I grab my bag from the back seat and momentarily stress over the fact that I missed an entire day of classes. I give myself a break when I remember that it was for good reason. Somehow, I need to catch up, but I don’t dare ask any of my delightful classmates for notes.
I stand outside the car with my back pressed against it and wait for her to wrap up her phone call. I could just go in the house since it looks like she’s staying here, but she’s still a little loopy from the meds, so I wait it out. B has never been one to pay much attention to time. I feel sorry for the guy she ends up marrying, he’ll spend his entire life waiting on her to move her feet.
Ten minutes later—yes, I stood in the cold for ten minutes just to wait for her, she finally emerges from the passenger door.
“You can go inside. Knox is coming to help me grab a bag for the night.”
I look over and see him walking in our direction. I guess it’s time to fold up my cape. She doesn’t need me anymore. I give her a nod and head toward the door. The next thing I know a strong grip on my arm stops me. I swing around and before I can even speak, B’s lips are pressed against my cheek.
“Thank you.” She smirks, releasing her grip on my arm and jogging back over to Knox who is standing there watching her like she’s lost her damn mind. Maybe she has. If that’s the case, I don’t want her to find it. I’ll take crazy B over Queen B any day. Hearing her say thank you, when those words aren’t even in her vocabulary, is enough for me. The kiss was an added bonus—even if it was just a peck on the cheek.
For the first time since I’ve moved here, I joined the members of this house for dinner. Only because B begged. And begged. And begged some more. And by begging, I mean teasing and flaunting herself in the doorway of my bedroom for fifteen minutes while I tried to study for my history test. Making promises or telling lies. One way or another, she owes me a blowjob. It’s nice seeing her smile. As soon as she got in this house, it’s like someone else stepped inside of her body and gave it life.
After getting an earful from Dad about skipping school and missing practice, I was finally able to convince him that it was important. He knows I’m well aware that Redwood High is my last chance if I want to graduate. He also knows that aside from my temper, I excel in all of my classes.
“Jasper, I’m so glad you’re joining us.” Val beams as she tosses a couple of potholders in the middle of the table. “Blakely helped me cook you all up something special.” She looks to B who is walking into the dining room, sporting a black and white checkered apron overtop an oversized tee shirt and sweatpants. A casserole dish and two big oven mitts holding its place in her hands. She sets the dish on top of the pot holders and returns back to the kitchen.
“Smells amazing,” Dad says, as he brushes his hands through the air, moving the scented steam in his direction.
Val and B return again with a basket of dinner rolls and a tossed salad. Sitting down for dinner like this beats TV dinners and frozen pizza, but it’s an adjustment that I’m not sure if I’m ready for. It brings back memories of Mom. She was always adamant about sitting together as a family. When our bundle came apart, Dad and I made a new normal. Dinner in front of Sports Center.
“Dig in,” Val insists as she sits back and waits for everyone to fill their plates—a typical mom for you, making sure everyone is satisfied before she satisfies herself.
I watch as B scoops something scary onto her plate and sinks back into my seat. What is this family trying to get me to eat?
She must have caught wind of my disgusted expression. “What’s wrong, Jasper? Never seen a tomato before?” She giggles, taking her seat and stuffing a forkful of... egg, was that egg on top of this casserole?
“Alright,” I fess up, “I’m not eating this stuff.” I push my plate away and all eyes land on me. I grab a dinner roll and start picking it apart, sticking a small piece in my mouth to make sure it’s safe before devouring it. I don’t want any more surprises, and I have no idea what’s in this roll. “Who puts eggs and tomatoes on a casserole. Where’s the meat?”
Everyone laughs, seeming all too amused with my distaste.
“It’s a Caprese Quinoa Bake. Just give it a try,” B says, stretching her arm over to me with a fork full of some rice looking stuff on it.
“Uh uh, no way.” I turn my head. I’m suddenly reminded why I don’t do dinners with the fam. Of course, just like any other time B senses hesitation, she becomes more forceful. I’m unsure if it’s a power trip or the fact that she doesn’t like the word “no,” but she doesn’t back down. The fork moves closer as my head moves farther away.
I can smell it now, and I’m on the verge of vomiting all over their shit casserole.
“One bite.” She pushes the fork so close that I can feel the steam of the contents rolling onto my cheek and up my nostrils.
Everyone is watching us, which doesn’t bother me one bit, but I’m not sure if they are going to like hearing the sound effects if I take a bite of this stuff.
“Double or nothing.” she whispers with a smirk, but loud enough that I’m sure everyone has heard. Either way, the next thing I know I have a mouthful of gritty grains. I don’t even chew it, I just swallow. Which is exactly what she’ll be doing later.
Sitting here right now at a table full of people who probably still wear clothes while they fuck, I’m rock hard and gulping down a glass of water to chase the remnants of what I’d do just to have her mouth wrapped around me.
B sits back in her seat with a satisfied smile plastered on her face that has begun to return to its normal color. She gets a rise out of obedience from others, I get off on her smile.
Everyone decided to go catch a movie after dinner. After convincing Dad that I really did not want to go, he finally gave up asking. I promised to look after B, even though Knox wasn’t exactly keen on that idea.
Dinner wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It doesn’t mean that I’m ready to toss on an apron and strut around making small talk with the people of this house every night, but it was tolerable. I made a promise to myself that I would avoid all distractions for the next couple of hours while I study and try and get some notes from Petra for a couple classes I missed today. I sent her a message before dinner, and she agreed to help me out. B is taking a shower and as much as I’d love to sneak in there and collect on her debt, I use this as an opportunity to Facetime Petra and go over everything.
I open up my MacBook and begin the video call. I gasp, trying not to sound too taken aback by the huge bruise that’s been masked terribly on the side of her face. Part of me wants to laugh, the other wants to cringe. Petra may have an angry heart, at least that’s what B says, but she’s gorgeous on the outside. Her jet black hair falls like a satin curtain and sways with each movement. And, her matching eyes have a slight curvature at the end, leaving me to believe she has a mix of Korean in her Hispanic blood.
I scoot up with my back pressed against the headboard of my bed and my notebooks scattered around me.
“Hey, thanks for agreeing to help me out.”
“No problem at all. Let’s start with Math. Mr. Grimmard was out today, so we had a lame sub who basically just made us do all of Chapter 14 on the Mathletics site, so that should be easy enough for you.”