Marney in the Middle

Chapter 10: Dinner at the Wilkerson's

"Thanks again for having me over," I say to Lois, whose setting the dinner table.

Hal and five other men are seated around the table in the diningroom, still playing cards. Apparently they usually don't have a sit-down dinner on the weekends because people tend to have plans, but, with the boys grounded and me here, she decided they would. She even insisted I sit in Hal's usual spot at the head of the table.

"After what you did," she bats her hand and smiles at me.

I glance at Reese seated beside me. He's bickering with Dewey over the action figure he tore the limbs off of. Clearing my throat, I straighten up. It's fine. This is fine. I can get through this. After a second, I allow myself a peak at Malcolm. His pale blue eyes are immediately locked on mine.

Crap.

"Jessica, there you are."

I follow Lois' gaze. Frizz-hair from school walks in through the side door like she owns the place. She smiles at Lois, but gives me another squint-glare once Lois isn't looking. Even better.

Sighing, I pick up my glass of water and inspect the rim. Can't tell if it's one of the ones I washed or not. It's clean, though. Perfectly see-through. I busy myself with small sips and avoid eye contact.

Once Jessica's seated on the opposite side of Malcolm near Lois and the fridge, we serve. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I accept the latter two and decline the former.

"Don't like meatloaf," Lois asks between slopping spoonfuls of mashed potatoes onto hers and Dewey's plates.

I open my mouth to reply when Reese beats me to it,

"She's a vegetarian."

"Oh, I had no idea, I'm sorry." Lois instructs Malcolm to pass me the mashed potatoes, "Have extras of those."

"Thank you," I mumble to him. He sort of glare-nods at me.

"Malcolm, don't be rude," Jessica says a little loud. Lois agrees and he's forced to say 'you're welcome' with an audience.

Heat brims my cheeks – dinner was a terrible idea. All of today has been. Well, the lie at least. Spending time with Reese went really well.

Soon we're eating and no one has time to hold a full-on conversation. Dewey tells his mom about a play he's writing; he doesn't say what it's about. Just that his class (the Busesys, Reese explains, is the class for "idiots and freaks") will be putting it on in a few weeks. Lois tells him she's excited before explaining to me that Dewey is like Malcolm: a genius. Malcolm rolls his eyes as his mom explains that Dewey's really talented in everything music. It's kind of cute the way she talks up her sons. Well, two of them. She didn't have positive things to say about Reese. But at least she opted to not say anything at all.

The whole time, Malcolm and Jessica exchange long glances and periodic whispers. A pang in my gut makes me frown. I force myself not to pay attention to them.

Lois is through half of her first serving when she sets down her fork, rests her elbows on the table's edge and laces her fingers together. Her smile doesn't stop her from looking like a movie villain.

"So, Reese, how did tutoring go?"

"Uh," Reese glances at me.

I smile and shake my head, "Don't look at me."

Though we prepped for this, he looks guiltier than he did last night on the news. His eyes are wide and his eyebrows are up. "Uh," he mumbles again.