Misbehaving. Creature Feature.

Chapter 4. Report card and some fun.

When I wake up, I'm in my bed, my new one. I sit up and don't feel pain. Good. I yawn and then realize I can smell dinner cooking. I don't know what it is but it smells good. I get up out of bed and walk into the kitchen. I see Curtis and he is frying something. Before I can take a step closer I notice my report card on the counter. I feel my heart race. My grades are terrible. I try to walk away but Curtis says "Come here Erik, help me cook" with a sick feeling I walk over to Curtis. He looks at me and asks "Have you ever made country gravy before?" I just shake my head. I must look horrified because Curtis smirks and says "I take it you saw your report card?" When my eyes go wide Curtis pats my shoulder and says "It's okay, your not in trouble. I'm not gonna spank you because you don't know something. It's not fair." I sigh in relief and Curtis says "I am gonna help you study though. Now then, let's make dinner. In case you forgot it's the weekend. We're gonna have some fun." I smile. Even though I don't know what Curtis has planned that he calls fun I'm still happy that I'm not in trouble because of my report card.

Turns out Curtis is making country fried steak, mashed potatoes, corn, and country gravy to go with the steak. The potatoes and corn are done. Curtis continues cooking the steak and I'm making the country gravy. I've never made it before but Curtis is instructing me on how to make it so it should come out decent. Once it has the consistency of gravy, Curtis tells me to taste it. I'm hesitant to do so. I have never cooked anything before and I don't think the first thing I make is gonna taste good. I take a little taste of the country gravy and it's really good.
"I can tell by the look on your face that it's good" Curtis says and smiles. Soon Curtis finishes the steak and then we eat dinner. I had two helping of mashed potatoes and three pieces of the steak though that's okay cause Curtis made a lot. I just realize that the portions Curtis gives me are a lot bigger than what he gives himself. I wonder why he does that?

"You thinking about something?" Curtis asks and when he does I tell him what I'm thinking . Curtis walks over to me and tells me to lift my shirt. I'm hesitant but I do so. Then Curtis points at my abdomen and says "That is why" your ribcage is so noticeable it's horrifying. Your hip bones stick put too much and you have trouble keeping skinny jeans on. You are severely underweight so I'm trying to help you put on a few pounds" I just nod and keep eating.

Curtis only had one helping of everything, then again, he's used to eating and it doesn't take much to fill him up. The only time I got to eat was during lunch at school. It's been like that for almost two years. Though it came to an end now because Curtis adopted me and I'm very grateful. After my three pieces of steak, I had a third helping of mashed potatoes and finally I was full. I love the feeling of being full since I rarely felt it before I was adopted.

Once I put my plate in the sink, Curtis says "Okay, first, let's play Kokkuri-San" and holds up a piece of paper that looks like a crappy oujia board except...
"What's that red thing at the top?" I ask,
"It's a tori, it allows us to talk to Kokkuri-San" Curtis replies. Curtis then goes on to explain about this Japanese oujia board and yadayada. I don't think it's gonna work but I agree to play it with Curtis.

Seven times we chanted the thing to get Kokkuri-San to move the coin but nothing. I was about ready to give up but on the eighth time we chanted, the quarter started to move to yes and then around the paper.
"Stop doing that" I say to Curtis, he just smiles and says "I'm not doing it" then I look and see that his finger is barely touching the quarter. I'm not moving the coin and Curtis is not moving the coin so.... Oh!
"End the game" I say quickly, Curtis just laughed and then we chanted the thing to get the spirit to go home. The coin moves to yes and then to the red tori.

Curtis laughed and said "I didn't think you would be scared" I just frown and try not cry. My old house was haunted and I was always terrified to be in there and I always had nightmares because of it. Curtis sees I'm about to cry and asks "What's wrong?" When I tell him what's wrong he frowns and hugs me, saying "I'm sorry, no more paranormal stuff, okay?" I just nod.

After the little moment, Curtis makes me stand and says "Come on, let's have some good fun" Curtis leads me outside and to his car. We get in and he starts driving someplace. Soon we arrive at this lake that is surrounded by a forest. There are paths in the forest so it's hard to get lost. Curtis and I then get out and Curtis grabs glow sticks. He breaks the glass inside so they glow and then he breaks the plastic and pours the glowing liquid on me and then himself. He says we're gonna play hide and seek. Curtis then tells me to run into the forest and hide and so I do so.

I hide behind a tree as I wait for Curtis to find me. It's been I don't know how long but it felt like forever. I'm starting to get hungry. I decide to find Curtis. I walk around the woods calling out "Curtis!" Since I am not used to calling him "Dad" yet. I keep calling out for him but I'm starting to get scared. As I keep walking I trip and twist my ankle. I let out a pained cry and then I call out "Dad!" I hear nothing and don't see the green glow from the glow sticks. I start to cry and I scream "Dad!" I try to stand but my ankle hurts so bad I collapse. I'm crying out now, "Dad! Dad! Daddy!" I realized I called him "daddy" but right now I don't care.

Eventually my throat hurts and I just cry as I realize I'm gonna be stuck here forever. Just then I hear footsteps running at me. I'm so scared but I can't scream anymore so I just cry. I was expecting to be attacked or murdered but instead I'm taking into someone's arms in a gentle and loving embrace. I soon realize it's Curtis cause I open my eyes and see green. Curtis rocks me gently in his arms and says "It's okay, daddy's here" I cling to him and cry, I was so scared and I'm in a lot of pain. Curtis asks me "Are you okay?" I resist to tell him I'm really scared and wanna go home so I just say "I think I sprained my ankle" Curtis just picks me up and carries me back to his car.

Once at the car, Curtis inspects my ankle and says "It's not broken, but it's definitely sprained" he then wraps my ankle tightly in an ace bandage. He then buckles me up as if I couldn't do it and then gets in the car and starts driving to someplace. Curtis stop at McDonalds and tells me to pick something, says I'm gonna need the food in my stomach for when he gives me something for the pain. I get a Big Mac and large Root Beer. No fries because McDonalds doesn't have good fries, Burger Kind has good fries. Curtis got the same thing as me except he got a coffee. Then he got two of those mini strawberry and cream pies. As Curtis drives home I can smell the food and I want to eat my Big Mac now but I can't, Curtis says I can so I can do it but really I don't want to because I don't want to make a mess in the car.

Once home, Curtis carries me inside and sets me on the couch in the living room. He then gives me my Big Mac, root beer, and strawberry and cream mini pie. I quickly eat my Big Mac and drink half my root beer. Once I take a bite of my pie it so good I finish it in not even in a minute. Curtis chuckles and hands me his mini pie, saying "You must really like these" I do want another pie but I don't want to take Curtis' so I say "It's okay, I don't want it" Curtis chuckled and said "I know you want it, so go ahead and take it, it's fine" I smile and accept the pie, saying "Thank you" once I finish that pie Curtis hands me two of these white pills and says they're for my pain. I take them but I immediately feel tired afterwards. I'm starting to think he gave me something to just make me unconscious. I lay on the couch and struggle to fight sleep. Curtis says "Oh, I'm sorry, I forget to tell you that the painkillers will make you very tired" Curtis then covered me with this very soft blanket and turned the tv on and put on American Dad to entertain me. He kisses the top of my head and says "Goodnight, I love you" hearing those words, I haven't heard anyone say those to me in a long time. I decide not to fight sleep and fall asleep happy.