TIFFIN

94

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When everything was packed after much stalling, I collapsed on my bed. The phone calls from Hero's mother alone made me exhausted. She was a damper on our relationship and I wasn't sure how much more I could take of it. 

The thoughts of meeting the man who claimed he was my father rested in the back of my mind. We discussed meeting but not specifically. I was still turning the idea around in my head. 

I knew if I ever brought it up to Hero, he'd squish the idea immediately. 

I couldn't meet the man until I was sure it was safe to do so. I couldn't meet until I was sure about my present parents. 

Well, not exactly present. My 'father' had told me to not contact them and I hadn't. They hadn't bothered to get ahold of me either.

When I finally met Hero outside the dorms with my boxes, he made me drop them, giving me a bone crushing hug, unwilling to let go. 

"What's wrong?" He asked. 

"Huh?" 

"You're stiff." He pointed out. "Something's bothering you. I can tell."
 
"Nothing just..." I trailed off, not wanting to bother him with his mother's vitriol. "I'm stressed about the job." 

Hero thumbed my cheek. "Don't. It's your dream job, isn't it? It'll be fine. Have you gone to the college to ask them to drop your classes?" 

"Not yet. I just finished packing."

Hero huffed, rolling his eyes. "I suppose we can do it together."

As he and I fit my boxes into his car, I smiled. We'd survived without fights. Though his attitude was still there most days, I didn't mind. I would rather have one thing over the other. 

After we finished speaking to the front office, I was surprised at how willing they were to comply. The receptionist had been a bit impatient, but we were in and out within thirty minutes.

On our way to the apartment, I decided to spark up a conversation with Hero that I definitely knew he'd be against.
 
"Can I talk to you about something?"

Hero took a quick glance at me, with his hands still on the wheel. 

"Sure?"

"You know that picture I was given the night we went to the tattoo parlor?" I asked, nervous. 

I saw Hero's head turn the barest inch in my direction, interested. 

"Oh, yeah."

I pictured the photo in my mind, the brown-haired girl still such a mystery. 

"I can't get it out of my mind. It's still strange that it was sent to me, don't you think?"

Hero cleared his throat, past a lump I would guess. 

"It's very strange. I think it would be a good idea to throw it in the dump. What if it is from a creep like Luke? Or worse. I don't want you exposed to that."

I giggled. "Hero... Luke's far from a creep."

Hero spared a glare my way. "You sure about that?"

I raised an eyebrow, challenging this theory. "Yes. He never did anything perverted with me- if he did, I would have told you."

His hands tightened around the steering wheel. "Sometimes, his face makes me want to kill him..."

I ignored this comment. If I fought him anymore on this, it would only result in a fight. I knew that. Could this be the formula for stepping around confrontations with us in the future? To change the subject? It sure was helpful.