Hey, Mister In Denial (BxB)

Chapter 22: Dinner Trouble

Chapter 22
Dinner Trouble

I almost leave the school without telling Dale that my father is inviting him for dinner. So as soon as I remember the dinner, I run with so much haste, finding my boyfriend in a sea of people milling around the Senior Hallway. There are a lot of students facing their lockers, and some of them are in the middle of the hallway, looking at their phones in their hands as they walk slowly, as if they're a turtle.

When I see walking grumpily, with his backpack slinging on his left shoulder, unzipped, I run toward him and meet him halfway. I get so close that he takes a step back and looks around, trying to see if anyone has seen our closeness and I nearly scowl have I not remembered that I still need to get him to dinner with my parents, who are probably waiting for the moment.

Taking a step back, not showing that his action hurt me, I smile awkwardly at him. "Well, um, my parents would like to invite you for dinner," I say to him, almost in a whisper and he heaves up a sigh, as if he's expecting for this moment to come, and when he does, he doesn't like it. "I mean, if you don't want to be in a dinner with my parents, it's okay. I'm not going to force you."

"Sure," he says in a cool manner, as if this doesn't bother him, but I know, as I see his lips twitching, a sign that he's getting uncomfortable, that he really doesn't want this. "I'll come over later. It is later, right?"

I nod at him, beaming slightly up at him. I turn on my heel and run. Derek is probably waiting for me in the parking space where his car is parked and if I take too long, he might get grumpy about it. When I arrive at the parking area, Derek is indeed there, waiting impatiently. His back is hunched over the door of the driver seat, his left foot perched on the metal just below the door. When his eyes meet mine, he shakes his head and I give him my vulnerable response. He immediately senses that there's something's wrong as he pushes himself and goes toward me without saying anything. He gives me a pat on my shoulder and I climb into the passenger seat without saying anything. My best friend gets into the driver seat, wastes nothing and drives off.

It has taken a couple of minutes before we reach my house, and when we reach my home, I realize how nervous I am.

My boyfriend has agreed to be in a dinner with my parents, who are about to torture and, probably, scar him for life. Knowing my father, he'd go Detective Conan on my boyfriend. By the end of the day, I'm sure Dale will claim that my father is a weirdo, or my family consists of a bunch of weirdos. That's for sure.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" he asks me as I climb out of his car and I look at him in the eyes and nod my head. "Do you want me to stay or just through text?"

I don't want to waste his time on me, so I just shake my head and reply "Through text," and he gives a nod of approval. My best friend waits for me to head inside the house and when I do, he immediately drives away. I pull my cellphone out of my pocket and text him immediately, telling him about my parents inviting Dale for dinner. I also tell him about Dale's reaction and what I feel about the whole relationship thing and I get a reply from him, saying 'maybe Dale is just scared. I mean, your father is a terror'. "This sucks," I say to myself and greet my parents when I see them in the living room, sitting on the couch comfortably while watching Netflix – I just don't know what show they are watching since I'm not really a big fan of Netflix and I don't use the term: Netflix and chill.

My room is a mess, considering that I haven't cleaned my room yet. Clothes are scattered around the room, and I know that I should put them in the hamper or else my mother will definitely scold me, but I don't have the energy to do so.

There are books that I haven't read yet placed neatly on the shelves pinned on the wall, and there are picture frames hanging on the wall; pictures of my parents and I when I was a little kid, when I was hugging Barney, when I was in Disneyland, and pictures of Derek and I hanging around the park, Derek and I at a beach, and Derek and I eating ice cream.