Hot Coffee, Cold Hands

Chapter 9 ♡

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"India? Can you come downstairs for a moment please?" I heared my mother's snooty voice call up the stairs. I groaned, placing my book down on my bed and practically rolling off the side as a way to get off.

Damn it, what did they want now? I had literally just gotten comfortable.

Slouching down the stairs and into the living room, I stood face to face with my parents. Who, just for the record, did not look happy with me in the slightest. Come to think of it though, were they ever happy with me?

"What's up?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows a bit.

My mom's lips pursed in obvious annoyance. "Don't say 'what's up' India. That's not how you address people is it?"

Oh for crying out loud.

I rolled my eyes and snorted. "Is there something you want to tell me, apart from how much of of a failure I am to this family? Because I was actually in the middle of doing something before you called me down."

Their faces changed ever so subtly at my harsh choice of words. If I hadn't have been practically staring them down, I would have missed it for sure. My mother's eye twitched and my father began to chew on the inside of his cheek, a sign that he was either feeling troubled, anxious or guilty. Like I said though, it was gone within a split second and they were back to being my good old parents.

"Actually yes India." My dad spoke this time, his voice assertive and professional. Almost robotic, like he never snapped out of his work mindset. "We heard about that little party you went to the other night, and we're rather disappointed in you."

Oh. The party. The place where I had spilled the beans to Luke about my hatred for my parent's ways, the place Luke had gotten into a brawl with Holly's ex Daniel and gotten himself a bust lip, and the place where I and the boy himself were a centimetre away from kissing in the back kitchens. It was definitely a night to remember.

Damn it! Was that a High School Musical song?! I was so going to kill Holly for converting me to that trash.

"Dad, it wasn't a big deal," I sighed, rolling my eyes. "It was just a little get together that was held at The Hideout. You know, that coffee shop I like on the outskirts of town?"

My dad scrunched up his nose in slight disgust. "Yes, I know where it is India. Not a place that you should be going to, I'd say."

"What?!" I almost laughed. Was he being for real right now? Just because our family was considered to be 'rich' didn't mean that we were superior to any other person or place in our town.

"Your father and I heard about the slight, erm, conflict between Daniel and another boy whilst you were at this party," My mom almost shuddered at the word 'party', as if it made her feel nauseous even thinking about it. I didn't see what the problem was. They had dinner parties all the time right? Well, granted there was kiiiiiiind of a difference, but still.

"How have you heard about that?" I enquired, genuinely curious. How the heck had my parents found out about Daniel and Luke's fight?

"You remember Nate, yes? The Marten's son, who you briefly met that time?" Dad explained. Ah yes, I remember Nate perfectly. Those predatory frog eyes sure were unforgettable. I nodded and didn't say a word.

"Well it turns out that Daniel and Nate are good friends, so they obviously talked to each other about it, then Nate must have mentioned to his parents what happened. Joseph rung me up this morning asking if you were involved or if you knew anything about it."