Amber & Ice

Chapter 28: They are Going to Love You

Athena had been right - her parents really didn’t mind Dyo coming to stay for the weekend.

But that didn’t stop Dyo from feeling incredibly awkward about the whole thing.

“Are you okay?” Athena asked him for what must have been the tenth time since they had got on the train.

“Yes. Of course. I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because your talking like a robot and you won’t stop fidgeting!”

“Sorry,” he said, meaning it. “I’m not good with family stuff.” His own experience of family was… dysfunctional, to say the least, and he wasn’t sure what to expect when they reached Hastings.

“Well stop panicking, because they are going to love you!” Athena froze as soon as the words were out of her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say ‘love’. Love was a bit intense. She could feel her cheeks beginning to colour and tried to hide them by looking out of the window at the countryside rushing past. She could only hope that Dyo would pass it off as a figure of speech.

When, a few minutes later, he still hadn’t said anything in reply, Athena risked a glance over at him. But instead at panicking over her choice of words, his eyes were closed and his breathing regular. He slept for the rest of the journey.

***

Stood in the doorway of the house were a middle-aged couple. The woman had Athena’s hair, while the man had the same grey eyes. Both were wearing pink tops which Athena noticed still had that ‘just left the shop’ smell when she hugged them.

“Mum, dad, this is Dyo. Dyo, these are my parents.”

They exchanged the usual pleasantries and he explained that he was another student at LUP, glossing over the lack of actual studying he had done since the year had begun…

Athena’s parents invited them inside and ushered them into the living room to sit down.

“Oh, has the pop colour changed, honey? You didn’t tell us.” Now that Athena had taken her coat off, her mother was looking at her with a puzzled look on her face. Athena looked down at herself and realised that she was wearing faded jeans and a green hoodie which belonged to Dyo. She wasn’t wearing a single item in pink. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she had done so. Instead it was her parents, who never bothered to keep up with pop trends, who were wearing the latest colour. They must have been trying to make a good impression. Athena smiled at her parents, loving their commitment to making her happy. She wasn’t sure that she wanted to tell them quite what she had been up to since she had last been to see them, but she didn’t know how to explain her sudden aversion to pink either.

Luckily, Dyo stepped in for her. “There was a new pop vote last week. It’s now ‘wear cold colours’ month. Blue, greens, purples… Anything goes really, so long as it’s not too summery.”

Athena’s mother laughed. “These trends are impossible to keep up with! I quite like that one though, you look lovely in greens and purples, darling.”

Athena squirmed under the compliment, which made Dyo smile.

“So, Dyo, I don’t think we’ve heard Athena mention you before. How long have you known each other?”

“A few months now; since the beginning of term. I met Athena on the day that the Health Care vote was supposed to be announced. She, quite literally, swept me off my feet.” He smiled.

***

Athena found it strange to be back in her childhood bedroom and know that Dyo was only next door. It was odd to think that he was laying down in the guest room usually used by visiting relatives. She wondered what he thought of her parents so far. They had been on their best behaviour that evening and Athena was feeling quite proud of them.