Under The Surface [Editing]

Chapter Two Explanation

My first thought was I do not want to share the house with another male. My eyes widened in horror. That meant I would have to share my bathroom. With it being just my dad and me was difficult enough sometimes; and he had his own bathroom.

“I joined a program that tries to help kids who have broken homes. The kids are about to be released back out to them on probation. They send them to an unaffiliated stable family instead of a group home or their own family. Typically, only if it is determined too dysfunctional for them to have a real chance in the real world and they are less than a year from their eighteenth birthday. So I volunteered my home,” my dad explained.

“Our home you mean,” I corrected him rudely.

“Our home,” he nodded. “They asked me about it first since I already work for the county.”

“When will he be released?” I asked anger in my voice. I am very angry that my father decided to disrupt our lives like this.

“He already is. He’s been at a temporary home until all the paperwork and legalities are final. It was a last minute decision on Nathan’s part to participate,” he was explaining trying to calm me down.

“Why didn’t you ask or talk to me about it before making the decision?” I snapped.

“I honestly did not have a chance to.”

I slammed my water bottle down on the coffee table; the top glass shook a little.

“Well thanks for disrupting my life,” I exclaimed hotly. I did not tell him I had already heard some of this news at school. It would not matter anyway.

“He will be enrolled and start attending school with you by the middle of next week. He is coming to stay with us tomorrow and we are going to dinner,” he said with finality in his voice.

“Tomorrow, thanks for the notice.” I growled and got up stomping up the stairs. How could he do this without talking to me first? I do not want some strange boy living in my house and going to my school. What were people going to think? What were my friends going to think? This was a disaster!

I slammed my bedroom door shut and began to pace. The cream-colored interior of my room blurred in my vision as the anger surged through me. I had a large queen sized bed with a burgundy and cream matching comforter set. It was quite comfortable. I had a large bay window with a window seat that the big weeping willow tree outside shielded my room from the sun. Since my room faced west with the front of the house it could get warm without the tree in the summer.

I opened the window to let in a cool breeze to cool my flushed face and plopped down in my desk chair, my furniture was all a dark oak color to go with the creams and burgundies in the décor. I threw my school stuff into my closet from the desk pouting like a baby. Unable to sit still I moved to the foot of my bed and tried to calm myself down. Breathe in and out slowly through my nose, steady breathes. I got out my phone and texted Lily.

‘Not going to be available, dad has me going to a dinner; I’ll give you details later’.

She would not understand and I did not feel like explaining right now. My dad opened my door without knocking and I glared at him.

“Ever heard of knocking,” I spat. Usually I was not this rude to my father, but I was so angry about this situation and him for putting us in it today, that I did not care. He was carrying a pile of bedding in his hands.

“I understand your feelings, but I will not tolerate this childish behavior, so you get to set the guest bedroom up for Nathan. Tonight and now,” he said sternly. I glared at him incredulously, but I knew I was defeated. I took the bedding reluctantly from his hands.

“Fine,” I grumbled. I walked past him towards the extra room, which just happened to be right next to mine. Dad’s was at the end of the upstairs hall, with his private bathroom all to himself. I scowled mouthing the thought to myself.

The extra room was just your typical white in color with some neutral sparse decorations. The guest bed was also queen size. Therefore, I guess this guy just got a free bed. I looked around the room also a free dresser, desk, inn table, and walk in closet. No window seat though, this window was just standard.

I ripped off the current bedding defiantly and began to remake the bed with the fresh sheets, blankets, pillowcases and comforters my father supplied. I checked all the drawers in the furniture to take out any extra trinkets or trash, and anything lingering in the closet, since this room would become his. I dusted everything off and vacuumed the floor.

I cleaned the window and put some air freshener on top of the dresser. Made sure all the light bulbs worked in the ceiling lamp and the lamp on the desk. As an afterthought, I got some extra towels from the hall linen closet and laid them out on the dresser neatly as well. Dad told me to make it presentable for a new resident not a guest.

I was pleased with my work and actually had done so much that I had gotten tired and my anger deflated. I shut off the lights and the door quietly behind me. I smelled the aroma of grilled chicken wafting up the stairs making my stomach growl loudly lurching with hunger. Of course, my dad would make something that I really liked in spite of his disciplinary action.

I went down to get some dinner. I threw away the trash and put the trinkets I found in the storage closet on my way. Fixing up a plate of the chicken for myself, I sat down quietly to eat with my father. He watched me angrily at first then the wrinkle in his forehead smoothed out as he saw that my mood and attitude had changed. How did parents know these things?

“I will be picking you up after school then we will go get Nathan and his things. I do not think there is much and then we will go to dinner, I expect you to behave,” he announced firmly but with care in his voice.

I knew he did not like me mad at him anymore than he liked to be mad at me. I just sat for a minute eating. I already felt humiliated for having to fix up the room for this person and now I had to be cordial. Anger flared again, but I quickly let it go, it would not get me anywhere now.

“Fine,” I replied somberly. My dad didn’t elaborate further. We ate the rest of our dinner in silence. I don’t throw fits regularly either so I was embarrassed of my behavior. I finished my dinner and washed my dishes.

Deciding to watch some TV before bed, I sat and thought. I should not act like this; my dad was just trying to help someone. It will disrupt life here at home, but I am sure I could cope even if I did not want to. It would be difficult at first, we will see though.

Only one way to find out and that will begin tomorrow.