all too well - Theodore Nott

chapter 22

"Aaron, this steak is wonderful," Kate smiled, and then to Selene, "Are you vegetarian? You aren't eating any."

"This meat is a little too cooked." Selene smiled, glancing at her dad, the lie ready on her tongue, wanting him to feel bad. "I prefer my steak more rare."

"Oh well, Aaron, why didn't you make her some?"

"I forgot," he said, taking a sip of water.

An awkward silence filled the table. Selene took a bite of her salad, grimacing at the taste.

"So, Selene," Kate asked, "do you have a boyfriend or a guy that you like?"

"Oh," Selene said. "No, not really."

Her dad laughed, "Selene has never been the dating type. I used to joke to her mom that no guy would want to deal with her."

Selene looked up, her mouth dropping a little. "Actually," she said, continuing to stare at her father, "there was a guy. But it's over. I ended things with him."

"What?" Her dad said, looking up, "Selene, you don't have to lie. I was talking about dealing with your jokes."

"Aw," Kate said, looking sad and ignoring Selene's father. "What happened? If you don't mind me asking."

"No, it's fine," Selene smiled. "He wasn't a good person. He didn't like me. Or he didn't like my family."

"What is wrong with your family?"

"Nothing. That's the thing. At my school, there is this group of people who think they are better than you because of their ancestors. They hate the people that aren't like them."

"Selene," her dad warned, but she ignored him.

"He was one of those people. He made my life horrible until he no longer was so horrible. I think I liked a part of him and I forgot another part of him. He was different."

"He wasn't different, Selene." Her dad whispered.

"You didn't know him, Dad."

"I didn't have to, Selene. They are all the same."

"I'm confused," Kate said. "You know him, Aaron?"

"I don't have to." He said, "I know his kind."

"Just because some of them are bad people doesn't mean they all are."

"They all believe it, Selene. They all hate you. They all hate me. My kind."

"Do you not see the problem, Dad?" Selene said, "You are no better than them if you judge them all based on the ones you met."

"Don't you dare compare me to them." He said, spit flying, "They killed my mother. They put those scars on your stomach."

"No Dad. Two people did that. They aren't all like that."

"Yes, they are." He said, his face turning red.

"What about mom? She is one of them, and she's not horrible."

"She knew there were going to be consequences for marrying me and having you. Lasting consequences, and she still did it."

"She warned you," Selene yelled; she was not going to let him disrespect her mother. "You and she always told me that she made sure that you were completely aware of what you were getting into."

"I didn't know the full extent." He said it through gritted teeth.

"Stop," Selene said, tears threatening to fall. "You can't just blame Mom for everything. She is not at fault. She loved you, and you loved her at one point, and she rejected your proposal. You have told me this story. She didn't want to hurt you. So don't try and turn it around on her."