It Wasn't That Way

Chapter 11

America was loud and colorful, but Cake's world had gone dull and gray. Nothing, not even the chaos of moving and setting up their new house, could get Cake's mind off of Eiw.

And it didn't help that he was freezing.

Thailand fluctuated between balmy and blistering, and Cake was used to being drenched in sweat just from existing. But America was cold. The chilly air pierced through all the clothes Cake brought from home and settled in his bones in a way that made them ache.

And apparently it was only going to get colder. Right now, it was still just fall in America, which meant that the temperature never went above 10°C. Although, according to the news his Dad insisted on having on all the time, it was actually 50° Fahrenheit. Cake had no idea what that meant, and he had no interest in finding out. He had no plans to ever start doing things the American way.

Cake sat on the floor of his new room and resented everything about it. The scratchy hardwood floors were so uncomfortable, unlike the cool tile of their old house. His room was too big and all the furniture was too extravagant. He missed the simplicity of their old life.

He pulled a box towards him and flicked the boxcutter up and sliced it open. He had wanted to live out of boxes until they moved back home, but his parents sent him upstairs and forced him to unpack.

"We're going to be here for three years." His mother had said, "That's not a short time."

Cake frowned, not wanting to think about the last time someone had said that to him.

A knock sounded on the door, and Cake looked up to see his dad leaning against his doorframe.

"Hey," he said hesitantly, lingering in the doorway as if unsure whether he was welcome.

Cake didn't invite him in.

"Hey dad, thanks for ruining my life." He said with a glare.

Maybe he was being dramatic, but right now, he didn't care.

"Cake," His dad said, "I know you don't want to be here, but this is hard on all of us."

"Yeah, sure it is."

Intellectually, Cake knew this was a huge adjustment for everybody, but his parents had each other and Cream was still young enough that they babied her. She'd never had a friend like Eiw so she didn't know what she was missing, but Cake... Cake was alone like he'd never been before.

"I know you miss your friends and I know you miss home, but this was for the good of the family. You have to trust me on this one."

"How was this for our good if I'm so miserable?" Cake asked furiously.

Cake had never talked back before. He was a good kid, and despite his short temper, he'd never lost it with his parents. He respected them too much. But when it came to losing Eiw, Cake found that all bets were off.

"Don't you think that I thought about this day and night before I made this decision?"

"Maybe you did," Cake allowed, "But it doesn't matter. I'm here aren't I? You never said I had to be happy too."

Before this, Cake had always had Eiw, as loyal and ubiquitous as air, but now it was like by moving here, his parents had cut off his air supply.

He felt like he was suffocating, and he lashed out at everyone like a wounded animal, angry without discrimination.

His parents left him alone after that and even Cream steered clear.

🍰

Life was dark and Cake's outlook was bleak. Catching Eiw on MSN at the most odd times became the highlight of his day.