𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐲'𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞

32 | 𝐴 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟'𝑠 𝐴𝑐𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

"What are you doing?" I pestered, staring at him.

He popped his circular piece of jewelry onto his lip and I'd almost forgotten he had a lip ring in the first place. "I don't know, I feel like wearing it today," he told me, glancing up to the taxi driver who drove down a suburban road.

"Are you nervous?" I wondered, looking up at him, avoiding my fingers that continuously knotted together. If anything, I was nervous.

He shook his head more rigidly. "Rhy, this is just like the last time we went out..." His chest was tight as he spoke. "Giada told us that this address would lead me to my biological aunt who's good at these types of things. She's in criminal justice for Christ sakes--"

"I know, but..." My voice trailed, and I didn't know why. There was so much on my mind at the moment and being that it was Christmas Eve didn't exactly help. "Happy Hanukkah day," I murmured under my breath.

He stifled a laugh. "Hanukkah ended December eighteenth."

"Fuck! You should've told me!" I responded, slapping his arm playfully with a grin. "I'm not Jewish, I don't know."

"Well, I'll make sure you know next time around," he assured. "And thanks, I needed a good laugh. I guess I am a little nervous--"

"I know that!" I chortled, inching closer against the backseat of the taxi to him. "It will be okay."

"Let's hope so," Victor promised, giving the taxi driver a tip before we were led out of the car. He shut the door behind me and the cab drove away with a grumbling noise following. It suddenly became really quiet. The silence was deafening while we stood before one of the periwinkle townhouses with an American and Pride flag blowing in the breeze. There were pictures drawn by what looked like kindergartners, nothing but colorful scribbles peering out of the windows.

Victor glanced at the address written on the piece of paper before looking up with an elongated sigh. "This must be it, but I didn't know she has kids."

"If she does have kids..." I started, "then they must be your cousins."

He looked at me with something exciting in his eyes. "If what you just said is true, that's pretty fucking cool." He bounded up the porch steps, his hand barely grazing the banister as I followed. My heart swelled with hope and every centimeter of anxiety I could muster.

After a few seconds passed, he raised his fist and knocked hastily against the surface. Not a minute later, a woman appeared between the doorway with an infant on her hip. Her golden brown hair messily scrunched into a messy bun and tired bags hung below her eyes.

She stammered in confusion, "hey, uhh--are you one of Odion's friends? He didn't say he was having people over--Odion!"

"No," Victor interjected shortly as the background sounds of cartoons and playful child screams filled our ears. I swore the sink was running and just when the noises got so overwhelming, the infant on her hip began to cry.

She hushed him, bouncing his body on her hip. "Oh, Julian, it's okay--" She returned back to us with her undivided attention as if what was going on behind her was white noise.

Victor cleared his throat, declaring, "I'm Federico's kid. My name's Victor Vislocky, and I know you may not know who I am but--"

Her mouth had parted open, and I was ready to catch the baby as her arms slowly loosened in shock and presumably, more confusion. "Honey!" she screamed into the house, not even startling the twin girls who were playing princesses in the living room.

A man jogged down the stairs wearing a business suit before quickly investigating the guests, or Victor and I. He took the child from the woman's arms as she bounced to Victor within seconds, engulfing him in a tight hug which he couldn't exactly refuse.