Mystery Boy

The morning came too quickly for my liking and when I rolled out of bed around eleven, I made my way out to the kitchen in a hoodie that was too large for me. I poured milk into a bowl and then added the cereal before plopping down in a chair at the table and devouring my food, dead to the world.

"Morning, Airea," Dad said as he walked into the kitchen.

I grunted in response as I shoveled another spoonful into my mouth and swallowed without barely chewing.

"Inhaling your food, I see," Dad said with a smile as he started up the coffee pot.

I ignored him as the smell of coffee assaulted my nose. I sniffed a few times and grabbed the mug quickly when Dad offered me a cup. I gulped down the steaming liquid and then hissed when it burned the back of my throat and my tongue.

"Careful," Dad warned as I began to sip from the cup.

I handed my bowl to my dad as I stood up and stretched with my cup of coffee glued to my hand. Dad stood there with a smile, causing me to look up at him suspiciously. "What?" I asked, my voice croaking from sleep.

Dad ran a hand through his untamed curls and smiled at me. "We want to have Jacky over for lunch."

When his words met my ears I just about spit out my coffee. I coughed as I tried to swallow the liquid. I set the cup back down on the wooden table as I folded my arms over my chest. "Why?" I asked, picturing my father shooting Jacky while Ina called him names and laughed.

Dad shrugged. "He's a good kid," he said, "But we just want to talk to him and get to know how you two are around each other."

My gaze narrowed. "We haven't done anything wrong," I told him, wondering what he wanted to know about us.

Dad chuckled and shook his head. "I know that, Airea," he said, "But you've barely been here a week and you already are dating him. Ina and I want to understand why you two clicked so early on. We know he's a good kid," Dad added when he saw my disapproving look.

That caused me to tense my posture. "Ina doesn't like him," I said, speaking before my dad could cut me off, "And I'm not having him over here if she's going to insult him or say anything to him. He's too nice to act like it'll bother him, but it will."

Dad shook his head. "She likes him," he lied, "But she just wants to get to know him a little better since you'll be spending all your time with him when you're not here. Now that you're not grounded anymore."

"I spend just as much time with Ronnie as I do with Jacky," I claimed, shifting back and forth between my feet, becoming nervous as Dad didn't back off.

"We know that. But you're not dating Ronnie," he specified, a grin on his lips that let me know that he had won. Then he reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear before he added, "Have him here by one."

"But Dad-"

"No 'buts', Airea," he noted, "Not if you want to continue seeing this boy."

I screamed and stomped my foot before rushing back to the bedroom and slamming the door behind me to block out my father's laughter. Decklan sat up and looked to me. "What's wrong now?" he asked as he rolled his eyes and dropped his head back down to his pillows, yanking his blankets back up over his head and drowning out the world.