The Incredible League of Goth Pizza Haters (RH)

Part 37

---Ricky---

We walked inside and I continued trying to brush the dirt from my clothes. Via pulled me aside as people began to line up for food. 

"Follow me."

"To where?"

"Narnia." she grabbed my sleeve and led me through the living room back to a hallway of a few closed doors. She reached into the back pocket of her skinny jeans and produced a small copper skeleton key. "One of the cool things about this house is the bedroom keys." she unlocked the door, we entered, closed it behind us. She then turned to me began unzipping my jacket. My heart soared and my brain did a 360. Via pulled my jacket off and grabbed at the hem of my shirt. I leaned in to kiss her. She pulled away.

"The fuck you doing?" she smiled and laughed a little bit then walked over to her closet, opened it and pulled out a jacket. The jacket I gave her a cold September night two months ago. 

"Um." I realized then I had misread the situation. I felt blood rushing to my face as she handed it to me. 

"Sorry I kept it so long." she held that amused, arguably flirtatious grin on her face as I held both coats and followed her out. When we returned to the living room Mena was sitting on the couch. I caught her winking at Via. I also caught Via rolling her eyes. 

We all got our food and took our seats around the house. I ended up in the living room with Mena, Chris, Via and a little boy around five or six years old. While we talked I kept noticing that though the kid gave me a few odd looks, he mostly just stared at Chris. 

"Brian, since you won't stop staring; His name is Chris and he's way too old for you. I would've thought you'd be more interested in kids your age." Via said. The kid's face went red and he protested;

"I don't like him like that!" he leaned over to Via and whispered loudly, "Are his eyebrows fake?"

"They're magical, Brian." 

"Like your hair?"

"Yes, Brian. Like my magical white hair, Chris's eyebrows were drawn by the magical eyebrow of fortune. He's destined to slay the evil king."

"What evil king?"

"The evil king of gender roles, Brian. The one saying men can't wear makeup, paint their nails or draw their eyebrows. He's a stupid king and deserves to be dethroned." 

"Is he fighting too?" the kid pointed at me

"Oh yeah."

"Cool."

"Very cool."

"Can I fight the evil king too? Can you paint my nails?" 

"Sure, kiddo." Via said and Brian smiled. For some odd reason, that exchange made my heart feel warm. 

***

Almost everyone had left, the girl I remembered as Via's sister and a girl I didn't know walked in and got food after the crowd had dissipated. It was just Via's family, Chris, that girl and me. I was standing in the kitchen dropping paper plates into the trash when Via's mother spoke to me while scrubbing pans.

"Hello, I'm sorry but I can't remember all Sylvia's friends. What's your name?" she asked. 

"Ricky. I'm in Motionless In White." I smiled, trying to be polite and she grinned sneakily.  

"Did you happen to go on a date with Via?"

"She told you about that?"

"No, actually she lied to me and told me she was going out with Mena. Then she felt guilty and told me she went on a date with a sweet guy named Ricky who was a really good writer. Of course she brings you here without telling me."

"Oh, Chris invited me. My family's back in Seattle."

"Awe, you don't get to see them much?"

"No."

"Well, you're always welcome here." she laughed "We have plenty of food."

"Thank you Mrs. Deluca."

"Oh, my last name's Everett. Via is my adopted daughter."

"Adopted?" 

"Yeah, she grew up in Nevada. She didn't tell you? She came here when she was nine."

"No, she didn't." I said and Mrs. Everett turned back to washing dishes. 

"What do you write?"

"What? Oh, um. Just small pieces that I think of during the odd hours of the night." 

"No novels?"

"Not yet."

"Via's a writer. She wanted to be an author until she joined her band. She's been writing since she got here. She wrote and wrote and wrote. Novels, poems, short stories. Did you know she got her first piece published when she was thirteen?" 

"No, she didn't tell me that." 

"Ask her about it... Do you like reading or poetry?"

"I like reading and poetry." 

"Really?"

"Yeah, I know I don't really look like the type of guy to enjoy that stuff, but I do. I know I don't really look like a, uh... You know... I am a nice person, anyway. I think. I hope. I dress this way because,-" she turned off the sink and looked me in the eyes. 

"Honey, Via and her little sisters are queer. Their brother, Nick, is a satanist. I knit quilts as a hobby and down in the basement we have two rats named Oreo and Beelzebub. No one in this household is judged for the way they look or the gender they're attracted to or the religion they follow. As long as you're not a Ravens fan, you're welcome here. Even if you're gay. Even if you believe in god or satan or nothing at all. Even if you're goth."