Déja Vu

Thirteen

I'm nineteen going on twenty, and in my entire life I've never felt this uneasiness in a family dinner, or at least between me, Adam and Dain. But I'm certain everyone is feeling it that no one has said a word since we sat around this table. Even my father that never stops talking every time we have an English meal is just quietly stuffing food in his mouth. It's not like it's the first time Dain joins us for dinner, but it's defiantly the first time he shows up unannounced and glares at Adam and me while entering the house, though he's aware Adam is here. Naomi might be the only person that likes him a bit so she's been trying to direct questions to him or lighten the mood, but it isn't quite working. At least the food is magnificent. I feel a pair of eyes on me so I rise my eyes to see Olivia staring at me. She darts her eyes towards Sam then to Dain who are sharing a very hateful moment right now. She looks me back in the eyes saying "What in the actual hell is he doing here?"

"As if I have any idea." I reply to her with my eyes while shrugging. She rolls hers, taking a quick glance at Sam who's throwing disgusted looks at Dain then back to me "Things are awkward here."

"Tell me about it."

"Mrs. June, are you sure these two aren't twins?" Adam says out loud. We both realize he's been watching us having our eyes-to-eyes conversation "They've been speaking silently for a good while." He continues.

"It's sisters thing." Maya tells him "Naomi and I use this technique a lot. Mainly to talk about someone."

"Or to point out that the guy we just passed in aisle 7 is your crush." Naomi adds before getting an elbow punch in her shoulder. I giggle as I continue to eat but this smile fades as soon as I see Dain's expression troubled. He finishes swallowing his food then directs his words to me "I suppose you were talking about someone." What is wrong with him? I try to think of an excuse but with him glaring at me the way he is I can't even think right. My palms are sweating so I look at Olivia who's drowned in the same sea of confusion. We try to open our mouths and speak up before Sam does it for us "Dain, would you pass the salt?"

"There is no salt." He says as he eyes him from the corner of his eyes "I think you know that better than I do."

"Yeah," He scans him from the top to the bottom "Sticking your finger in it would do the work."

"Sam," My father calls him with his warning tone yet changing the topic completely to not embarrass him "You fixed the lamp right?"

"I did." He replies while taking a big bite "But the shade needs cleaning I'll get it done after dinner."

"Do you need help?" Adam asks him. I don't want to ruin his dreams but if I were Sam, Adam would definitely be the last person I seek help from in height-requiring jobs. And yes, I do make fun of him when I'm even shorter than he is but facts are facts. He is shorter than average for a twenty-one-year-old-guy considering that he's one year older than I am and his birthday was last month. He's barely a 5'6 or a 5'7, and that's a problem. But I honestly find it adorable for some reason.

And I really gotta stop paying attention to these stuff.

I've never been into tall guys, unlike Olivia who only likes boys who are over 5'10. I know that I'm not a very tall girl, an average height man, like my Dain, would be more than perfect. Although the height difference between him and I is about twenty centimetres, I still find us perfect for each other. My sister is the same height as me but a boyfriend twenty-six centimetres taller than her. Saying it like that make it sound like Dain and Sam are of similar heights, but in reality, Sam is a giant compared to Dain or anyone in general that isn't Andy or Nick. I won't really judge Maya's taste in boys since she has only ever liked one boy, and both of them are still growing. While Naomi...well I've never really heard her talk about any love interest. She just goes to school, hangs out with her huge crowd of friends, then gets back home and stays in her room all day either trying to self-teach herself a musical instrument or buried under piles of studies. Though we tried more than once to convince our parents to send her to professional places where she can learn the music right like how Olivia went to an arts school. But all we ever got in return was "it's just a phase" and "you can't make a future from it."