High Energy Collision [Completed]

Chapter 18 - No place to hide

After Mean had only barely prevented his seniors from implementing a successful photo trap for Plan, he had thought he was safe for now.

He had even thought he had been particularly clever, programming an exception into the software running the photo trap that would delete pictures with red light on it automatically – so he just needed to carry a bicycle backlight with him and everything would be fine.

And yet, he had been wrong to think he was out of trouble.

Danger came from an unexpected side.

He was sitting at his family's dinner table. His parents were stupidly proud of the fact that they had family dinner at least once a week with everyone but his oldest sister and his brother, who had already moved out. It used to be all seven of them before that. There was no interview with either of his parents out there, where they didn't mention the family dinners at least once as a sign that they were a normal, healthy family first, before they were a rich dynasty.

During his teenage years, Mean had rebelled against this tradition and the PR bullshit that was attached to it – but he had come around. At the core, family dinner had always been an animated affair where the siblings teased each other, family matters got discussed, and the older ones usually got into heated debates on politics and business.

In that sense, his parents weren't even wrong. The dinners actually worked. It was still no reason to wear them like a badge of honour – but that was another matter.

So... today of all days, over family dinner, Mean's father suddenly turned to him:

"I hear that you have filled all the spots on White Hand, Mean. Why don't you invite all of them to dinner here? We'd be happy to get to know your new friends."

Mean felt frozen on the spot.

It... damn.

How could he get out of this again?

He wished Viola was here, she would know what to say.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he said vaguely.

His father frowned, equal parts confused and startled.

"Why not? You usually like to invite your friends over. We've already warned Auntie to prepare for a start-of-semester party for you. Don't you plan on throwing one this year? You should invite White Hand here alone beforehand."

Mean cringed.

This was true, he liked to throw a party at the start of each semester, and usually, he had looked forward to the opportunity to play his music in front of a willing crowd and start the semester with a celebration. But this year, he hadn't even started with a concept.

If only Plan wouldn't...

Hmmm.

"Our two new members are not from a wealthy background. I don't want to overwhelm them."

"Nonsense," Mean's mother chimed in, "when they're White Hand, they'll have to get to know our circles. And, didn't you invite that cute boy genius who is living in our pool house to White Hand, too? I was meaning to ask him to have dinner with us, anyway. He's been all over the news recently. It was nice of you to help him with the foreign tv stations today. You have shown that the Attachitsataporn are humble and friendly, despite our wealth."

Never mind their focus on stupid family PR... just a moment...

His parents... they knew about Plan?

It... of course it had been stupid of Mean to assume that the owners of the house didn't know about the stowaway, if Tio already said that Auntie must have let him stay. Auntie wouldn't keep anything from Mean's parents.