I Don't Like Your Boyfriend

What the hell am I doing in a dress?

That was my thought as I looked at the long mirror. I had agreed to meet Sterling’s parents, for real. Why? I don’t know. Maybe because I wanted to believe there was something left to save in our relationship. But I couldn’t trust him. How could we have a relationship without trust? There is no relationship without trust.

It’s just two suspicious people who will always live in fear. I don’t want to constantly think if he’s cheating on me. I’m sure he would feel the same if I had not found out about Cruella. I’m sure he would’ve been suspicious every time I was around Antonio. He would wonder if I would ever cheat on him.

It was all too complicated.

I sighed deeply.

My hair was in a very nice do that my aunt did for me. The dress I was wearing was something Sterling bought me a long time ago. It was a birthday present. Havel was extremely jealous because she said that dress cost a lot of money. I didn’t really care. It was a pretty dress though.

When I was looking for it, I passed the dress Antonio’s mom made for me. For some reason, that one had more meaning, maybe because it was made and not bought.

The shoes were a gift from Sterling too. Now that I thought about it. He bought me a lot of things I never wore. Except for the necklace I was wearing. He got it for me for our third month anniversary and I had to put him on a budge of only fifty bucks. He told me wanted to buy me diamonds and I told him I didn’t need them.

It had more value than he thought. It had meant the world to me and I wore it most of the time.

I looked back to the mirror. I was starting to have doubts.

“Sterling is here,” my aunt said and I blinked and jumped a bit.

She chuckled.

“Are you nervous?”

I nodded.

“This is worse than the first time.”

She laughed and walked with me out of my room. I walked downstairs and found Sterling with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. They were a pink-ish roses, but with white around it. White roses meant eternal love.

I accepted them and put them in water.

My uncle didn’t acknowledge him. He didn’t need to tell me that he disapproved of me going to dinner with his parents.

Once outside of the house, Sterling tried to hold my hand, but I pulled away from it. He looked hurt, but quickly masked it with a smile.

He opened the door to his car and let me in.

On the drive we didn’t talk. I was nervous so I shook my foot up and down a lot. His mom--frankly--was a bitch. She made me feel inferior, like a mouse. She was the big, fat cat and I was the small mouse. I felt that way and I wasn’t even near her yet.

The houses disappeared for a while it was all forest, but then it turned into a gated community. It was where all of the rich kids lived at. The houses weren’t as close as where I lived. Theses houses were about half a football field apart, yet there was at least fifty of them.

Sterling’s was the last one.

It was definitely not the house he had brought me to last time. Last time, it had been a smaller one, which I was sure we past on the way to this one. My stomach churned.

I didn’t want to be there.

Suddenly, the thought of being with Antonio’s family sounded a whole lot better. Patty’s warm smile, Joseph’s jokes, and Jean’s smart mouth.

I was brought back from my little fantasy land when Sterling opened the door for me. I got out and looked at the amazing house. My heart started to beat fast. My hands got a whole lot sweatier.

“How pissed were they when they found out you were with me?” I asked him and turned to him.

“Well, my dad was mad because of what I did to you, and my mom was mad that I was never truly with Cruella,” he said as he took my hand. This time I didn’t pull away. “My mom threatened to disown me, but for you it’s worth it.”

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

He linked our fingers together and led me to the door.

“This isn’t the house you took me last time.”

His face went pale. “Yeah… I rented that house.”

I pressed my lips together and nodded my head, but then I just laughed humorlessly and shook my head.

“I can’t do this.”

But it was too late the door opened.

His mom was standing there in a dress twice as expensive as mine. She eyed me head to toe. Her eyes landed on the dress mostly. Her lips turned into an insincere smile. She stepped aside for us to go in. Sterling didn’t let go of my hand.

“Welcome, Edalene,” she said my name. I didn’t correct her because I was scared of her. “How are you?”

“Fine,” I answered. I tried to summon some courage, but it was really hard when her eyes just bore into me. It was like she could see right through me.

“What a lovely dress,” she said as she looked at it again.

“Thank you, it was a present from Sterling for my birthday.”

She was surprised, but she was only surprised for a second.

“Oh, well, lovely choice, Sterling.”

