Quicksilver - Jamilton -

Chapter 4: Bad good idea

"Mom, you sure I look ok?"

"You look amazing, sweetheart."

We're invited to supper with the Madison family. I don't mind, 'cause I'd be with James, but mom wants me to wear that blue suit that she bought for me last year, and blue is not my color.

"Why can't I wear my magenta suit?"

"It doesn't fit you anymore. You grow way too fast."

"Why didn't you buy me a new one, then?" I say while looking at myself in the mirror of the living room."Hmm, we didn't have enough money for such expense, dear."

"Since when we don't have enough money?"

"We'll talk about it later." Why is no one in this family telling me what's going on! Just last month I could buy whatever I wanted, and now we don't have enough for one suit? It doesn't make sense! Were the people at school right? It has been only one week since my first day, and all I could hear was that my parent's business was falling apart. I didn't think it was true because they never said something about that, but maybe? I don't know anymore.

"Guys, come on! We don't want to make the Madisons... mad. Do you see what I did there? Mad-ison mad." Mom and I look at each other for a second before rolling our eyes.

"Honey, I'm sorry to tell you this but, you're really not funny. Now let's go, we don't want to be late, do we?"

"Aw, you just don't understand my art!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, dad."

We arrive at the Madison residence 2 minutes later. It's really close to our home, I can do it on foot. They have a big house with windows taller than me, pretty little flowers blossoming everywhere and an impeccable lawn with the sign "do not walk on the grass" on it. A classic American dream house, basically. Their maid welcomes us, as always. taking our coats with them.

"Jane, Randolph! I'm so happy you could come!" The bubbly, average heights woman enters. Clean-cut, elegant, and showing immense happiness at the simple sight of guests. As usual for the mother Madison.

My mom and she embrace each other, sharing a glance full of complicity. 

"Nelly, thank you for inviting us."

"Well, it's always a pleasure to have you all here! And my, I still remember when Thomas was just a little boy, now he looks like a grown man!"

"He is a senior now."

"I'm still sad our boys couldn't do their last year together. But maybe now, James's going to be less anti-social, without Thomas by his side."

"Yes, we also hope Thomas will make other friends, though that doesn't mean I don't love your little boy." Why are they talking as if James and I aren't next to them? All of us go in the living room, or more just of a sitting room, where there are some appetizers of any sort and colors. it has been like, what? 10 minutes? I'm already bored to death. I look at James, he looks at me, and we silently agree to go. They won't notice anyway, they are way too immersed in their exciting conversation. The moment we get out of the room we start to laugh uncontrollably.

"You should have seen your face! You were like "please kill me now." so funny." I say while still laughing between words.

"Hey, you kept glancing at me as if I was going to stop them from talking about you when you were a baby!"

"Please, darlin' you were the one eye-asking me to get you out of there." We start to walk toward his room.

"Hey, you want to do something fun?"