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I leaned up against the pillar as mom rang the doorbell.
“Not too late to turn around,” I suggested half-heartedly but she chuckled and shook her head. I wondered what she thought of just then. Probably my father. She always used to tell me that I reminded her of him sometimes. I hated it. I didn’t ever want to be compared to such a low life. Look who’s talking, though; the kid that’s just dropped out of high school.
“Welcome back! Come in, I’ll take your coats.” Mrs. Fuentes brought us inside and we stepped into the familiar open space. “Kellin, dear? May I take your coat?” I looked at her plainly and shook my head. No way this lady would make me vulnerable, even if it was just my coat she’d be taking.
“So, when is dinner being served then?” I asked. Mom hit me. “Sorry,” I said and walked off with them talking behind me.
I wandered around the house just to get a full scope of what my mom would be dealing with. With each step I took and room I explored, I found myself loathing my decision to do so.
Everything was so different. So fancy. So privileged. We didn’t have a single thing that was in this house. Not even the floor colors were similar to that of our own and I cursed under my breath with each new color I counted.
“This is so fucking dumb,” I whispered to myself. I clenched my fist tightly and looked down at it. I couldn’t punch anything or anyone in here. Not even myself. So I unclenched it slowly and looked up.
“Are you okay?” I saw Vic had come in the same room as me when I became aware again and I just looked at him. He was so different than me. God, even what he wore made me mad and he was my age.
“When does this dinner thing start?” I asked with a squint of my eyes.
“Well, usually we just relax first. Mark is cooking dinner now, though. I’m sure he can get you something if you wan-“
“Who?” I asked forcefully. Vic stepped back a bit. He looked nervous. More so than he was when I first saw him.
“M-Mark. The chef.” He gave a small smile to me but I just took a deep breath. Have they someone to cook for them? Was going in the kitchen and looking at a recipe not good enough?
I walked out of the room and left Vic to follow me. I hoped to find my mom but, instead, I was welcomed to a table of Mr. and Mrs. Fuentes and her waiting for us.
“Vic’s found you, I see! Come sit. We can talk while we wait.” Mr. Fuentes pulled out a chair for me like I was some disabled kid that needed help. I sat down and Vic filled the seat next to me but I paid no mind.
“Kellin, what grade are you in?” He asked. I looked at him in thought. How would he react if I told him I dropped out? Would he kick me out? Get mad?
“I dropped out, sir,” I said plainly. He looked at me with no change in expression and nodded.
“Why?” He pressed.
“Why?” I repeated.
“Yes, why?”
“It was bullshit.”
“Language,” My mother warned but still looked at me with a warm profile and I felt at ease. Sure, I was always on guard and cautious but mom was always better at social interactions than I was so I trusted her.
“Sorry,” I corrected. “School just isn’t for me and it didn’t make sense if I was barely there anyway.”
I looked at Mrs. Fuentes after. I wondered what she was thinking. She probably hated me for my word choice and reason to drop out. She probably thought my mom was the same. How dare she?
“My mom, on the other hand, is the polar opposite. She graduated high school and college. She’s very accomplished.”
“We know, dear, don’t worry. She’s simply an amazing woman!” Mrs. Fuentes said as I stopped. I nodded when she was done. She went back to speaking with mom, though, so I made my rounds to Vic. He sat there with his hands in his lap as he played with his fingernails. I wondered what he was thinking, just the same.
“Sounds interesting, Kellin.” Mr. Fuentes said to me. I shrugged. “What do you like to do?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Well, what is the one thing you want to accomplish later down the road?”
“I’m not sure,” I said again after little to no thought. This man was an enigma and I couldn’t take much more. I wanted out.
“I want an answer by Saturday afternoon when we have our lunch, you and I.”
“What? No. I’m not going.” I said. I pinched myself for my mom when I realized how rude that was, though. “I mean, no thank you, sir.” Although, Mr. Fuentes just smiled at me.
“Let’s eat!” He exclaimed as Mark came out with the food. The dinner wasn’t that bad, not at all. I actually enjoyed myself but a part of me wanted to continue to hate everything about what was going on.
But when I looked at mom, she smiled and laughed and enjoyed herself with Mr. and Mrs. Fuentes and that’s what put me in a state of content. I didn’t care if I was uncomfortable so much, just as long as my mom was being treated fairly and smiling.
“Do you have siblings?” I found myself asking Vic. We hadn’t talked too much this dinner but I did catch him looking at me a little more than a few times. Once, I looked at him back and he blushed. It was pretty abnormal.
“Uh, yeah. Just one.” He said with his voice crack. It went from low to high, and back down to low again and I looked at him weirdly again. He put his head down in response, though.
“What’s wrong?” I asked with a nudge to the arm. I wanted him to look at me when I spoke to him. Afterall, I was a stupid guest in his house.
“What?”
“Did I do something wrong because you just became awkward, man.”
“No, no but thank you for before.”
“Before?” I asked. What was he talking about? God, he was like his dad. I had no clue about what was going on.
“Punching that kid in the face. It meant a lot so thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. I do it a lot.” I passed off just Vic kept looking at me like he wanted to know more and more about me. Jokes on him.
“Is that why you dropped out?”
“Excuse me?” I sounded. He got small again but, soon, stood his ground. Finally, I’m noticing this kid’s balls and toughness. Even if it a small thing to “stand up” for.
“Did you drop out because you fought a lot?”
“No, I dropped out because school is dumb.”
“What do you mean?” He questioned with a tilt of his head. His hair fell down a bit on his face and I took notice of every strand. It was so floppy and looked soft. I’ve never seen a guy’s hair be a soft-looking as his.
“Well, don’t you go?”
“I’m homeschooled.” He said with a goofy, upbeat tone. It was the weirdest thing to be happy about but I ignored it.
“Figures,” I chuckled and Vic gave another smile. I nodded and looked over to my mom again. She was smiling. So I looked over to Vic and smiled back.
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