Line of Best Fit

COMEDOWN

THE COMEDOWN
18:24 (2/23)
San Diego, California

"We're just so excited you're here!" Alicia repeated as she set a plate in front of him.
Zebulon mumbled a thank you and then returned to staring at the table. He pulled at the collar of his sweatshirt and started to chew on his lip to fight the urge to put the fabric in his mouth. Alicia and Tyler were taking turns glancing in his direction and then towards each other. They weren't sure if it was best to try and fill the silence or just let it settle.
"So, did you play any sports at your old school?" Tyler asked before taking a bite of his salad.
"No." Zebulon continued to stare at his plate, not wanting to see the expecting look on his uncles face.
"Well, Westview has a really good basketball team. You're tall enough, they might just let you-"
He stopped abruptly when the sound of the front door opening echoed through the house.
"Hey, I'm home!" Blake called. "Did you guys really start eating without me? Damn, I see how it is."
He walked into the dining room and froze as he spotted Zebulon. A grin spread across his face and as he started to size up his cousin.
"Holy shit, you're here already. What's up, Zebby?" Blake laughed and started fixing his plate, ignoring the visible annoyance on Zebulon's face.
"Blake, is that really the best way to say hello to Zebulon?" Alicia said softly, but her voice was stern.
"He's been here for a few hours, nice of you to finally drop by," Tyler chimed in.
Blake just rolled his eyes and sat down at the table, directly across from Zebulon. "Sorry, I wasn't sure what time he was coming in."
"We told you nearly a week ago-"
"Yeah, I know. I just forgot."
Alicia frowned but dropped the argument. "We were just asking Zebulon what he was involved in at his old school."
"Oh, you mean fights? Cause that's why he had to leave, right?"
"Blake!" Alicia hissed, her hand darting out to grab his arm. He shook off her grasp and laughed again.
"What? It's true." He nodded towards Zebulon and the corners of his mouth turned up. "Right, Zebby?"
"Don't call me that." Zebulon said, his eyes still fixed on the plate in front of him. Alicia had made some kind of salad and a few other sides, and Tyler had grilled steak and pork chops. None of it looked appetizing, and now he was too distracted by Blake to focus on forcing himself to eat.
"Well, like I was saying," Tyler began, "I graduated with the coach over there. He's a really good guy. I bet he'd let you practice with the team and see how you liked it."
"I don't really do team sports," Zebulon replied quietly. He just wanted to hide in his room. Maybe finally unpack a few things instead of just staring at the ceiling.
"Oh, alright. I'm sure there's something you'd like, though."
"I'm only going to be there for a couple months. I'm not really trying to make friends."
Tyler opened his mouth like he was about to add something, but he shook his head and returned to cutting up his steak.
The conversation remained stagnant and Zebulon started to pick at his food. He took a few bites of the salad and a couple pieces of fruit, ignoring the charred meat at the center of his plate.
Alicia kept glancing nervously towards Tyler. Blake remained oblivious, scrolling through his phone and shoving food in his mouth. Finally, she caught her eye and nodded towards Zebulon. Just as Tyler started to ask him another question, Blake cut in.
"What the fuck is all that metal in your face?"
"Blake!" Alicia nearly shrieked at him, her eyes wide.
"What?" he asked innocently, dropping his phone on the table to hold his hands up. "Just a question."
"You know that's not-"
"Hey, I was asking him." Blake pointed his fork towards Zebulon and raised his eyes brows.
"No, we aren't done," Tyler said, raising his voice slightly. "You sure aren't making a very good impression."
"Yeah, and he is?" Blake replied with a scoff. "How many metal detectors did you set off at the airport?"
"Shut the fuck up," Zebulon cut in, glaring at Blake.
"You still haven't answered me," he pressed. "I asked you-"
"I said shut-"
"What the fuck-"
"The fuck-"
"Is all that metal-"
"Boys!" Alicia screamed, slamming her fork against her plate with a sharp motion. "That's enough!"
"He started it, mom!" Blake said in a mocking tone, refusing to drop the topic.
"I don't care who started it!" she exclaimed. "Can't you let us have one nice dinner? It's his first night here and-"
"I was just asking!" Blake cut her off her again.
The table fell silent with Blake's final protest and Alicia looked to Tyler to try and make amends.
"Blake, I think you need to apologize for how you've acted tonight," he said finally, giving his son a pointed look.
"Apologize? For what?"
"For acting like a dick. Now drop it."
"Fine, okay. I'll apologize..." Alicia and Tyler stared at him while Zebulon's eyes stayed glued to the table. "After he tells me what that shit is."
Blake watched with a grin as the rest of the table reacted. Both his parents began yelling over each other, and Zebulon stood up sharply. Blake froze as he looked across the table, slowly realizing that Zebulon towered over him.
"Hey, hey! Can we just calm down? I didn't mean it, yeah?" Blake quickly amended, staring at his cousin in shock.
"I told you to shut up, and you wouldn't fucking listen," Zebulon repeated, still standing and glaring at Blake.
"Zeb, I was just kidding. Come on, it's all good!"
"Whatever," Zebulon said sharply, walking away from the table and towards the stairs.
The three remained seated, watching silently as he left. Alicia's face was white and Blake was still in shock.
"Like I said," Tyler said slowly, breaking the heavy silence. "You're acting like a dick."