 

A catalog of faces scrolled by in my mind, trying to figure out who she was talking about. They were all at least three years older than she was. Would it be okay for me to… endorse her actions?

 

“Yeah… he’s really nice to me, and kind of cute… but he’s also kinda quiet and doesn’t speak much unless we happen to be alone together,” she said, looking wistful, speaking in a happy little tone. She’s got it bad and she doesn’t even realize it.

 

“Ah, I see… I think I know who you’re talking about… I think… but if I can ask, have you spoken to Eralia about this at all?”

 

Her ears wiggled back and forth as she shook her head. “Er, no… she’d just tell me to go rape him or something.”

 

Oh, Eralia. That does sound like you.

 

“Do you think he likes you?” I asked, feeling my heart wither a little more with every word she and I spoke on this topic.

 

Grabbing a pillow, she pulled it tight against her chest. “I… don’t know. He’s nice to me, so I think he likes me… but I don’t know if he /likes/ me.”

 

Time to twist the knife myself. “Well, why don’t you ask him out on a date or something? The worst he says is no, right? And then, at least, you no longer have to worry about ‘what ifs.’ “

 

“…You think I should?”

 

“Yeah,” I said, approaching resigned acceptance. “I think you should. You have his phone number or e-mail or something, right?”

 

Laska nodded.

 

“Then give him a call or something when we get home.”

 

She pulled the pillow in tighter to her chest, lowering her head behind it to obscure the bottom half of her face. “But what if he already has someone?”

 

“Laska. What have we been talking about? You can’t let yourself get caught up in wondering about things. You’ll never know if you don’t ask.”

 

She winced, then looked up at me. I’d used a firmer tone than I probably should have, but maybe it was the only way to get through to her.

 

Taking a deep breath, she let out a long, frustrated groan. “You’re… right, dad. I do get caught up in what-ifs too much…”

 

I gave her a half-smile. “At least you recognize it.”

 

“…And sorry for starting off on school, then going straight to my love life…”

 

“It’s all related, anyways. You gotta start somewhere, I suppose, and what teenage girl doesn’t pine for love?”

 

Still holding the pillow to her chest, she fixed her eyes on me. “Thanks dad… I wonder how many girls can talk to their dads like I do with you?”

 

I shrugged, then hung my head. “Who knows? At least it means you trust me when I say you can talk to me about anything. Even if it kills me a little bit,” I said with a smile.

 

Laska laughed and smiled as well. “If.. it’s not too much to ask, could I… snuggle with you again? I really enjoyed it last night… I haven’t slept that well in a long time, even though we’re on the ground.”

 

She had an odd way of phrasing that, but whatever. My little girl would soon be someone else’s woman, so I had to enjoy what I could, right? Our conversation certainly turned to towards what I imagined her ‘real’ problem was in a hurry. Hopefully it’d be the lynchpin that, once resolved, would give her the courage she needed.

 

My thoughts were interrupted as she curled up against me like a kitten, letting slip a content sigh. “…Goodnight, dad. I love you.”

 

Scratching at her ears, I then gave her a kiss on the top of her head. “Goodnight sweetie, love you too.”

 

And, just like I’d said some sort of magic spell, she drifted off to sleep, grinning in her sleep.

 

 

 

--

 

The next day we packed up all out stuff after making breakfast, then set about doing more exploring and tried out skiing. Turns out we’re both quite bad at it, barely able to get down the bunny slopes in one piece.

 

Late in the afternoon we rode the sleds back to the base camp, then hauled our stuff into the car and made for home. It seems our little discussion on boys had opened the floodgates on her questions, and she began to grill me on so many awkward things, mostly pertaining to what I liked about Eralia, and things we did. The entire time I couldn’t help but think she wanted to know what Eralia did for me, so that she could do them for that young man she became fond of. Was I telling my daughter all sorts of dirty things so she could perform them on someone? My mind recoiled at the horror. Several times. And I never even really hit on the kinkier things Eralia and I had done; I don’t think I could ever bring myself to breathe a word of those to her.

 

Mentally exhausted from my intense interrogation by the time we got back home, I ambled into the house like a corpse and collapsed onto the couch. Eralia was concerned, asking me what had happened. I declined to answer. Based on how happily Laska was bounding around, however, I think she had some inkling of what sort of things we talked about.

 

Then, later that night, Laska gave me more bad news when she chirped happily about the fellow she liked, a David, who had accepted her idea for a date. They were planning on meeting next weekend, and she wanted to know if I was really okay with it.

 

“Yeah, sweetie,” I said, fighting back bitter tears. “That’s fine. Just give me some numbers and addresses and try to be home… at I don’t know…” I trailed off.

 

Eralia was lording over me as I slumped down in my chair, grinning like, well, a jackal. She cupped her paws together, holding them to a cheek. “Oh Laska! You’ll have such a great time~”

 

Shrugging me, hopefully because she understood my plight, Laska stood at the entrance to the living room.

 

“Just… be home the following day…”

 

“Sure thing, dad… I’ll go write down his phone number and get his address. He’s gonna pick me up, and then we’re gonna go to a restaurant and then whatever else.”

 

“Oh, no big plans after eating?” Eralia asked

 

“Nah… just a casual dinner then whatever we feel like.”

 

Another impish smile appeared on the sinister anubis’ face. “Yeah, I know what that’s like,” she said, glancing my way.

 

I covered my face with a throw pillow, wondering if I could smother myself with it. Can someone smother themselves to death? Probably not. Damn.

 

--

 

The dreaded day came, and shortly after dusk David arrived to pick up Laska. She was wearing her usual clothing, no dresses or anything special. That made me a little happy, at the very least.

 

As she departed, I felt like I had just lost something that could never be regained.

 

Eralia arrived home not long after, and took pity on my mopey form, promising she’d help take my mind off Laska. I must say she was quite successful at that. Very successful.  Afterwards we whiled away our time, idling chatting and watching TV – basically just trying to keep my mind off of what Laska may or may not be going.

 

For the most part, it was a fairly nice evening, especially when Eralia started getting in the mood again.

 

But, the fun times were not meant to last for long.

 

Sometime after midnight, we heard the front door open. I bolted out into the hallway, expecting to find a burglar, but it was much worse.

 

There was Laska, tears streaming down her face as she trudged inside.