Little Rich Boy

12

Sitting on the couch with Gizmo curled up an purring next to me is such a good way to spend the morning. It'd be better if Hadley was here but what can I do.

Tonight was one night, in a while, that both my parents are going to be home for a meal, we'll probably just order in or something, I don't know what but god knows I'm the only one in the house that has any cooking talent and I just don't feel like cooking my parents a gourmet meal. It's not often anymore that we get this. A time that everyone is home, at the same time, actually awake.

Hadley has been bugging me for what feels like forever to try and work it out with my parents. She keeps saying that I'll regret it if I don't try to fix our relationship. I get where she's coming from, I just don't know if my relationship with my parents can be salvaged.

For the next few hours I flip though channels on the tv, catch up on social media, play online with both Jason and Eric, and text Hadley a lot. It makes the time go by faster. I even got some homework done. At around 4:30 my dad comes walking through the front door. He doesn't say anything and I don't look up, bug I can tell it's him,
My moms shoes click on the tile at the front. I keep my head down looking at my sheet of math practice.

"Dustin." My father says after he's taken off his shoes, put down his brief case and taken off his blazer. "How's life been treating you?" He asks me. Thats right he wouldn't know what's been going on in my life.

"Alright I guess." I shrug and keep my eyes on the paper.

He stands up and puts his hand on my shoulder, it's not comforting and gentle like Hadley's, it's heavy and threatening. "Glad to know you're working hard to be like your old man. Keep up the grade and you can go to a good school." He says to me. "Call me when your mother gets home and we can order some food." He says before leaving the room disappearing behind the walls.

Like I would ever want to be like him. Side his success would be nice to have but he maintains in in a terrible way. I will never be my father. I, unlike my father, am going to know my kids lives, interest and goals.

About ten minutes later my mother gets home, she's a bit more gentle then my father is but she's still a workaholic.

"Hey honey, is you father home?" She asks slipping out of her jacket and hangout in the closet by the ground door.

"Yeah he said to call him when you got in so we could order food." I tell her what he had told me.

"Ugh, good. I'm starved." She says taking her phone from her purse. "Richard!" She yells to my father, funny my dad's nickname would be dick, ironic really. "What do you feel like today Dustin?" She asks me I shrug and close my book.

My dad walks into the living room and sits down beside me on our longer couch. My mother sis on the sofa chair on the right. "So what are we going to get tonight?"

"I was thinking Thai, haven't had that in a while." I nod though I'm not a fan of Thai, and my father claps his hands in agreement, my mother calls in the order and is told it'll be about a half hour.

We sit in this really awkward silence, this is what always happens. We order food for dinner then while we wait it's all a strange silence. Once the food gets her my parents will talk about business and work, maybe ask how my grades are in school. Then we'll finish and go back to our regular seeing each other the odd time around the house in the middle of the night.

"Mom, dad?" I can't believe I'm about to do this. It's now or never. Hadley's right I need to tell them about how I feel and we need to fix it.

They both look at me waiting for what I have to say next. I take a deep breath I. Preparation for the rant that is about to  explode from my mouth. "We. We need to fix this." I says moving my finger between the three of us. "Our relationship is crumbling here and I don't want it to. I need to know you guys care. I need to know that your life doesn't revolve around work alone, I've got to know that I mean something to you."

They look shocked but it was a conversation waiting to happen. "Dustin, of course we care, we are your parents." My mother says sounding offended that I even digested that she doesn't care.

"Maybe you guys do care, but I don't feel like you do." I say raising my voice to them.

My dad holds up his hand  to tell me to shut up, I can see tears in my mothers eyes. It's her own fault. She never even tries, neither of them do. "Som why would you ever say we don't care?"

I turn to him anger raising in me. "You only ever ask about grades and classes, if I'm on track to a good school after I'm done with kid stuff. You guys don't know the first thing about me personally. Not one thing." I yell at them. I'm not even just angry anymore, I'm hurt.

"That is no way to talk to us." My mother yells to me in both anger and frustration from my accusation. "We care." Like her saying it makes it true.

"Prove it." I says, this should be good.

"Well you always liked math," my dad says. That doesn't help his case.

"That's school related. Tell me something about me that makes me who I am, makes me different." I say pointing to my chest for the enfaces on me, who I am.

"Oh... you just got that cat, what is it... fluffy or something."my mother attempts, leaf she got the cat part right. Sad thing is she's been in the room with me when I talk to Gizmo and call gizmo by name.

"Gizmo, mom." I say and roll my eyes.

The two go silent, I knew they had no idea. "Dustin." My father starts. I cut him off. I stand to my feet, unable to sit still any longer.

"You don't even know." I say. "You have no clue who my friends are, Jason, Jessica,Eric and Hadley.You have no idea that I don't even like Thai food. You have no idea!" They both look hurt but I don't care. They can't be more hurt then I am right now. My father gets up and leaves, I can see the steam leaning his ears.

My mother stands up and walks over to me tears rolling down her face." I'm so sorry Dustin, I got so caught up in work that I just didn't even think..." she takes a neath and wipes her tears. " I'll try harder I promise." She says and I nod still a little angry.

"I'm sorry for ruining our kinda family dinner." I say sighing and rubbing the back of my neck with my right hand.

"It's alright Dustin. I don't mind, and you father will come around. I think he's just angry at himself for letting his work get the best of him." She says. I watch her as she dials someone on her phone. "Sorry can I cancel my previous order? Yes. Perfect. Thank you and so sorry for the inconvenience. I'll pay in full." She says and hangs up the line.

"You didn't have to do that." I say to her feeling bad, she might not know me that well but I know her, she loves Thai.

"Yes I did, now how about I order up some pizza and you tell me a big about you?" She asks and I nod

"I think that sounds perfect. And lets see if we can role dad in too."

It took a bit and a few apologies on my end, though I don't think I needed to give any but if I wanted to fix this relationship I'm going to have to do some things I don't agree with, but we got my dad to come to the kitchen and enjoy the pizza with my mom and me.

I told them about Jason, Eric and Jessica, how jess and I don't exactly get along but we are also pretty good friends. I tell them about Hadley, and how she gave me Gizmo. I tell them how I felt lonely, and lastly I told them how I already feel more connected with them.