“Thank you, mother,” Sterling said as he brought me closer to him.

A man appeared from behind his mom. He looked very handsome. He had a bright smile on his lips and held an aura like someone who was happy all of the time.

“You must be Edalene,” he said and extended his hand.

I took it and shook it.

“Yes, sir.”

“No ‘sir’, it’s just Marvin, all right?” he said with a small chuckle.

“Marvin,” I said with a smile of my own.

“I understand our son here broke your heart,” Marvin turned his eyes to his son. “I never liked Cruella, but I have a feeling I’m going to like you, Edalene.”

“Eddy is just fine, Marvin. Everyone calls me that.”

“Eddy? Isn’t that a boy’s nickname?” Sterling’s mother asked.

I turned to her. “Yes, but Edalene is… not really me.”

“It’s a beautiful name, though.”

A compliment, sort of.

“Thank you.”

“Why don’t we all sit down and get to know you?” Marvin suggested.

Sterling led me to their living room. There was no TV like in mine, but there was a fire blazing and a beautiful rug on the floor. The sofas were soft.

Sterling placed an arm around my shoulder.

“So, tell us about yourself,” Marvin said with a grin on his face. “Sterling only told us that you go to school with him and that he’s crazy for you.”

I chuckled a bit.

“Yes, we do go to school together.”

“How did you meet?” Sterling’s mom asked.

“Helena, please don’t sound so negative,” Marvin said. “She’s a delightful girl.”

Helena. Hmm, yeah okay, suited her.

Marvin turned to me. “How is school?”

“It’s going good.”

“Well,” Helena said, “ ‘It’s going well’ not good.”

I forced a smile. “Thanks.”

Marvin ignored his wife’s comment.

“What do you do for fun?” he asked me.

“I dance.”

“She’s really good,” Sterling smiled to me.

“What kind of dancing?” Helena asked.

Marvin cleared his throat as if ‘shut the hell up’ which is what I wanted to tell her. ‘What kind of dancing?’ Was she asking me if I was a stripper?!

“I dance mostly contemporary and interpretive dancing,” I said right to her.

“How wonderful, Helena wanted to be a dancer when she was your age.”

Helena whipped her head to her husband. “Shh.”

“What?” Marvin giggled. “It’s true. It’s how we met. My mother dragged me to my sister’s recital and when I saw her… I was smitten.”

How could two completely different people be so… in love? Marvin looked at Helena very adoringly, and though she didn’t show much emotion I could tell she felt the same way.

“That was a long time ago,” her eyes were narrowed but they weren’t glaring. “Tell us about your parents, Edalene, what does your father do for a living? Your mom? Any brothers or sisters?”

I shifted in my seat uncomfortably.

“I’m…” I started and my throat sort of closed up.

“She lost them in a car crash,” Sterling explained for me. “She had a twin sister, Coraline.”

“Oh, my,” Helena sounded sincere. “Really?”

I nodded once.

“How long ago?”

“Four years,” I answered. “About to be five in a couple of weeks.”

“Well now I see,” Helena said.

“Pardon me?” I asked the look on her face seemed as if a ‘eureka I found the problem’.

“It’s not wonder your manners are lacking.”

“Excuse me?” I asked shocked at her words.

“Mother!” Sterling hissed.

“Helena!” Marvin warned.

“What?” she asked as if she had said nothing wrong. “I’m just saying that it’s normal for teenagers to deviate when they are orphans.”

I stood up looking very angry. There was only so much bullshit I could take.

“I am not an orphan, ma’am, yes I lost my parents and my sister, but I have an aunt and uncle who love me very much. I have friends who love me too--except for maybe one, but I’ll get through him. You… are mean and spiteful and I think you should pull out whatever you have stuck up in your ass!”

Sterling stood up with me, but I stopped him and placed him back down.

“I tried, Sterling because I thought we could save what we had, but now I know that even if I do forgive you… I will never fit in your world. Your mother clearly dislikes me and wants to see you with that bitch because they’re one and the same!”

Helena gasped in horror like those rich ladies do in movies. “How dare you?!”

“Oh, I dare because I couldn’t even be here for ten minutes before you had to push me away!”