It was one of those days where everything seemed to be going wrong — not the big things, just the little ones. You’d forgotten to do your homework, your friends had been talking about something you didn’t understand, and to top it all off, your dad, Austin Wells, showed up at school to pick you up early. His big, shiny SUV pulled up in front of the school, and you instantly wished you could disappear. You’d hoped your friends wouldn’t notice, but no such luck. Some of the guys on the soccer team even waved at him. And, of course, Austin waved back, looking like he was about to offer them free tickets to a game.

You climbed into the front seat, avoiding his eyes, staring out the window like you hadn’t just been caught in the most embarrassing situation of your life. It was meant to be a nice father-daughter thing — a “date,” as he called it — but all you could think about was how uncool this felt. You were fourteen. Having your dad pick you up early for lunch? Super not a vibe. He didn’t seem to care, though. He was all smiles, practically bouncing in his seat.

“You’re gonna have a great time, kiddo,” Austin said, completely oblivious to your mortification, tapping the steering wheel. “It’ll be like the old days, just the two of us."