Lovely Portraits

I love dinners at home alone with my dad. Not. Family dinners were never really fun in my house. They always consisted of some kind of fight breaking out either between my mom and I, or between my parents because they could never pretend that they liked each other for more than six seconds at a time.

Dad is sitting across the table from me. We've got one of those big rectangular tables in the kitchen / dining area. Its the biggest piece of furniture in the house, and the one that gets used the least. He pushes his fork around in the pasta on his plate, and i'm doing the same two yards away at my end of the table. We're like a married couple. A creepy, incestuous, married couple. Anyway.

“So I was working on this portrait and....” when dad starts talking, I automatically stop listening. I don't really know how to hear his words and actually take him seriously – he's way too much of a crazy freak to take seriously.

“May I be excused?” I ask, but I don't wait for the answer before my chair scrapes back and I place my plate in the sink. Dad stops talking, and looks at me. “Already?” he says, a mouth full of wagon wheels and cheese.

“Lots of homework.” I say, not turning to look at him as I go upstairs. I sign onto facebook when I've held myself up in my room, and there's a new friend request.

Grace, from Algebra II.

I accept it, and then shut the laptop down and get started on science homework. The thing about science, is that I like it well enough. The only problem is that I hate doing any kind of work, no matter what the subject is. When I open my text book I remember the scribbles and hearts that covered her paper, and that name – Jake Perez. What the fuck kind of name was that anyway? And how sad was she that she was sinking low enough to be writing her “best friends” name on her paper. Like I was really going to fall for that one.

I smirk to myself, and finish reading the passage in the text book.

The next day at my locker, once again Isaac traps me. I have a terrible feeling that this is going to become a regular thing.

Me: What?

Him: I have this awesome idea. Two words. “backtoschool. Party.”

Me: I think that's like, four words.

Him: Hmm, really, I don't think so.

I roll my eyes and turn back to the locker. Granted, I'm a party guy, but Isaac's ideas for parties never work out. Like, I'm not going to lie, he's a fun guy, but.... he doesn't know how to handle himself when he's intoxicated.

At that moment, while Isaac's halfway through telling how amazing the idea is, Emily and and Cori walk by on their way to first period.

Isaac stops, and leans against the locker to look all cool, but really he's just lookin' like a douche bag. “Ladies,” He says, and directs his attention to Cori. “Can I walk you to class?” I roll my eyes and turn away headed the other direction towards algebra, because I don't want to see the pitiful looks Isaac will most likely receive.

I take my place at the desk I'd sat at yesterday. I open my book. Grace sits down next to me and smiles just as the bell rings. Fucking score.

“Hey,” She says in a slight whisper as people pile into the room.

I give her the guy head nod, and smile.