Rags to Riches

I hated the ticking sound the clock in the library made. I always did my work in the library because I could never get it done at home, but what a cruel world we lived in when I couldn't do work in the library either. I glanced over the list of classes I had work to do for, sighing as I realized I hadn't even made a dent in it yet.

AP European History
AP Biology
Spanish III Honors
BC Calculus
AP American Literature

No wonder I was so antisocial. The only things I had time for were textbooks. I had a clean record of having straight A's every year, and this wasn't the year I was about to let go. I was sending applications to places like Harvard and Yale. I couldn't just walk in with a D average.

I quickly got back to work, motivated by a sort of maniacal panic and fear of not doing well enough for those schools. If I wasn't smart, what was I? My phone suddenly vibrated next to me, startling me and making me accidentally break the tip of my pencil. I took a deep breath and set the pencil down, checking the message on the screen.

something bad happened
-Kenny

I frowned, rereading the text. I was about to respond when a familiar voice spoke up from behind me, making me jump again.

"Hey Cal, can I talk to you for a minute?"

I spun around to find Connor there with his hand in his pockets, a slight smile on his lips. Though he looked completely casual, there was something off about him. His hair was mussed up and his tie was loose, which was very unlike him and his tendency to be very neat and clean. His eyes darted from left to right as if expecting something to jump out at him. But he wore that mask of a smile anyways. I could figure out what had happened in an instant, but I didn't really want to believe it.

"Hey, bring your stuff with you, we're leaving," he jerked his chin towards my stuff, which I quickly packed back into my bag and slung over my shoulder.

I followed him outside in silence, biting my lip nervously. He must have figured out about Kenny. What else could it have been. I silently slipped into the passenger seat of his car, bouncing my knee impatiently as he sped out of the parking lot and the familiar road home.

"Why are you taking me home?" I asked. "I had work to do."

"Oh, did you?" he glanced over at me. "It seems like everyone has work to do these days."

I bit my lip and shut the hell up, keeping my gaze out the window the rest of the ride home, where I hesitated before getting out of the car. It took another dirty look from Connor to get me out. I felt like I was being kidnapped by my own brother. I had no idea what was going on.

"Connor, what did I do?" I asked, following him inside.

He spun around with a sort of wild look in his eyes that always scared me to death. Nothing good ever came out of when he looked like that. I had faint memories of when it had first started, when he was sixteen. He'd been the only one on his entire track team to qualify for State Championships. He'd been so proud of himself, flashing around his trophies and medals that still hung proudly in our living room, but when he found out Dad couldn't make it to the meet to see him he threw a fit. Much like the one he was throwing now.

"What did you do? I was about to ask the same thing!" he snapped.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," my voice trailed off nervously.

"Oh, you don't? Because that ghetto drug dealer you've probably been jerking off has been living the high life you've been presenting him," he raised his voice, making me jump.

"Liseph? Liseph!" I frantically called out. The nanny was the only one who could get through to Connor in times like these before he got violent and started punching through walls.

"She's not here!" Connor rolled his eyes. "No one is home. I already checked for Liseph, I don't know where she fucking is."

I panicked for a moment, then stood straight and strong. Though my voice quivered slightly, I tried my hardest to act completely unafraid, just like Liseph did. Though he didn't sheepishly cower when I did it.

"First of all, he's not a ghetto drug dealer. He's a human being, just like you," I started. "Second of all, I'm not... doing that. That's disgusting, and we are not a couple. I haven't even talked to him in weeks. Third of all, it's not your business who dad hires and who I decide I want to shop for. I don't see you anywhere in that mix."

That ticked him off. I saw his hand twitch like he wanted to hit me, but thankfully I was saved by the two who came through the door. I spun around to find Dad run in, Kenny trailing nervously behind him. Dad looked from Connor to me, then yanked me behind him by the arm. I backed up to where Kenny was standing, not once taking my eyes off Connor. He was getting defensive now, glaring at Dad while Dad glared right back. I was tempted to tell him that was like looking a rabid dog right in the eye, but they were already moving into another room. Kenny and I could hear them screaming at each other, but their voices were too muffled to understand.

"Nice to see you again," I muttered to Kenny.

"Are you okay?" he gave me a concerned look, and I quickly nodded.

"I'm fine. I was handling it," I told him.

"Yeah, that much was clear," he muttered, heavy sarcasm in his voice.

I caught him gazing around the house, as if just realizing he was standing in his boss's home. That must have been weird. His eyes went from the framed pictures of our family trip to Hawaii to the glass cases holding all of Connor's trophies and medals, then went up to lock onto the massive crystal chandelier hanging over our heads.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," he nodded, looking away like he had been caught doing something bad. "You have a nice house. If I can even call this a house."

I was about to ask what he meant when Dad and Connor reemerged, still yelling at each other. This time, they were yelling about something completely off topic. Clearly the conversation had gotten a lot deeper than just Kenny. The door opened again, and we all turned to find Mom and Liseph rush inside. Liseph automatically went up to Connor, who seemed almost afraid of her. She yanked him down to her eye level and whispered something to him that made his face turn sheet white, then forced him into a chair and rushed into the kitchen, coming back a little bit later with a glass of water.

"What on Earth is going on here?" Mom's eyes went wide, looking from an exhausted Connor to a very irritated but nervous Dad.

Connor raised the glass of water to his lips to avoid having to answer, and Dad just flat out ignored her, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down.

"Donovan!" Mom scolded, and he held up a hand to stop her.

She looked around until she spotted Kenny, who awkwardly shifted his weight. I stepped a bit closer to him so that she could see that I knew him, and she looked away with the assumption that he was just one of my friends.

"You two are going to get along," Dad finally said, looking from Connor to Kenny. "Kenny, I'm inviting you to the TechNet hosted dinner next weekend."

"What?" he frowned.

"We're all going to be there. Including Connor. And you know what's going to happen? You're going to be friends," he explained, irritated. Connor's eyes widened, but Liseph gave him a stern look.

"Callie, take him home, will you?" Dad looked to me, then picked up his coat.

"Where are you going, Don?" Mom asked.

"Back to work. And so is Connor," he glared at Connor, who looked like he was about to pass out. "And he is going to stay. Because if he ever storms out like that again, I can and I will fire him."

And with that, he left. We all stood there in silence for a few minutes before Connor stormed out as well, leaving Kenny and me with my mother and Liseph. Mom groaned and went up to her room, but Liseph smiled warmly at Kenny with an apologetic look on her face.

"We should probably go," I mumbled.

"Oh heavens no, not on that note," Liseph scolded me, taking Kenny's hand and dragging him to the kitchen. "This poor boy can't come to the Seville house and think you're all psychotic."

He glanced over his shoulder at me for help, but I just shrugged. One simply does not argue with Liseph. She seated him in a stool by the counter, then began to dig through the fridge while rambling on about how my family takes some getting used to. I sat down in the stool next to him, swiveling in the chair and not daring to interrupt her.

"Now," she huffed, setting various things from the fridge on the counter. "Who wants smoothies?"