Slow and Speedy Win the Fight

55. Offer

Haresa

I poured a spoonful of sauce over my rice and watched the brown liquid drip down.

"I don't want anything but... the company I'm contracted with wants you to join a show off," I said.

"Ew," he said with a mouth full of food. "Did Blanc ask you?"

"He resigned."

He blinked in disbelief. "Wait, he did?"

"Yeah, what do you think the paparazzi was about?"

"I don't know. You farted on the queen of France?" He shrugged. "I don't really understand the obsession people have with you."

Was this really the guy who beat me every fight? The one that took several calculated steps ahead.

He ravenously ate his fill, scooping up more rice when he saw he didn't have enough for the excess stir fry in his bowl.

"Is it too spicy for you? I know my dad likes to add lots sometimes."

"It's supposed to be spicy?"

I'll just ignore that. I didn't have to worry about him it seems.

"I know your home situation is rough." I moved the vegetables around in my bowl. "But you'll be paid for doing the stupid thing and the grand prize is five thousand dollars."

Sheldon gave me a glare. "What am I? A charity case you can give your pity money to?"

"Hey, I didn't want this. Blanc enterprises did!" I cover my mouth with a hand. I was way louder than I wanted to be.

"Everything okay?" Dad calls out and I leaned over the table to see if he was anywhere close.

"We're okay!" I shout after I concluded that he was in another room. I turned my attention back to Sheldon and I see that he was gulping down water as if he had just run a marathon. "You don't have to take it if you don't want it. It would really help you out I think."

"Show offs suck. You're forced into a small space and you're not allowed to bring your own gadgets. Without my tech, I was just a kid with a shield on stage and I can only do that for so long without getting disqualified."

"You're really smart, though. I'm sure you'll be able to figure something out."

"I am smart but what's the most important part is that I'm smarter than you. I only needed to take you down. Once it came to the other adults entering the ring, it turned into a sad spectacle of a kid running away from Mr. Shiny White Teeth with stupid speeches."

"We're older now, we can handle it." I wasn't even convinced by my own statement. "Plus, if we both enter, we can at least face off each other?"

"And then we can make flower crowns and hold hands and skip down to the local ice cream shop after that?" Sheldon threw down his spoon into the bowl. "Yeah, no thanks. I'd rather be on the streets begging than doing something so stupid."

His angry eyes bored into mine and I couldn't help but return the hostility. I was trying to be nice, what the hell was wrong with him?

I swore we were very close to throwing punches at each other but we were interrupted.

"I thought everything okay." My dad looked between the two of us.

I found myself with my hands on the table and leaning over towards Sheldon while he had his forearm on the table and had also leaned in towards me.

"Sorry, it was just a petty argument," Sheldon said coolly and leaned back into his chair.

The comment made my eye twitch and I turned to my dad with the saddest look I can muster. "Sheldon is getting kicked out of his home soon and he won't let me help him."

Sheldon's mouth hung open and he stared at me angrily while my dad looked shocked.

"What?" My dad had his hands on his head. "What about your parents?"

Sheldon glanced at me, obviously hating the fact that I decided to tell my dad. "Don't have any."

"No, no. What about Mr. Phan. I remember back when you were a kid, yo—"

"I. Don't. Have. Any."

The air was heavy and I felt the reality of the situation hit me as I nervously bounced my leg. "So, Sheldon needed money to stay somewhere and I was trying to convince him—"

"He can stay with us."

"What?!" Sheldon and I shouted at the same time.

"No good, you're still kid. We have extra room."

"I appreciate—" Sheldon sent a sharp glare towards me "—the offer, sir. But I can handle myself fine."

"Stop being stupid. You can't live alone. Have to call police if you are. School would have to get involved too."

There was a look in Sheldon's eyes as he contemplated what dad said. "Why don't you just do that then?"

My dad frowned and let out a small sigh. "I understand what you do. I did before."

"Be a villain?"

"No," Dad shook his head. "Runaway. Want to be man. My parents—" he clicked his tongue "—no like. Said be how they want or say goodbye. So, I said goodbye. Move to this country."

Sheldon had a puzzled look before it slowly softened into one of realization. "Are you...?"

"It hard. Didn't want to be home because too many people I know only talk. Met nice people here that okay with me. I don't want it hard for you." Dad slapped a hand on Sheldon's shoulder. "So, you stay?"

Sheldon furrowed his eyebrows and glanced at me before looking back to my dad. He looked conflicted.

"I..." His voice faltered and he cleared his throat. "If it's not a bother for you."

"Ah, we'll be okay. Haresa good with cooking too. I make good money so if you need, I can buy." My dad beamed at Sheldon.

I felt my smile crack.

"Haresa, you look distressed," Sheldon remarked dryly.

This wasn't how I was expecting things to go.

"I'm good. Everything is fine." I bent my arm and swung my fist to the side to show my enthusiasm. "Nothing a hero can't handle."