Delicate

Neri

Serenity let herself into the Kaufman household as she always did. She looked over to see Neri sitting on the couch on her phone. "Hey," Neri said to her. "Hey," Serenity said suspiciously as she walked back to the kitchen where Aaron and her mom usually were. Kathy and Aaron were sitting at the table when Serenity entered. She pointed out towards the living room. "What's up with Neri?" she asked. "Nothing that we know of. Why?" Kathy asked. "She didn't call me out my name today. I'm just a little confused," Serenity says as she sits at the table with them.

"Well speaking of Neri, she showed us the article on TMZ and she showed us a post from something called The Shade Room. It seems like you had an eventful time out in Los Angeles," Aaron says. "I mean, it was fine". Serenity was downplaying the situation and all three of them knew it. She was still slightly embarrassed from her name and picture being in the blogs. She even had a chat with the HR department at her job after her employer was listed on one of the gossip sites.

"I'm honestly just shocked because I didn't know people were checking for Kyle like that," she says. "Regardless of who is checking for who, it's not a good look for you and that's what we're concerned about," Kathy explains. "Leah assured me that there's nothing to worry about so I'm just going to ignore what people are saying about me". Kathy folded her hands on the table. "You should care because people are calling you a whore". Aaron turned away in embarrassment. He got up from the table and got a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. He sat back down and rubbed Kathy's hands.

"Their perceptions of me are wrong and we all know that," Serenity says. "I think we all know you aren't that kind of girl Serenity, but these people don't know that. They think you're a groupie. Especially because they know you hang out with Leah," Aaron says. "And I love Leah. She's like a daughter to me, but we know she likes her name to be out there. She's been fame hungry since she was a kid," Kathy says. "But you're different. You value your privacy and have always shied away from the cameras. I think what Aaron and I really want to know is, what's happening between you and this boy? Now that he's responsible for having your name known to the public," Kathy says. Her tone let off that she was slightly frustrated with the situation.

"Well we're dating. Have been for about a week now so it's still really new". Kathy eyed her and sighed. "So now that you're dating, we get to meet him right?" she asks. "No!" she replied. "Gideon got to meet him," Aaron said. "Meeting Gideon and meeting the parents are totally different. It'll be a while before that happens. If it even happens". Kathy raised an eyebrow at Serenity. "If? You don't seem very sure of this one". Serenity pouts. "It's still too early to tell is all I meant by that. We're still getting to know each other".

Something that was mentioned earlier sparked in Serenity. "You said Neri showed you the article?" Serenity asked. "Yeah, came off that couch and showed it right to us," Aaron said. That was shocking to Serenity. Neri seemed disinterested in anything that involved her, so for her to report her escapades back to the family was odd. Or maybe Neri used it as further ammunition to prove to her parents that Serenity was indeed, a whore. "You should try and talk to her. When she showed us, she sounded a tad bit concerned," Aaron said.

Okay, that was definitely odd. "Maybe I will," Serenity said as she stood up from the table. She walked out into the living room, but Neri was longer on the couch. She walked upstairs and down the hall into Neri's room. She knocked on the door. "Come in," Neri said. Serenity opened the door and Neri looked up from her phone. "Oh. It's you". Serenity walks in and looks around. "Close the door behind you. You can sit on the chair," she pointed at the papasan in the corner of her room next to the dresser. Serenity closed the door and sat eagerly in the seat. She felt excited just to be in the same room as Neri and they weren't arguing.

"So Aaron and mom told me that you were the one that showed them the stuff about me and Leah". Neri kept looking at her phone. "Mostly about you. I don't really care about Leah". Serenity slouched down further into the chair. "Why did you tell Aaron and mom?" she asks. "I just thought they might want to know". The two of them sat in silence as Neri continued scrolling through her phone. "What's your deal with me?" Serenity finally asks. "What do you mean?" she asks. "You know exactly what I mean. When you were small, we used to be so close. I don't even know what happened but you're so mean to me now. Just downright nasty sometimes".