Cruel Stakes High Roller

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"Good Morning, Sunshine!" Antoinette greeted as she lifted the sheets off me. "Time to rise and shine, Sleepyhead!"

"Come on, Antoinette! I need some sleep! I'm going out this afternoon!" I pulled the sheets back over my head as I took a slight peek at my digital bedside clock. 7:30 am. Is she fucking kidding me?

"Oh no, you don't! Mom and Dad are home!Come down and greet them, you lazy Sleepyhead!" Antoinette pushed as my eyes shot wide open.

They're home?

Today?

I slip out of the covers and look at my sister, yes... she was serious. "They're downstairs making breakfast. Waiting for you too."

"When are they leaving?" I roll my eyes and slump back in my bed. I knew this all too well. They come back home and pretend as if they never left, and before you know it, they'll be leaving again.

"Tony, don't be such an ass." I immediately took off my covers as I heard my sister cuss. I raise an eyebrow. "You heard me." She said triumphantly.

With a sigh, I roll lazily out of bed and put a shirt on as I followed suit.

"TONY!" My mom wailed as soon as I descended the staircase. "Oh! I have missed you! Missed you so, so much!" She said as she showered me with hugs and kisses.

"Ah, there you are!" My dad boomed and chuckled. "We must talk about the business later! I have great proposals for you. An empire! An estate! A long chain of multimillion-dollar companies!" He beamed. I looked at him quizzically and gave him a hug. He never changed; still always one step ahead.

"I have an appointment for lunch and this afternoon. I'm afraid I can't cancel it." I say immediately as I took a sip of the creamy coffee.

"Son, but we just got home." My dad argued.

"I can't move it. The test is on Monday. If I don't show up, I'll not be able to forgive myself. Besides, we have a few more days to spend with you right?" I said thinking that it's my only chance to escape.

My parents look at each other, then turned to Antoinette for an answer.

"You're going out to study?" My mom asked with a very small voice. She may have been shocked but her expression was as happy as a bird.

"Ah, Mama!" Antoinette calls her lovingly. "This woman has got our dear Tony smitten... and changed as well as you can see. I told him to invite her to dinner."

I froze.

When my parents hear anything that's close to this statement, there was no way to back out.

"Oh my, that's a great idea!" My mom smiled and whispered to Antoinette... as if I could not hear her. "Is it serious already?"

I rolled my eyes and headed to my seat at the family table to enjoy the fresh coffee they brought from Europe and tasted the flavorful delicacies laid before me to feast on. My dad sat in front of me as he started to prattle about my future in his company. He was way too excited about it and it was as if they truly forgot about the fact that they will be leaving again anyway.

A few minutes to noon, I was already at the University, waiting for Felice so that we could go to Flames together. She said that she had been here since morning, and so I waited.

A few seconds later, she emerged from the library doors with 3 humungous books in hand. I climbed out of the car and help her with it, but she refused to give me the books.