Mystery Boy

"How's the food, Avery?" Ina questioned Decklan's friend with a warm smile on her face, "I hope you like it."

Avery nodded his blonde head. "It's very good Ms. Gray," he replied before he shoved his burger into his mouth and took another bite. I looked away, hating that there were now two disgusting teenage boys in this house instead of just one.

The table wasn't as tense as I expected it to me after my Dad yanked me out into the kitchen. Everyone was getting along nicely, smiling at each other and giving compliments about the food. I was the only one who had barely eaten anything, since I wasn't a cheeseburger kind of girl.

I sat next to Avery with Decklan on the other side of him. Easton sat next to Decklan and his mom. Taite was between Dad and Ina and he was blabbing up a storm about what had happened at school during the day.

Dad smiled at him and nodded along, pretending to understand half of the words that were leaving the boy's mouth in a garbled mess. Dad was sitting on my left side, although he wouldn't spare one look at me.

"Airea," Easton said, "Your phone is ringing."

I looked up to little boy and listened. I stood up from the table quickly and rushed towards my room before my dad could tell me to sit down again. I got to my cell phone just as the final ring started.

"Hello?" I answered quickly, already knowing that it was my mom.

"Airea," she said on the other end, "I just go your message. What's wrong?"

I sighed in relief. "Dad is just being unbearable," I told her honestly, "Jacky's mom offered to buy me a plane ticket to meet her in London and Dad won't let me go. It's only for three days and you would think that he'd want me out of the house anyway. He never likes it when I'm here and I just don't-"

"Calm down, Air," Mom soothed, "So, what's going on?"

I took a deep breath and pushed my hair out of my eyes. "Jacky's mom invited me to meet her and Dad won't let me go even though she offered to pay for everything."

"Okay, Jacky is the same boy that you've been dating for awhile now, right?"

I groaned. "Yes, Mom. He's the same one."

"Okay, I thing I've got it now. So why won't your father let you go?" she questioned, her voice light and airy in a way I'd never heard before. It was like all her burdens had just dropped from her shoulders.

"I don't know!" I replied, exasperated, "He says he doesn't trust Jacky and I on the trip."

Mom made a noise of understanding. "Well, Airea, doesn't he understand that the two of you are perfectly capable of having sex at home, too? You don't have to fly half way around the world to sleep with your boyfriend."

My eyes were wide as those words left her lips. She'd never talked like that with me before. Maybe, if we'd had been a little closer before the divorce things would've been entirely different between us. I liked this new blunt and brutal version of my mother. "Should I tell him that?" I questioned, "Because I don't think that will honestly help change his mind."

Mom hummed. "You're right. I don't know what to tell you, Airea. Your father has always been a stubborn man but since the divorce, it seems he's become even more so."

"Only when it comes to me," I whined, "Everything else around his is lollies and rainbows." I stretched out on my bed with the phone to my ear. I knew that the battle was lost but I wasn't about to give in. "Will you talk to him, Mom?"

"Oh no," my mom said automatically, "I haven't talked to him since we separated and I'd really rather not speak with him about something he's so set against." He could almost see her tuck her hair back dignifiedly like she used to do.

"But he might listen to you," I stressed, "Don't you have any say in what happens in my life, anymore?" I rolled over on my back and stretched my arms high above my head.

"Yes, Airea," she said, "But I was hoping I'd only have to go against your father if he wanted to pull the plug on your life support."

I wanted to glare at her but there was no use since she was still in New York and I was stuck here among people who made me miserable. "He basically is, Mom," I said, toning down the dramatics, "Jacky is the only thing that makes this place livable. Without him, I can't stand it."

"It's only three days, Airea."

I groaned and kicked my foot against the wall. "Come on, Mom! I want to meet his family. I want to know why he's so great and who made him that way. Jacky Casey Vincent means a lot to me and nobody even tries to understand that here."

"Then why don't you come stay with me for those few days," Mom said, "I haven't seen you since the divorce. You could visit with Kelley and meet Evan and Nash."

"Who's Nash?" I questioned, "Are you dating two guys?"

My mom's light laughter met my ears. "Nash is Evan's seven year old son, honey. He stays with his father on the weekends."

I was dumbfounded. "You're dating a man with a son?" I questioned, spacing out each word evenly as I tried to understand them in that sentence.

Mom laughed again. "Yes. Nash is the most adorable child I've ever seen that hasn't come out of me."

I chuckled too and tried to picture a child that could be more physically adorable than Taite. The young boy was the spitting image of my father, blonde curls and crystal eyes included. "I don't know if I'd want to meet them, yet, Mom," I said simply, getting images of multiple Christmases stuck in my head. "I don't know if it would be weird."

"Heavens, no, Airea. Evan is so excited to meet you someday. He's been asking me all about when you're coming to visit," she gushed, her voice so full of enthusiasm.

"Why haven't you invited me until now?" I asked. I played with the ends of my hair and bit my lip.

"Honestly?" she asked, but then continued without waiting for a reply. "I didn't think that you'd actually want to see me after everything that happened."

"Mom," I sighed, closing my eyes, "If I'm still tolerating Dad after everything that happened, I'm sure I can handle seeing you, too. As long as you don't tell me you have a four year old son, also."

"No, thank you," Mom replied with a laugh, "I'm sure you would've noticed that, Air, no matter how young you were."

I smiled. "I'd like to see you, Mom."

"I'd love it if you came and stayed with me for a few days. You need to come see your room. I have it all decorated for you," she exclaimed with excitement. I heard her shuffle as if she was getting up from her couch.

"I have a room?" I asked with shock, "My own room?"

I could almost hear my mom smile on the other side of the telephone. "Of course, baby girl. You're a teenager. You need your own space."

Right then I realized that I would've been completely happy to have been granted to my mom in the divorce. I would've never lost any of the luxuries that I had enjoyed. "I wouldn't have gotten Jacky," I said to myself.

"What, honey?"

I shook my head. "Nothing," I said, "Just thinking."

"Well," Mom said, "What about if you come see me next weekend instead of going to London, and we can plan a trip out there for another time. You and me both."

"I doubt Jacky will be going to see his mom again after this trip," I said, "He hasn't seen her in two years." I bit my lip as disappointment flooded my veins. My mom wasn't going to try and change my dad's mind.

"It'll be on me," Mom said, "If his mother wants to meet you now I'm sure she'll still want to meet you in a few months."

I pulled my pillow under my head with a sigh. "I guess you're right," I replied.

"I know I am," she said soothingly, "So, I'll get your ticket for next weekend? Come out to see me."

I nodded slowly. "Sure, Mom. Why not?"

My mom squealed happily into the phone. "I can't wait, baby girl. I'll talk to you in a couple days so I can tell you your flight time. I love you," she said quickly as I heard a commotion in the background, "Evan's here. Call me if you need anything. Bye, sweetheart."

The line went dead before I could even say goodbye. I sighed and stuck my phone under my pillow before I climbed out of the plush twin bed. I moved back into the kitchen where everyone was finishing up.

Dad looked at me, expectingly. I sat down in my chair and took a spoonful of mashed potatoes. "I'm going to see Mom next weekend," I said, "Instead of with Jacky. But we're going to plan our own trip to London, Mom and I." I took a bite smugly.