s e v e n

[Chapter 7]

~Ooo Burn *Tss*~

I hate this Sunday more than I could ever hate any Monday. We didn't lead a religious life, so no it's not church.

But my parents had this brilliant idea to agree to a barbeque with our new neighbours. And here I was trusting their lack of social lives to spur me through unscathed.

But no, my father convinced my mother to try and make friends to 'teach the children'.

Teach the children my ass

My dad was probably bored in the house, he doesn't smoke or drink so he normally just watched TV. As for my mother she smokes and only indulges in red and white wines. But I'm forbidden from looking at cigarettes and alcohol in general.

Bunch of hypocrites. The hypocrisy in my house is massive.

°°°

After changing into a white spaghetti strap dress that reaches just above my knee, and swapping my Doc Martens for converse. (and becoming the lady my parents wish I was...)

We walked over the patchy lawns to Lora's front door, pineapple fridge tart in my mother's hand. To the right of our house was theirs.

Knocking on the door my mother glances to me with a look of appreciation, after skimming the length of my body.

The front door opens revealing Cole in a sweater, jeans and basketball sneakers.

Couldn't I have dressed like that why did I have to wear a dress?!

"Afternoon Mr and Mrs Grys. I'm James but please call me Cole, it's my second name." Cole says as he ushers us in and shakes my parents hands.

He nods in my direction and smiles gently towards Annie who smiles confidently (kinda flirtatiously) at him.

Just as Cole opens his mouth brows creasing, his mother walks in starting her babble raucous. Her mid-back raven hair hangs loose in soft curls.

"Hi there, I'm Lorain, but call me Lora. I see you've met my son, Jame-" she's cut of by a slightly embarrassed Cole.

Who knew Mr. Bad Boy over here could be polite and get embarrassed

Bad boy feels emotions?? Who knew!

"Mom..." He whines.

Turning her head towards him she smiles gently.

"Sorry, he's trying to get everyone to call him Cole. I hope you don't mind, I made pot roast and some salads instead of the barbeque. The butcher is closed for renovations." Lora explains timidly.

"Oh that's fine, I'm Sara and this is my husband, Reese." My mother says gesturing between her and my father.

"I was secretly hoping for some salads instead of flame grilled meat." My father jokes, earning a few chuckles amongst the adults.

"Issa made you a pineapple fridge tart, she's quite the baker..." My mother trails off looking towards me, signalling me to respond.

" Oh, um... yes, I wasn't sure what you preferred and this is one of my favorites so I thought... Ya know... Why not?" I blushed from all the attention and stares I was receiving.

"That's lovely Hun, thank you, I'll take it to the kitchen." Lora says.

Its now that I take note of how similar our houses really are, I knew Lora's parents but I've only been in the house once or twice. We normally just sat outside on the porch or in the backyard. But the resemblance is uncanny.

I like that word. Uncanny. Ha!

Quaint kitchen to the left with an open plan view, meaning there aren't any doors to the living room and kitchen. So when you stand in the living room to the right you can see the front door and the kitchen.

The staircase in our house is on the left by the kitchen but theirs is on the right by the living room. As for the rooms everything upstairs, from what I can see looks the same and downstairs is just swapped. But the doors are closed so I can't be sure.

"Why don't you parentals join me in the kitchen, Annie you can watch tv. And James you and Issa can talk in your room." Lora says kindly to everyone.

"Why don't the two of you join Annie in watching tv. I'm sure it'll be best" my father interjects kindly, but giving me a stern look. As if to say 'you will not be alone with a boy ever!' .

They are always like this, I seriously don't understand. It's not like I'm gonna bang while they're all here. Hell! I'm still a virgin-- haven't even had a proper kiss-- so what would we be doing?!

Lora glances between my father and I before turning around and dismissing everyone with a smile.

"Okey dokey..." I murmur.

This is going to be fun...

°°°

After my father's 'gentle request' that Cole and I sit with Annie. Not much happened we sat in silence, the only things that could be heard were the adults chattering and the cartoons playing from the tv.

"Foods ready!" Shouted my father from the kitchen.

All three of us scrambling to get to the kitchen. On the counter sat a small array of food, in different containers.

Glass, ceramic, plastic.

"We have a table in the backyard where we can sit at, considering the summer weather is playing nice today. Would you mind grabbing a dish and carrying out back." Lora said more than asked.

I picked 2 dishes, one filled with roasted vegetables and the other with a salad.

Don't ask me what kind I would never be able to tell you all I know is there's green leaves.

Walking out the back door in the left corner of the kitchen, I see a medium sized wooden table with just enough seats for everyone accompanied by a yellow table cloth that glowed in the sunlight.

After carrying out the dishes we all sat down, but before anyone touched their food Lora shouted,

"Grace!"

Whose Grace? Does she have a daughter?

Seeing the perplexed looks on my and Annie's face she grinned softly.

"I'll lead the prayer before we eat. Dear lord, thank you for the clothes on our backs and the air we breathe. Thank you for allowing Sara and her family be here today, thank you for our health, our families health and thank you for the food which we are about to receive. Dear god you make us truly grateful. Amen." Lora looked up from her enclosed hands and begins dishing food into her plate.

We all take this as our cue to, dish for ourselves.

After grabbing everything but salad ad vegetables I begin eating-- more like scarfing down my food. It's the first time I ate today and it's like way past 2 already.

No one at the table is talking its eerily silent, swallowing the food in my mothuth I glance up to find everyone staring at me with different expressions.

My mother looked disgraced; my father looked proud. Lora stared  sheepishly; Cole seemed surprised and Annie was eating like normal.

Smiling timidly,

"Sorry, I was hungry." I mutter looking down then glancing up briefly.

"That's okay dear, Cole is the exact same if I don't restrain him." Lora says gently.

My mother sends me one more disapproving looks before she returns eating. Everyone continues eating while the adults engage in small talk.

I can vaguely hear them talking about Cole and I but I'm not paying attention.

"So Issa, what do you plan on going in after college?" Lora paged the question most seniors are gearing right now.

"Either something with computers," I can hear a small snort come from Cole across me " or hopefully architecture." I smile politely then send a subtle glare to Cole.

"And how about you Jam- Cole, sorry, what do you plan on doing after college?" My mother asks.

"I actually have no set plan, I might not even go to college." He spews eyeing his mother as she gently looks down almost embarrassed.

"That's okay son, I didn't go to college nor did I finish high school and I own a company. Maybe not entirely successful yet but it's something. If I can do it you sure as hell can. But my circumstances were slightly different, you have that glorious thing called a choice. You make the call about where you wanna be in a couple years time." My father says encouragingly.

He had no choice in whether to finish highschool or not and the same about university.

____________________

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Socks are my forever...

{Please don't be a silent reader}

~T