RISKY BUSINESS

Chapter 2

FEBRUARY,
LAVEROUNE STREET, THE COOPER RESIDENCE
b r o o k l y n l e s l i e c o o p e r
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Tonight was the night of the dinner I'd been dreading since I found out who my neighbour's son was. Yesterday, my mother had gone over whilst I was at school and introduced herself to the parents and sister of Calum Hood. When I got home she announced that she'd visited them and that they were a lovely family. She also said they'd be coming over for dinner the following night and that she was looking forward to meeting the son of the family.

I can only hope and pray that Calum wouldn't show up.

It was currently 6:54pm, there was only six minutes left of their arrival. I'd been sitting on my bed in my room, looking at myself in the mirror as I anxiously waited to hear the doorbell ring. I'd been forced by my mother to dress elegantly, but casual. She wanted to impress the Hood's. It was nothing to be surprised by, because my family was known to be proper and perfect. My mother made sure of that. She loved bragging about her family's perfectness and how we never failed to disappoint anyone. I loved to rant to Morgan about how old being perfect got, and how I'd prefer to live a normal life like her. Her family got takeout like pizza or KFC while my mother made fancy 5-Star restaurant meals every night for dinner. I shouldn't complain about the food, but eating an overly fancy meal every day got tiring. We weren't the royal family, so why did she try so hard to make us be like them?

I tugged at the black skintight material of the dress my mother made me wear as I nervously click the heels of my feet together. She also made me put on black stilettos, even though we were eating in the dining room of our own home. I'd decided to wear my hair down and I straightened it, and I prompted to wear minimum yet effective makeup. I couldn't tell if I wanted to impress the Hood family or my mother.

6:59. One minute until they arrive. Or maybe they won't come at all. Maybe someone told them about how crazy my mother was, or how high her expectations were. Maybe they are all secretly rude and don't like meeting new people so they'll stand us up. Maybe I'm being an idiot? Yeah, probably. 

Ding!

My heart stopped at the sound of our classical doorbell. The chimes were played at a high pitch and sounded angelic, as if entering our home would grant freedom. But every time I entered this house all I felt was restraint and pressure. I've wanted to rip the doorbell from its place and smash it with a hammer for years.  Maybe then I'd stop feeling the way I do.

I stayed quiet as I heard my mother's loud and over-the-top voice greeting our guests downstairs. I couldn't bring myself to stand up and walk down there. What if he was here?

But the real question was, did he even know who I was?

I had the sudden urge to find out, so I reached to grab my phone from where it lied on my bed and I opened it to messages.

Does Calum even know that I exist?

I sent it to Morgan, not expecting her to reply within a heartbeat.

Not sure. I have mentioned you a few times whenever I've hung out with the boys but none of them know what you look like. Is he at your house?

I wondered how she managed to type that so quickly. I also wondered if Calum was downstairs or not.

Haven't gone downstairs yet, too nervous.

Was I really nervous, or was I overreacting again? It wasn't like I had some long-time crush on Calum and secretly wished he'd fall for me every 11:11. I'd never even seen the boy within ten feet of my radar. I was being a typical mother's child and couldn't stop myself from acting the way my mother did.