Page 45 of I'll Be the One

“Y-you have Instagram?”

“Of course! Isn’t Facebook on the decline right now? That’s what I read inForbes, anyway. All my college friends use Instagram now.”

I groan. “Time to delete my Instagram.”

I roll my eyes, but secretly, I’m more amused than horrified. Since he’s an engineer, Dad tries his best to keep up with the latest technology, but he’s also always saying things like, “Wow, this used to all be analog when I was your age!” or some equally embarrassing statement. I didn’t know his hobby extended to social media, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Dad lives alone in NorCal, so he must have a lot of time outside of work.

“How on earth do you know Henry Cho?” Dad asks. “Is he in the competition too?”

“Yup, he’s my partner.”

“What? But why didn’t you tell me that before?”

“It’s still a secret! The first episode premieres tonight, remember?”

Dad’s enthusiasm for Henry is so eerily similar to my friends’ reactions that I almost walk away from my house right then and there. But it’s Dad. Unlike Mom or my friends, I know he’ll be my number one fan, no matter what. Or at least, I hope he will.

Dad excitedly throws his hands up in the air when I nod in reply. “Finally, our Skye will grace people’s TVs with her talent! I can’t wait. Watch party!”

I giggle. Only Dad can say silly things like that without making me automatically roll my eyes.

It’s only then that I realize I’ve never really had the chance to update Dad about the competition. So I tell him about everything that’s been going on in the last week or two, minus the Instagram debacle. Luckily, it doesn’t seem like he saw Henry’s post in the brief time it was up. And he doesn’t read any gossip sites, either. Thank God.

When I’m done, Dad makes a really impressed sound. “Wow, look at you. You always work so hard. You’re amazing, Skye. I hope you know that.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

He goes back to pruning the bushes, and I’m about to headinside the house when he says, “Oh, so, Henry Cho. Is he nice? He better be treating you well.”

I cringe. “You make it sound like we’re dating.”

Dad raises his eyebrows, and his expression becomes really stern. I almost laugh. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him look so dad-like. “Are you?”

“No! Of course not. We’re just dance partners. There are a bunch of rumors that we’re together, but really, we just got tacos together. That’s it.”

Dad coughs and turns a little green. “Your mom had The Talk with you, right?”

“Dad! I told you, we’re not dating!”

His coloring becomes slightly more normal, but his face is still unnaturally stiff in a way that makes him look constipated. “Okay. Good. If you two do end up dating... well...” He sighs, and his face finally relaxes like a deflating balloon. “I give up. It’s probably better for you to go to your mom for that sort of thing.”

“I know!” By then, I’m losing it, laughing really loudly despite my embarrassment. After a few milliseconds of looking absolutely mortified, Dad joins in. We laugh until we’re both gasping for air.

“I know,” I say again. “Don’t worry, Dad. I know how to be safe.”

Dad awkwardly scratches his head. “All right, well. Go wash up. I’ll prep dinner in a few minutes.”

“Nah, I got it. You probably need to finish up around theyard, right? I can reheat some of the stuff in the fridge.”

It’s pretty amazing that Dad does the yard work for a house he barely lives in every time he visits from the Bay Area. But that’s my dad. Prepping dinner is a small thing, but it’s something I can do for him.

“You sure?”

“Yup. I always cook and prep food when Mom’s working anyway. How about I make some jjajangmyun? I think we have some instant noodle packets left.”

“Ooh, my favorite! Thank you, Skye. I really appreciate it.”

He grins, and it’s the sort of grin that makes my heart ache with how familiar it is. We have the same dimple on our right cheeks, which makes our smiles nearly identical. I wish I could see his more often. For probably the millionth time, I wish Dad lived with us again.

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