The Step Sister

Chapter 2

"You're late!" My dad stammered as I walked into the door. He was fixing his tie and pacing across the floor. The house was unusually clean.

"Late for what?" I said clueless.

"For dinner, dammit, Kyle I told you wednesday. Janet and her daughter are coming for dinner tonight."

Wednesday? It was Sunday. He knows I need another reminder inbetween that time span, but my dad can remember anything and he excpects me to do the same.

I went upstairs to get changed. I pulled out jeans and a button down shirt. I looked in the mirror. I hated how I looked so much like my dad sometimes. We both had dark, almost black hair. Our eyes were dark blue and we had cheeks with small dimples. The only trait I got from my mom was my narrow nose and crooked smile. My dad used to say that he saw her in me, but as I grew up it disappeared, i guess, because he didn't say it anymore.

As I walked down the stairs I could hear Ira in the kitchen cooking. I could smell Italian food.

"Kyle you always get your father in such a tizzy."

Ira was our maid and cook, mostly maid. She only cooked for us when people were coming over. She had been our maid for a few years now and always gave me a hard time whenever I forgot something or messed up one of my father's perfects plan, as if I didn't get it from him enough.

"He's fine. He's just nervous having me meet his new girlfriend."

Ira looked around to see if my father was near then leaned against the counter towards me. I knew she was about to tell me some sort of gossip. She was naturally gossipy. Which is why her and Claire got along so well.

"I heard," She started. "That Janet, your father's new girlfriend, was studying to be a lawyer, but her husband abandoned her and her daughter and left them with nothing."

I listened trying to discover any difference between this story and all the all stories about his old girlfriends. They all just needed him for his money and he was right there to help them. Ira must have seen the bored look on my face.

"I know you're thinking they're all the same but Janet's moving in, tonight." 

That was different. None of my dad's girlfriend's moved in, ever. It's always just been me and my dad in this house which was too big for only two of us, but that was going to change.

"Also," Ira continued. "I heard her daughter is totally out there. You know, drugs, drinking, tattoos, piercings, and all that."

"Ira, where do you hear all this?" I said dipping my finger into the chocolate mousse she made for dessert. She whacked my hand away.

"I have my sources, dear. Where's Claire? She would love to hear this." Ira turned to take the lasagna out of the oven just as the doorbell rang.

My father practically ran to the door. I stood up and walked to the door.

I hated how my father never told me anything about Janet or her daughter or even them both moving in. I guess I had to depend on Ira for this informacion now.

He opened the door, greeting a tall woman with blonde hair, who I assumed was Janet. He kissed her cheek. After she walked in a girl walked in behind. She was wearing tight jeans and yellow tank top that barely covered her belly button. My dad gave her a slight smile but I could tell that in the back of his head he was surprised. Janet seemed to be made up well but her daughter looked like she could careless.

"Hello, I'm Kyle." I said reaching out a hand towards the girl. She looked at it but ignored it, crossing her hands over her chest.

"Well why don't we eat?" My dad said, leading the way to the dining room.

Ira already had the table set and lit candles in the center of it. As we sat down she walked around filling glasses with water.

"You have such a nice home, Bob. Don't you think Kat?" Janet said looking at her daughter across the table.

"Yeah." She said vaguely, playing with the food on her plate.

Janet smiled, like her daughter was some genius who just won a Nobel Prize. "It must be because of all those hours you spend at the office that you can have such lovely things, Bob."

I could tell my dad didn't know how to reply to that. He knew that I hated he was always at the office. It was the reason why we never talked anymore, the reason why it was awkward for us to be in the same room at once. I hated that, but I couldn't change it.

There was a moment of silence until I asked, "So how'd you guys meet?"

My dad looked over at Janet. It seemed like he wouldn't be the one answering any questions tonight.

"We met at the car shop. I needed an oil change and he needed the brakes checked and since he had a coupon for a free oil change he let me have it and look where we are now." She said still smiling. "So, Kyle, how old are you?"

"I'll be eighteen on Wednesday." I said. I couldn't wait to be eighteen and to move away from this, especially now that my father has found another family to live with. Ever since it happened he distanced himself away from me so much and when I was eighteen I was going to return the favor.

"Oh, how lovely. You and Kat are the same age."

I looked over at Kat. She was looking around the room taking it all in. She had black hair with pink streaks. Her eyeliner was put on heavily. She turned her head to look at her plate when I saw a tiny cut across her cheek bone. I looked at her a little harder. She had an eyebrow piercing but no lip ring. It couldn't be. Just then she turned her head, her raccoon eyes meeting mine with an unpleasant gaze. I looked away.

Once dinner was over my dad asked me to help him carry in their bags.

"So dad, when were you going to tell me about them moving in?" I said grabbing a black duffel bag out of the trunk of the car.

I must have caught him off guard. "It was a spontaneous decsion."

"If it was spontaneous why did they come prepared with their bags?"

He gave me a dirty look. "Just show Kat her new room, then go to sleep."

I pulled a second bag out of the trunk and made my way back to the house. Only five more days, I thought to myself.