Deception

Liz wanted to eat at the same fancy restaurant where I met Jack and Alex, and so we went, again. Dad ordered the steak, Liz ordered the fish, and I ordered the chicken.

Now here we are, sitting around awkwardly while eating the sliced bread our waiter brought. Dad clears his throat, and looks at me. "Kaleb, how's winter track?"

I shrug, shoving the rest of my buttered bread into my mouth. What about track? It's been the same every year: you run a lot--to get rid of the weak people who just want the apparel--and then you have night practice for pole vault, especially the new people. What's so exciting about that?

After a little silence, Liz leans forward slightly. "Kaleb, I know this seems a little early, but..." Liz bites her lip, her perfectly manicured nails tapping her gold-rimmed plate. "Well, it's about your birthday. Do you know who you would like to invite?"

I haven't had a birthday party since I was six. After that, grandma started sending me socks, and dad brought me to the mall to pick out whatever I wanted. Mom sent me coffee-stained birthday cards that I usually threw into the fire place furtively. "Lori, Jack, and..." I glance around the room. "And Alex."

Dad furrows his brow. "Is Alex a girl or a boy?"

I wince inwardly. "He's a boy. A nice one," I add quickly before stuffing my mouth with more bread.

The food arrives, and the waiter takes our empty plates away, placing a new bread basket and butter in the middle. "Now, Kales, I know you're growing up and all," he grabs a slice of french bread, "but...I don't know them, hon. I want to make sure they're the type of people you want to associate with." Typical "dad" thing to say; not just my dad, but dads everywhere who have daughters. Except Lori's dad, who's a pushover. That's what a house of three women does to you.

I chug my water, and a bus boy appears at our table. I look up from the goblet to see Alex holding a full pitcher, Jack wiping a table nearby. "May I interest you in some more water, Kaleb?" I nod hesitantly, watching him pour it to the brim. He turns to my parent, who drinks his red wine hesitantly. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Wagner, my name is Alex. I'm a friend of Kaleb's from school." After setting the pitcher down, he extends a hand to Dad, who shakes it, eyebrow raised.

"Nice to meet you, Alex." Liz beams as Alex puts out a hand for her too. "In fact, we were just talking about you."

"Really?" He glances at me, grin plastered on his face. "What brought about this lovely conversation?"

"Kaleb's birthday party, actually. She'll be eighteen in January." Liz sips her Chablis and rips her swordfish with her knife. "I think we might want a winter-theme. What do you think, dear?"

I shrug. Is she seriously thinking of a theme? What are we going to do, blow fake snow and make snow angels and snow men?

"Kaleb, if you don't tell me what you want, I can just hire a clown and be done with it." Liz chews her swordfish, her fork stabbing the vegetables around it. "Now, Kaleb, what theme would you like your birthday to be?"

"No themes." I look at dad as I slice my chicken. "How come you're not contributing?"

"Why do you want me to contribute? I couldn't even throw a party for your grandma." Alex and Dad chuckle. I shoot both of them glares, and they stop.

"Whatever. No themes, Liz." I drain my water, and Alex hastily fills up my glass again. "So...Alex is invited, right?" Dad stands up. I furrow my brow. "Right, Dad?" He shuffles around our table to Alex and motions for him to follow. "...Dad?"

"Alexander and I need to chat, Kaleb."

Liz takes in a deep breath and continues her plans: blue balloons, white tablecloth, cake adorned with snow men, powder blue napkins, dark blue cutlery, chips and dip, both salsa and french onion dip, vegetables, frozen pizza...

"Kaleb, if you want to disagree, feel free to say something, dear," Liz says, still listing things off the top of her head. "We'll have to buy some vanilla and chocolate ice cream..."

Dad and Alex emerge from the hallway of bathrooms, both of them smiling. Alex pulls out the chair next to mine and sits down. "Hope you don't mind that I'm ruining your family dinner," Alex says, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I swear, this dinner could only get worse.

I excuse myself to go to the bathroom in order to become more calm and collected. Alex and Dad shouldn't be getting along; Alex shouldn't be invited to the party. No Gaskarth, no matter how much Dad approves; he's my dad! He should be bombarding Alex with questions, making him cower in fear. Dad has bulging muscles, and Alex isn't even wincing at the sight of him. Jack and Lori are good enough for the birthday party. Alex needs to stay out of my personal life. This has "wrong" written all over it.

I'm calling Lori.

"...Hello?"

"My dad likes Alex. It's so creepy; it's like watching some weird family sitcom."

"Honey, you're not even dating him yet and he's met your parents? Where are you?"

"The fancy french restaurant near Gabi's old house. But right now, I'm in the bathroom. Alex's alone with them, and I don't think they miss me very much." I take in a deep breath. "So, about my birthday..."

"I thought we were going to eat Mexican food and watch 'The Notebook'. I mean, we do that every year. Why ruin the tradition? By next year, you'll be going out of state and I'll be going to fucking community college."

"It's Liz. Anyway, you, Jack, and Alex are coming. And I have track meets sprinkled everywhere, especially vacation, so I don't know what's going to happen. It might be on a Sunday, for all I know."

"...When's your next track meet?"

"Next Saturday." I take in a deep breath. "Back to the matter at hand! What do I do? Dad actually likes him, and Alex likes me!" I never knew a day would come where my father would actually like a guy who had feelings for me. It took him two years to trust Riley, and that was after I told Dad that Riley was gay. Dad doesn't need to know the truth.

"He's charming, and he's good with parents. What more could you want? He could totally have you out of that grounding, and he could get your cell phone back." I hear a nail file, rubbing slowly against Lori's sharp, mauve nails. "Kale, this is perfect. He can right your wrongs, and besides, he's cute. What could go wrong?"

I really need my phone...perhaps manipulation is a good idea. Alex could get Dad to give me my cell phone back and my freedom...

But how?