The Bad Boy and the Other Bad Boy

Chapter 13

ROCCO

I didn't think it could get much worse than this. I could hear my parents downstairs, setting up for guests - my dad had come home and my parents had talked in low voices then acted like everything was normal - I guess that they didn't want my sister to find out yet. 

Nothing made sense.

My father had cheated on my mother, I was gay, and Jax Wilson turned me on. And now I had to go and smile and eat and laugh with whatever randoms my mother had decided to invite. Why now, of all times?

I knew why, actually - my mother was focusing on me so she didn't have to deal with my father.

 My mother burst into my room, looked at me, then sighed. I was sitting there staring at the wall in the t-shirt and sweats I woke up in. 

"Rocco! They're coming in fifteen minutes! Don't you want to make a good impression?" 

No, I thought. 

She hauled me to my feet and shoved me towards the bathroom. 

"Shower, " she ordered, then left, slamming the door behind her. 

------

I rubbed my eyes, then ran a hand through my wet hair. My family was gathered around the entrance - the Richardsons had just pulled into the driveway. I could hear their voices on the other side of the door, then my mother was pulling the door open and greeting them as a blast of cold evening air swept over us. I bit back a yawn as the Richardsons were ushered into our house, then raised my eyebrows and put a welcoming grin on my face. My mother introduced us to her colleague, a tall, slim, Chinese woman, and her shorter white husband who waved and grinned in a kind of dopey dad way. Her daughter, the one my mother had wanted me to meet, was beautiful - I had to give her that. She wore a shimmery golden dress that showed off her wide hips, and her gleaming dyed blonde hair was cut to her chin. Bangs covered her forehead. She stared at me, her irises covered with green contact lenses, her mouth open slightly. I was instantly self-conscious - did she have a gay-dar or something? Apparently girls had gay-dars. 

I shook my head slightly - it was still weird to think about. 

She blinked, then offered me her hand - I'd never had a girl do that. I took it, and the numerous rings on her fingers clinked. 

I grinned widely.

"Hey, I'm Rocco. " I said. 

"Sirena. " She smiled. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mother raise her eyebrows at me pointedly. My jaw clenched and a surge of annoyance went through me. 

Sirena cleared her throat - I was still holding her hand, distracted as I was by my mother. 

"Oh, sorry. " I said, releasing her hand. 

For some reason, as I turned around, I thought I saw her smile. Weird. 

The night passed, with me answering questions about my life and school from her parents and Sirena staring at me strangely. I wondered if they were asking that many questions because they had the same motive as my mother - pairing me up with Sirena. Her mom had looked strict from the start, but she was quickly reinforcing my idea of her - and even the puppy-dog dog had turned into some sort of police interrogator. 

"So. Any girls in your life?" He said, his tone teasing. 

My eyebrows went up. Wow. I had been paired up with a girl and her family like this before, but it didn't stop the surge of annoyance. 

I flicked a furious glance at my parents - my father's face was apologetic, while my mother sat as stiff as a statue, staring straight ahead. 

I turned my gaze back to Mr Richardson. "No, actually. I don't have a girlfriend. "