RAVI (formerly Indie-America)

28

(((Edited•)))

   It's all good until somehow the conversation is directed to how many people don't know me very well.

"Remember that girl who was trying to become Ravi's friend? Queen was it?" Dad starts and mum picks the story up.

"Queen Morey. That was when they were 10. Queen thought because Ravi was carrying a backpack with One Directions–"

"Direction mum. One Direction." Kendall interrupts but mum waves her off,

"–a backpack with One Directions members faces embossed on it, she was a fan of them. So she struck a conversation with her based on them and she went on gushing about them but Ravi was giving her weird looks–"

"And then Ravi gave up the farce and asked who Harry Styles was–" Kendall pauses to laugh at my ignorance but I can only roll my eyes and smile. "–and that's when the girl tried to show her his face on her backpack but Ravi resisted thinking God knows what and the girl ended up falling inside the pool!" They all give up holding their laughter but I don't laugh, and neither do the people who weren't there to witness it. God knows the way she fell was funny but it's not something I like to laugh about. Luca is watching me intently and it's getting pretty hot in this room.

"Many people misinterpret Ravi." Teddy says after he's done laughing.

"Yeah." I admit, ready for us to change the topic but he continues.

"Like that time when she was pressured to join the anime group in school." I fold my mouth and try to make him stop but Luca adds flame to the fire.

"You don't like anime?" He asks, obviously shocked and Teddy finds this interesting.

"You didn't know? I thought you would. Seeing as you're... dating." He side eyes me.

"Yeah we've never actually talked about stuff like that." Luca sounds deflated for a second but still manages to smile.

Teddy's beginning to make me angry.

"I remember those tiaras we all got you for Christmas." He adds and Luca frowns,

"Tiaras? Ravi doesn't like those." He says with such certainty that everybody on the table is taken aback.

"Um...she accepted a bag of em, I'm sure that speaks enough," Teddy replies and I see mum and dad nod in his favor. Luca wipes his mouth with the serviette and drops his fork before speaking.

"Recent events show that Ravi doesn't just dislike tiaras, she hates them." He smiles at his words and everyone on the table turns to look at me.

"Come to think of it I never saw you wear it," Kendall says first, the thought obviously just crossing her mind.

I offer a sheepish smile and shrug, "I donated them to the orphanage."

"What??! I spent a hundred dollars on–i mean I spent over a hundred seconds making them," Mara's face turns red from her own mistake and I laugh.

"I saw the price tags. You guys are terrible liars."

"Ok so fine then. It's a known fact now that Ravi hates tiaras, no more wasting dollars to get her one." Teddy says with a light tone that seems to get everything back to normal and I actually send him a real smile just because of it.

Mara clears her plate and rushes to the living room before anyone can object.

"Where's she going to?" Luca asks and Simmi shrugs,

"Riverdale."

His eyes light up and I mentally slap myself for never asking him about the shows he likes. But then again it doesn't really matter right?

"You can come if you want to," Mara pipes in from the living room and Luca dutifully excuses himself to go meet her. Once he's gone grandma taps me playfully on the hand and leaves to her room.

"I'm going to clean up the kitchen," I say to my parents and get up before they say whatever's on their mind. Good or bad, I don't want Teddy hearing it.

******************

"This is the first time Luca's coming for dinner." Teddy says after he finishes wiping the last plate. I knew he was going to bring this up from the moment he stepped into the kitchen saying he wanted to help me clean up.

"Is that a question? Because it doesn't sound like one," I say. Trying to watch my words.

"Well no actually, I just want to hear it from you." He stops cleaning and leans on the wall. Teddy looks low key like a jock right now, his blonde hair a little more curlier than usual and with a more carefree aura. He delicately folds his arms and tilts his head waiting for my answer.
  
  "Yes. It's the first time, I invited him."

His eyebrow goes up. "Really? You guys must be serious,"

I say nothing to that and he continues.

"I came because your dad invited me but mostly because...I wanted to make up with you. I'm sorry, about everything."

"What exactly is everything Teddy?" I demand, my voice coming out stronger than expected and this seems to shock him a bit but he goes on.

  "For assuming things, for writing Luca off, for behaving weirdly towards you. I came to prove that to you."

Mara screams a laugh that distracts me for a second, "I accept your apology Teddy, I'm pretty tired of going on with this to be honest. " I pause and look him straight in the eye,

"But right now I think I'm not the one who you need to apologise to."

He frowns, a signal for me to explain but all I do is raise my brows higher and look towards the living room.

  "Wait. Don't tell me it's who I think it is. Luca? " He nearly spits the words our but I just nod.

"B-but why? I didn't do anything to him–"

"Yes you did. Back when we were eating dinner, bringing things just to spite him. I don't know if you just wanted to make him uncomfortable or if you wanted to mark a territory around me–"

"–Why would I do that?!" He yells

  "I don't know, you tell me!" I yell back. Theres a moment of dead silence and we're staring at each other, unsure of what to do.

"Alright fine I admit and accept it. I'll apologise to McQueen but not now." His eyes go wide and I let out a chuckle.

"Soon though." I offer and he nods, relief pouring all over his face. This makes me let out a full laugh and he smiles too.

"That took longer than I expected," he says suddenly and I pause,

"What?"

"Your laughter. I couldn't remember the last time I made you laugh."

His words are so pure they catch me off guard and suddenly I can't laugh anymore.

Luca's body abruptly appears in the doorway and he takes a second to study us before pointing at me.

"I'm leaving now RV,"

"Oh? What time is it?" I ask as I straighten up and walk towards him, leaving Ted and that uncomfortable situation behind.