W.A.R.M.T.H: The Prologue

The Genius

                                                                                      Ren

"So, Ren, how was your day?" My mother asked as we sat around the dark wooden table with coffee colored wood stains eating steak and mashed potatoes in a harshly lit kitchen. So bland, this kitchen is so bland.

"Ren?" my mother prompted.

"Fine" I respond quickly and begin eating once again, this is the third time we've had steak in the past 11 days.

"How is school going?" She asks another question as bland as this kitchen.

"Fine," I say again, I just want my phone back, she confiscates it at the dinner table. If I stay in front of that firewall too long, they will notice me, and before you know it, we will have homeland security agents knocking down our door. "May I-?"

"No, you may not have your phone. You've been on it enough today. We are having a nice dinner, and if you have your face in your phone, it's very rude. I did not raise a rude young man, did I?"

     I do not respond to her pestering tone and instead, put a forkful of mashed potatoes in my mouth. I picture the rest of the house in my mind. The entirety of this house is just bland I suppose. All except for my room, which my mother so rudely cleaned for me today. I am not a child, I had every intention to clean it on my own. She does not have even the slightest idea where I place everything either, I will have to move all of my things back in their correct place.

"Have you made any new friends?" my mother asks yet another bland question, this one has a tinge of hopefulness to it

"No mother, I have not ceased being friends with AJ." She sighs, 

"I don't like that boy."

"I am aware. Not many people approve of him."

       She waves it off in an uncaring gesture but instead saws into her steak angrily. The sound of it is so, unbearable. It sounds squishy, or possibly like a zip-tie being zipped and unzipped constantly, and once the knife hits the plate, it sounds like nails on a chalkboard.

"Well," she begins "No matter, did you meet anyone new who you would consider calling a friend. You can have more than one you know."

"Yes, I know a person can have more than one friend. I am not entirely unaware when it comes to social encounters and presences."

"Of course you do honey." She did not understand my point. I do not react to her ignorance, "And if you must know, I suppose I have met a person I would consider a friend."

My mother's eyes light up with surprise and absolute delight "You have?"

"Yes, two people actually. Their names are Amora and Raven."

Her eyes become wider "Girls!" she exclaims "That's great sweetheart!"

I eat another bite of potatoes, I have not touched my steak, I do not like steak.

"I would not exactly view them like that mother."

"Well, why not Ren? They're the only girls I have ever heard you mention aside from the ones AJ consistently brings over."

"Well, these two are quite...peculiar, one has cat ears and the other poisons people as a lighthearted pastime."

"Oh?" my mother says, not truly listening to what I said.

"Yes, and later tonight we were planning on going on a murder spree." I have gotten irritated at this point and can no longer stand her absent-minded politeness.

"You have plans? Oh! No wonder you wanted your phone!"

      She pulls it out of her pocket and hands it to me over the table. I quickly snatch it from her and finish putting in the code to break the firewall, mere seconds before they would have gotten my IP address, they have obviously noticed the breach, and I have to go back through all the coding before they see the damage I created. Much better. I notice a text from AJ simply saying

"Need an SOS? I have an excuse." I send a lightning quick response, "excuse?"

"You're going on a double date genius."

                                                                                                                           "with?"

"Amora Ripley"

                                                                                                                          "Where?"

"Just say to the movies."

                                                                                                                          "When?"

"When can you be here?"

                                                                                                                     "10 minutes?"

"That'll do."

                                                                                                                          "Done."

"See you in 10."

I pick up my plate and place it in the sink,

"Where are you going?" my mother questions once more

"I have to go."

"Why?"

I rush into the living room to find my jacket I tossed onto the couch and put it back on "I have a date, at the movies, in 10 minutes."

"A date?" My mother says in disbelief

"Yes mother, a date. May I go now?" she smiles "Of course, honey. Don't stay out too late." I take my leave through the front door without another word to my mother.