See In Him

17

  They were talking in the kitchen when Kennith dumped his bag in the doorway. "Hey," Micheal called. "Welcome home," Luka and Kai added. Mugs clicked on the counter. Kennith took his time untying his shoes.

  "Sick bike out front. What is it?" footsteps approached them to greet the pair.

  "It's a Ducati. Nice, huh? I'm Kai." Kennith's brother's shadow loomed over him. Skin clapped when Kai and Jesse loosely shook hands. "Jesse," he replied. "And this is Luka," Kai introduced his boyfriend. "Hey," Jesse shook his hand. "Hey, Jesse. Nice to meet you," Luka greeted. His voice comforted Kennith, cooled his nerves.

  "Hey, Kennith," Luka was the first to greet Kennith, kneeling in front of him. The boy responded with a low grumble, finally removing his shoes and grabbing the book again. "Hey," he mumbled before standing and hugging the book to his chest. He loved visits from his siblings, but not unannounced ones. They jarred him and didn't give him time to mentally prepare for long dinners around a table. It meant a lot of anxiety and no time to read—which was the only thing he wanted to do at that moment.

  "Am I making dinner, then?" Jesse assumed. "What can you make in an hour?" Micheal replied.

  Jesse smirked. "The best damn fried chicken you'll ever have."

——

  For at least an hour, Kennith was able to escape to his bedroom. The blinds were closed tight so the room was only lit with a soft, grey hue and he could focus on the textures in his lap. The smell of frying meat wafted upstairs with the sound of his mother arriving home. She loudly greeted her kids. The noise made Kennith roll his eyes.

  Lucia's favorite story was riveting. For someone who hated fiction, Star Wars was complicated enough for Kennith's brain to be satisfied; there were a lot of names and storylines within the book to follow. He could see how the series already had hundreds of books with intertwining plots and characters. He would definitely have to invest in the rest of them.

  When there was finally knock on his door, he already knew that dinner was ready. There was the clinking of dishes downstairs. The smell was intoxicating and made his mouth water. There was no way Jesse would be able to make something that good. "Hey, Kennith? Dinner's ready. You should come down and join us," the knocker said through the door. The voice was soft, obviously Luka. Kennith missed Luka. He missed that voice that could turn playful whenever anyone needed comfort. He missed hearing how happy he and Kai were together because that happiness seeped out into everyone else around them.
  "Or I can bring up a plate for you, but I think your mom probably wants you at the table," he added when he didn't get a reply. "I'll be down soon," Kennith growled. Luka took this as an answer judging by his steps fading away. Kennith snuck in one more page before he was moved by a final warning call from his mother. "I'm coming! Jesus..." he snapped from the top of the stairs. They were already seated around the table. He took his spot at the end, hiding his book in his lap and silently waiting for anyone to acknowledge him. This was another reason he didn't like eating with his family; they needed to help him with the layout of his plate and utensils while he could do so without an audience in his bedroom. He didn't need his family... he didn't want them at that moment.

  "Here. Chicken is at Twelve, potatoes are at three, and salad's at nine. Chicken's already cut. Silverware is at nine and water is at one," Micheal told Kennith as a plate clinked against the table in front of Kennith. This clock system was ingrained in his family's minds; automatic during meals. Kennith cringed. His fingers instinctively moved to silently open the book in his lap.

  "Looks good, Jesse," Luka said. Suddenly, forks were scraping on plates and there were a few minutes of quiet eating and chattering. The food was delicious, judging by the nibble Kennith sampled.