Six Things Before Breakfast

20

last five chapters after this <3 again, i luv reading comments so don't hesitate to lmk ur thoughts :c also talk to me on twitter my user is @/arrowheadswp!

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But Sanders's mothers don't forget a cancelled wedding.

He whirls around in the kitchen, seething. "Seriously? A date?"

Mahika winces at his tone. Siam, leaning against the doorway, has a shit-eating grin on his face as he munches on his chocolate, and Hathai is...hiding. Behind his other mom.

"You're just going to tour her around the school, Sanders, don't be dramatic," Mahika says, clearing her throat. "I didn't know you already had plans."

"Ma!" Sanders yells, wanting to pull out his hair. "You could've asked me!"

"Who do you think you're talking to, young man," Hathai finally speaks up, glaring at him. "Fix your tone, we're your mothers."

Sanders is going to pull out his hair. He takes a deep breath. A very, very deep breath. "Can't I cancel?"

"They're going there on Saturday and heading back on Sunday," his mom says, crossing her arms. "Besides, the poor girl will be alone and lost. She could use a familiar and friendly face. Her parents are our friends, Sanders. Don't look at me like that—there's nothing wrong with meeting new people outside of your circle and she's a lovely and sweet girl."

He's getting a headache. "Mâae," he groans. "I don't need you to play cupid, God—"

"You barely exchanged words with Charlotte during the dinner," Mahika says, raising an eyebrow. "She and her family are moving here for the next semester. At your university. You could've at least shown some interest."

Fucking—"And when I didn't, you set me up to be her tour guide! On Saturday!"

He has plans on Saturday.

His brother rolls his eyes, but he's still grinning. The little shit. "Don't you think you're overreacting?"

He's not the one cancelling on Becks. Well. Becks's little brother, but still. With Becks. Sanders scowls at him. "You talk to Becks about cancelling. And then we'll talk."

Siam drops his grin and blinks. "Oh. Your plans are with Becks?"

Hathai steps forward and puts a hand on Sanders's shoulder. It makes him look up, and, despite the sourness in his mood, he finds himself leaning to her touch when she brushes the hair out of his forehead. "Honey. It's not the end of the world if you miss out on one thing with Becks."

It's not. It's really not. And on any other day, Sanders would've been fine cancelling—Becks will tease him about it—it's not a big deal, he doesn't have a choice, his moms set him up. She'd tell him he owed her a night of an Avatar marathon. He owed her a...a hot meal, her favorite. She'd tell him he'd be her slave for a night and let it go.

But it's Henry's birthday. 13th, to be precise—Becks's family will take him to the movies, then to his favorite buffet, and then back home for some chess and board games. He wanted Sanders to be there, too.

The very rare times Henry spoke to someone outside of his family members—it was a quiet stutter, stumble upon stumble of words, a laugh—maybe two if you're lucky. If he liked you enough.

When he asked Sanders, his voice was timid. Shy. Hesitant. But clear.

They were in the kitchen after morning training last week. Becks was talking to her brother on the phone, about a chess tournament he recently won. And then suddenly, Becks looked at him, and Sanders was eating his cereal. He raised an eyebrow when Becks kept her stare, and she said, on the phone, "You want to talk? To Rush?"