Harper's Rules 1 & 2

Chapter 4: Harper

The longass drive from Santa Cruz down to Los Angeles, home of the campus of my newly-transferred-to UCLA, was scenic but just as boring as when I listened while Dad discussed his legal cases. Fortunately he drove separately, and his silver Mercedes lingered a few car lengths behind me.

I was eternally grateful that Dad allowed me to stay home the first three years after high school, the first two and a half of which I attended basic studies classes at Cabrillo Community College. As a juvenile defense lawyer who co-owned his own practice and also collaborated with the county and state's district attorney's offices, Dad was insanely busy and our house was definitely quiet when I grew up. But, with that silence came privacy, independence, and a longer leash than I deserved. And my for sure sacrificed privacy was for sure going to be a huge adjustment.

A senior-year transfer probably seemed unusual, but I had taken an unconventional post-high school approach. I'd planned to study the basic coursework at Cabrillo for two years then transfer once I'd selected a major, but I aimlessly drifted between classes that left me at the beginning of my junior year with nothing that interested me.

Even after weeks went by, I still had no clue what I wanted for a career. Unlike Ellie, who was our high school salutatorian, I was a mediocre student at best. My patience with school was limited and tolerance for reading, memorization, and studying less so. I carried an almost 3.0 GPA at Cabrillo, which was respectable enough. However, across all twenty community college classes I'd taken in my first two years there, not a damn one interested me enough that I pursued another class, let alone career, on any subject.

Math, no.

History? Fuck no.

Science? Double penetration fuck no.

Anything ending in '-ology'? Pop in a third for a spit roast fuck fuck fuck no.

I knew what I hadn't wanted to study but Dad's kick in my ass at the beginning of my junior year, right when Logan transferred to UW to woo back Ellie, definitely booted me in the right direction. My spidey senses tingled at the uncharacteristic sight of Dad in the kitchen on a late Saturday morning, where he paced back and forth along the edge of the kitchen island.

"Harper!" he blurted out suddenly. "You're always welcome here..."

I looked up at the way his voice strained as it faded out and saw he'd stopped, leaned against the counters, and crossed his arms over his chest. A deep frown creased between his eyebrows, magnified by his frameless glasses.

There's a but coming.

"But you shouldn't," he finished. "I've been pretty lenient -"

"Too lenient." I snorted into my spoonful of Lucky Charms. "Is there a point here?"

Apparently my flippant response struck a nerve in Dad because his eyes hardened and jaw tightened. "You need to grow up already, Harper!"

"Dad -" I started but he held up one hand.

"You're living your life like you're stuck in no-man's land." He sighed and dipped his chin downward, which struck me harder than his previous tirade. "You have no major, no employment possibilities in mind, no plan, no direction!"

He's not wrong, but the delivery... savage for Dad.

I narrowed my eyes at his tall, slim frame. Dad was the odd combination of a guy who was in decent shape despite the fact he never exercised and most of his meals were eaten out of a to-go box. He was decently attractive, worked hard and was well off financially, but his personality was drier than dust.

That said, my vagina nearly fell off when he said, "I know this makes me the biggest hypocrite but I'm also worried about how I've never seen you in a steady relationship. Have you ever dated someone exclusively, Harper!?"