Arranged with Prince Charming

Arranged with Prince Charming [2]

Dinner was awkward. Mum and Dad were doing all of the talking, and I sat there, taking quick glances at the handsome stranger, and looked into his eyes. They seemed so familiar; the way they sparkled when Mum spoke my name, his grin looked like something I was used to… Mum and Dad were constantly trying to get us to talk to one another, but I had policy: no talking to strangers. And he hasn’t spoken one word to me either.

Mum coughed and I looked up from the red spaghetti and met Mum’s eye. Her eyes widened and she motioned towards the man.

“It’s nice to see you again Calix,” Mum said smiling towards him.

Calix…I swear I know that name from somewhere. I furrowed my brows and stuffed some more noodles in my mouth and slowly chewed, hoping I wouldn’t have to talk.

“It’s nice to see you as well, but it’s nice to see you again Emma,” the stranger – Calix – said, turning his attention to me.

I smiled a little, but looked down and pocked a meatball with my fork. I felt someone kick me and I looked up, panicked, and scanned the table for the perpetrator. I saw Mum, moving her head slightly towards the stranger – Calix, I need to remember that – with her head.

‘What do you want me to say?’ I mouthed, irritated with my mother.

Mum tried to mouth something, but her words mixed together and I couldn’t read it. Dad spoke then, brining Mum out of her silent ramblings.

“So Calix how is your stay?” he asked, stuffing his mouth with a meatball.

I grimaced and looked down again, playing with my noodles.

“It’s good,” Calix replied, a huge grin on his face.

I felt like slapping it, but I took a deep breath and grumbled under my breath ‘Yeah, what about the other girl you were with huh?’ I heard someone chuckle, and turned to see Calix lightly shaking his head. I blushed and looked down again, wishing my hair was down so it would cover my face.

Oh yeah, he’s sitting right next to me, I thought, stuffing my face with more spaghetti. Mum cleared her throat again and looked at me.

“Why didn’t you come and visit?” Mum asked her eyebrow rose.

Calix looked uncomfortable and I stopped eating to hear his answer. I don’t remember him, but he obviously knows me.

“Well, I didn’t have time and-” Mum cut him off.

“Well when we left, you promised to come and visit. Well, I think you said that, you were crying that much,” Mum teased, a small smile on her face.

My smile turned into a frown when I remembered the childhood friend that always lingers in my memory, the one that I can’t remember. I heard Mum clear her throat, shaking me out of my reverie.

Is there something going on with Mum’s throat? I wondered, rolling my eyes. I felt another kick and swear I am going to bruise in the morning. I looked at Mum, no, I glared at Mum. I scanned her face, but saw nothing suspicious. Then she looked at Calix, and there was a smirk on his face and his eyes glimmered.

Just ignore him Emma, he’ll stop, I chanted, taking in a deep breath. I stuffed my mouth with another fork-full of noodles. My plan was ruined when he started to kick me again, and I glared at him. Can he be any more childish? He stopped kicking me and I sighed in relief. I glared over to him and he smiled childishly at me in return. I returned my attention back to my food and stuffed it into my food. As I was about to bite into a meatball, I burped, loudly. My eyes widened and I blushed deep red.

Mum started to laugh and I stood up, glaring at all of them and walked out, Dad chuckling behind me. I cannot believe I did that. I could feel a familiar stinging at the back of my eye lids and rushed into my room, the sound of footsteps heading up behind me. I never cried over these silly things, but I barely knew that man and now he probably thought I was a slob compared to that other girl.