Ot oh, what have I done now? A full name summons is never good news.

"Coming.”

I carefully slipped my tiny treasure, well okay, model car, back into its box before heading downstairs. The house seems strangely quiet, Mum's off racing in Spain, Mand's at school, Jules is in Heidelberg of course which leaves just me and Dad who was impatiently finger beating a tattoo on a pile of paperwork.

"What's up?”
"What's up she asks, I'll tell you what's up,” he tapped the paperwork again, "This is what's up!”
From what I could see it looked like some sort of legal stuff, you know, coat of arms, tiny printing, fancy off white paper.
"Er, what is it?”
"What is it she asks,” his face was like thunder, "You've pulled some stunts over the years Gabrielle but really, this takes the biscuit.”

Okay, I'll admit that i've done stuff that, well, may not have been the best decisions but i've never seen Dad this angry and for the life of me I can't think of anything that I might have done recently that would cause this level of ire.

"Um, what am I supposed to've done, if its the door mirror I broke coming through Singen the other day, I meant to tell you.”
"Door mirror? No I don't want to know, don't try deflecting things, you know very well what this is about young lady.”
"I don't, honest.”
If there's one thing I have had drilled into me by my parents its to be honest or bear the consequencies, a philosophy that has bitten back on yours truly more than once.
"So you aren't the daughter who sings with BlauHase and is going on a concert tour with them next month?”
"No, I mean yes, you know I sing with them but I haven't said yes to the tour.”
"So you admit you know about the tour then?” Dad accused.
"Stefan asked a few weeks ago, I said i'd think about it,” I allowed.
"And you didn't think to mention this to your parents?”
"I am seventeen.”
"Not until the weekend you're not and don't take that tone with me.”
what tone? I was just saying.
"So when were you going to tell us?” Pater ploughed on, "When you had your cases packed? I just don't believe you sometimes Gabrielle, people rely on you, at Apollinaris, your Tanz Klub, and what about college, you just going to drop out?”

Whoa, this is getting out of hand.

"Daddy, calm down, i've not even said I'll do the tour for like just those reasons.”
"That's clearly not what your band think.”
"Its true, honest, so er, what is that stuff?”
"This stuff,” he slapped the pile of papers, "Is a contract for me to sign to allow you to do this, this tour.”
"Why've you got to sign it?”
"Because young lady, you are under eighteen and legally your mother and I are still responsible for you.”
"Oh.”
"Oh indeed. So am I signing this?”

To be honest, I didn't know what to say. I slid the top sheet towards me, yep its a contract and yep, Gabrielle Andrea Bond aka Erdbeere, is me – not that anyone calls me any of that, I'm just plain old Gaby to my friends. Yep all of one metre sixty in my stocking feet, hair that is thankfully back to its natural bright blonde and weighing in at about forty kilos wet through, I live with my parents in the Ahrtal a little south of Bonn. My boyfriend Max is the son of the local aristos, I'm quite a good bike rider, taking after my Mum and yes, I sometimes sing with BlauHase, a local Indy Rock band.