To Be a Hero | MLB

35: The Call

I use my key to unlock the door to my apartment, then step inside, closing the door behind me. I thought I would come to my decision before I arrived home, but... no such luck. I'm just as confused now as I was on the bridge.

I'm starting to take my shoes off when my mom calls, "Welcome home, Tori!"

I turn and see her sitting at our kitchen table, focused on the paperwork spread out in front of her. I come to sit with her, thinking back to our talk last night. "Hey, Mom."

"You missed dinner, so I put your portion in the microwave." I nod, and she finally glances up at me, adding, "So... how was your date?"

I immediately turn to glare at the back of Jakob's head. He's sitting in the family room with our other brothers, watching Ladybug and Chat Noir destroy the hopes and dreams of Hawk Moth's newest victim. "Is that where Jakob told you I went?"

"No, he just told me you went out to meet a classmate." My mom looks back down at her paperwork. "I just saw your clothes thrown around your room and came to that conclusion myself."

I grin and shake my head. "Well, it wasn't a date."

"Were you with a boy?"

"Yes."

"And that boy's not your boyfriend?"

"No, he's..." I stop myself before I can say just a friend. That's the kind of phrase people use to deny their feelings for someone, and there's no point in doing that to Antoine. I like him a lot, and lying about that won't get me anywhere. "It's kind of complicated."

My mom looks back up at me and stares into my eyes. "Let me guess. You like him, but you aren't sure if you want to take the jump and be his girlfriend."

I feel my eyes widen. "How did you..."

"Honey, I know you better than you know yourself. Now, tell me about him."

I glance over at my brothers as they all shout in surprise. Well, Jakob and the triplets shout. Jaxon pretends not to care. I watch Ladybug get hit around by some giant lizard-looking creature for a few moments before answering my mom. "Well, his name is Antoine, and we've only known each other a week, but—"

My mom's phone rings, and she checks it, then glances at me apologetically. "Sorry, it's a work call. I have to take this, but maybe you can finish telling me about Antonio later, okay?" She gets up from the table and rushes to her room before I can even respond.

"Antoine," I mutter as her door closes. "His name is Antoine."

She promised. She promised she'd be here for me. And now she can't even sit down and talk to me for more than five minutes?

I know she can't control when her phone rings, but I still can't help feeling so... angry.

To calm myself down, I pull out my phone and text Antoine that I got home safely. He sends back a smiley face, and I feel the urge to tell him my decision while my phone is still out.

I haven't even made my decision yet, I remind myself, then jump as my brothers—all five of them this time—cheer for Ladybug and Chat Noir on the TV. They won their battle, as always.

I roll my eyes and stand as Isaiah shouts, "I want to be Chat Noir when I grow up."

"Not if I become him first," Isaac shoots back, and they start fighting. Ian jumps on top of them both, and they all start wrestling. Jaxon starts trying to separate them, and Jakob looks over at me with pleading eyes.

Still upset from my encounter with my mom, I shrug and tell him, "They're all yours," before heading into my room and shutting the door behind me.