e jumped in his seat and looked at me with a

t aware that yo

uld he take note of a

ed it. He looked older than I remembered. Streaks of grey tainting his o

an hour ago." I

hand and looked

he said, indicating

ions just to piss the old man off, but I decided against it. I

I replied in the

for me to sit in one of the two empty seats

t she was going on to

ing band. I would have gone too but Mom sa

ot that Mom would have wanted me there. Having a kid my age gave away her real age which was rather unflattering apparently. I had begged her to let me stay behind in the flat and let me carry on at my old school instead of

nds like a

s now, trying to find a topic to pr

esome" was my

ainty on my father's face, unsure of if I w

r? We've been invited to dinner by the Su

"borrowed" from one of Mom's exes. Or maybe it would

, I h

awkwar

ng settled. You know where I am if you need anyt

oor, closing it firmly behind me. I found myself heading outside to the back porch where my father's two Dalmatians lay in the afternoon su

old the dog, pulling my phone from my pocket and rea

it was – Diana, my current girlfriend. I

your call." she said as she

een a bit bus

u already,

on earth I had ever been trapped

ave to go. Will

s "I Lo..." be

reason I dated her in the first place was so that she'd stop stalking me – and quite frankly the physical perks of it were amazing. I was just her pa

goodbye to Di." I

oo

hand. I didn't mind. I love animals, they seem to get me when no one else does. The dog followed

ded the dog, chasing him out

but I didn't. I refused to. I had been beaten up by bruisers bigger than Mrs Porte

l over my Persian carpets. Dinner is in an hour so you'd best go

those that Mrs Porter had bought me this morning. My black skinny jeans moulded themselves to my legs as my white t-shirt clung to my muscles I had worked so hard to define. Last of all,

se stuck up snobs that I can take care of myself, wi

for us to head over to the nightmare-dinner. I checked myself o

f my attire. I didn't really care. I didn't want to look like him any more than I had to, to tel

up and down briefly without sa

anicured garden and stepping stones which lead to the front door were perfectly placed and created an ethereal quality. Even the moss whic

lled out as he stepped insi

ll." a deeply mascu

as filled with laughter and warm chattering of voices. The room seemed so we

said with an emotion in his

bey, taking step after precarious s

strapping young man." Mrs Summer

I heard myself reply

nds with M

n't you make yourselves scarce so that I can finish this up wit

s side of the country, stood up and one by one left the room. Mrs Summers shot me a glance and I realised that I was meant to follow them. I pulled my composur

ns (I'm not sure which one... bu

s, forcing me to remember their mother's

dryly, not willing to le

ldest Summers said to th

ntical counterpart dressed in green, a

care for a

grinned and pull

inst

hett. They seem to

efore they turned to Daniel and myself. I h

on." I accepte

our team against two guys who actually knew which side of the pool cue to hold. The twin in green (who I'd come to know was Mi

ed out, whacking

e and headed to the mini-fridge by the bar, ha

mmers' voice called from

stood behind our assigned seats, trained n

oining us?" my

flushed and

go and hunt down y

ght ginger hair, stacks of freckles and braces assaulted my mind and I shoo

se, sit while we wait." Mr Summers said brusque

ounger than I was - if at all – who was completely opposite from what I had expected. Her hair was a rich auburn which shone in the candlelight, a f

e ran away from me."

warmth unlike the cold hatred he had sh

d under my breath "t

heard me so I guess that didn't matter. I sat in silence for most of the first co

from a city across the co

odd

manners there?" her voice

e had heard me. I had to

ted, leaving the rest

econd when she figured out that I had secretly insulted her. Her fork stabbed

ly, chewing the

salt." I asked the twin

eyebrow quirk briefly, but didn't pay it much notice. I should have. One shake of the saltcell

r!" Lan

iful gasps as their mother rushed to hope

get more of the main." she sm

urned to Mike. He seemed to be

earn to play p

t it would stop my father attac

tt replied, not giving his bro

ly felt my

ike." I ha

ther, a confused look

ke." the twin

groaned internally and remaine

ummers asked my father. "I have a

ohn." he replied

tchen while the Summers boys blew

ing." I thanked Mrs Summers w

d better be off. Please tell

shutting the door firmly behind me. I was half way down the path when I heard footsteps

nt, bitch?" I a

lans to get me into shit with my fat

ing her hand shot out and slapped me hard across my cheek before she turned and rushed back in