God, Weed & Classical Music

chapter five: family feuds and profokiev

[Profokiev's Dance of the Knights is right above this chapter]

[dedication goes to @true20blue ; thank you for supporting this book ] 

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"Dinner's ready!" Mom shouts from across the kitchen and I sigh, mentally preparing myself for what's about to go down.

Knowing my mom, she would be against me befriending an older guy. Especially since the fiasco we had to endure a few years back when Angela firmly believed she had met the love of her life who just happened to be three years older than her.

You see, it all began through friendship. My parents didn't mind at all - a friend is a friend, no matter his age. Then she started coming home late, stinking of smoke and alcohol, snapping at them for no apparent reason. Both of them were alarmed by this new behavior she was embracing and they tried to stop it, her - they took her phone, her laptop. Sometimes even grounded her. And now, they did have a reason to do so - she was slowly but surely becoming insufferable.

However, she overcame all the obstacles my parents threw at her and found ways to keep doing her thing. Of course, they had their minds set it was all because of Cyrus.

One day, she simply didn't come home. They tried calling her countless times, contacted her friends even, but she had disappeared. Five days later, she showed up on our doorstep with a sullen expression, wet cheeks and bruises all over her body.

Angela wouldn't admit it was all the guy's doing, but she also didn't say who was the real person at fault so, naturally, mom and dad blamed Cyrus. They couldn't prove anything so they settled on angry glares whenever they saw him and becoming absolutely overprotective towards her.

Thank God, I was left in the shadows because they were too preoccupied with my sister to even notice my presence, or lack thereof. That wasn't a big problem for me, though, seeing as I never felt a close connection towards them and while being overlooked did sting a little, I didn't mind it at all before the ground swallowed her whole for a few days and after that, I simply wished for her to be okay.

Which is why it's such an obvious problem for my mother to have her younger daughter befriend an older dude. She was simply afraid I would be doomed to the same fate.

I take a couple of long strides towards the table and take a seat on the side that's facing the window.

Family dinners aren't usually a thing in our family, thus why, when they do happen, I'd just eat my food in peace and stare at the beautiful landscape that was the forest behind Saterndale.

That is, until I'm provoked and need to defend myself through arguing which, unfortunately, I believe is going to take place tonight as well.

My father is already sat on the seat opposite me, the ones next to me and him still vacant. Mother's quick to join as she places a salad bowl in the middle of the table and smiles before sitting down.

I place some of it on a plate and stab my fork through a cucumber, chewing it slowly. The only sound I'm able to hear is the chewing itself and I internally cringe at how awkward this is.

I don't dare glance at my parents because I know that once I do, I'm going to be met with my mother's gaze and I'd rather delay that as much as possible.

Which isn't much because she clears her throat but I ignore it, stabbing a piece of tomato this time and shoving it into my mouth.

"So," she begins, this time I can't not look up. I place my fork down and fold my legs while stretching my fingers in my lap. "Tell us more about Sinclair."