Acceptance - Creek // SP

Looking into a mirror

I stand at the top of the stairs as the door knocks, I take a deep breath as my dad walks to the door, well stepdad I guess now.

The door opens and I see a pair of tanned hands shake my step dads.

That's him.

I start to take slow steps downstairs.

Each step showing more of the man at the door.

I finally get to the bottom step and look up from my feet.

Icy blue eyes, bushy eyebrows, big lips, and a big nose.

It's like looking into a mirror except the mirror gives me wrinkles and a goatee.

"Hello," I mumble quietly.

"Nice hat." The man smirks.

I hear my mom scoff and turn around.

She's red in the face with glossy eyes but with furrowed brows.

"Where'd you get it from?" He asks.

I turn back around with a confused look.

He taps his head.

"Oh the hat? Uhm my grandma bought it for me." I say.

The man pulls a big grin and nods.

"The names Adriano." He pats my shoulder and pulls a toothy grin, showing his crooked teeth.

I open my arm up to the house and he walks inside.

My stepdad is still stood at the door, sadly looking down.

Adriano sits onto my couch and sinks into it like he lives here.

I sit beside him and pull the skin off of my thumb.

"So what do you work as?" I ask, smiling at him.

"Truck driver." He grumbles.

Hm, not an astronaut then, but trucks are still cool.

I guess.

"How come you decided to come over?" I question, he gives me a dirty look.

"Sick of my mama shouting at me, 'Adriano you have a son!' 'Adriano you're a mistake!'" He mocks, rolling his eyes.

Oh.

"So you didn't want just to come and see me?" I ask, defeat in my voice.

"Meh." He shrugs.

My mom laughs and shakes her head.

"You are such a shitty person Adriano..." She mumbles, but quite loudly.

"Oh fuck off Laura, of course, your perfect aren't you?" Adriano slightly shouts.

"Well, I did raise what was supposed to be our son before you took my money and ran while I was in labor." My mom scowls.

Adriano rolls his eyes and looks back at me.

"So tell me, kid, what's going on in your life?" He asks, a flash of sorrow in his eyes before they return to smug.

"Well I go to South Park High School, I know how to drive a car, I got glasses, I have a few friends and I discovered that I'm gay." My voice quivers at the last part, I wince expecting him to start to shout.

"You got a boyfriend?" He questions, one eyebrow raised.

"Erm no, but there is a guy I like." I mumble.

He nods and looks back at the TV.

"Do you not... Care?" I avoid looking at him and hear him shuffle.

"A person likes who a person likes, as long as no one is trying to stick their dicks in my butt, I don't care." He shrugs and smiles, I look back at him and smile back.

The stair creaks and we all look up to see Trisha stood on one of the middle steps.

"Trisha, lovely to meet you," Adriano exclaims.

"How do you know my daughter?" My stepdad asks, furrowing his brows.

Adriano sighs.

"I may not have been here physically but I've taken a few... hundred looks at Laura's Facebook." Sadness washes over his face, taking all smugness away.

My mom raises her eyebrow.

"I was never and still am not ready to be a dad, but it's nice to watch you grow Craig, I look at you and see a way less shitty version of me and I like that, you've got an enthusiastic little shit for a sister, a great dad that stepped in because I never could and an amazing mom who put up with my shit and still had to even after I left her. You've got a nice happy family without me and I love that, you've been so strong especially since I'm not around, I am very proud of you Craig." He puts his hand on my shoulder and I start to get a headache from too much emotion.

"Little shit?" Trisha says in an angry tone.

"I'm just joking, but I can tell from all the photos that you make Craig's life hell." Adriano laughs.

"It's my specialty." Trisha giggles and continues to come down the steps.

"So you've been here all this time?" My mom asks.

"Kind of, I just don't want to invade your lives, I've brought enough pain but I like the updates, I just don't think I can parent fully." He reasons.

.

.

.

I spent most of my day with my dad, taking him around the town, showing him my favorite places, and showing him pictures and stories of my friends and Tweek.

It soon got late and he had to go home.

I stand at the front door, waving him goodbye as he gets in his car.

He drives away and I turn around back into the house, closing the front door.

"I didn't expect that." My mom states, I walk over and engulf her in a big bear hug, my sister soon joins, and then so does my Stepdad.

There was soon a knock at the door and I leave the hug and walk over to open it.

When I do open it, there's no one there except there's a box at the doorstep.

I pick up the box and there feels like there's movement inside, I read the tag and it says 'I accept your apology and I would love to date, Thank you, Tweek.' I smile and then open the box, inside is a guinea pig, with three big different colored stripes on its back.

I pick him up and raise him in the air.

"Stripe."

"Craig, what is that rat thing?" Trisha squeals.