Easy [boyxboy]

Easy {8}

Mason and I returned to his room. Mary looked over at me in concern and I forced a smile.

"Nat, are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

"Positive!" I said. "It's been a stressful week, that's all."

She took another bite of a chip, but I could see something rising in her eyes. A certain a suspicion.

Shit, shit, shit. No. She couldn't know. I couldn't even let her suspect.

Mason and I picked up our controllers as my mind begin to jumble through plans rapidly. I could never let my friends find out that I didn't eat. They would try to make me eat. Maybe they would even tell my parents. I didn't need any help. I was in control of this.

After playing for a little while longer, Mrs. Rayne poked her head into the room. She smiled at all of us.

"Hi!" she said.

"Hi Mrs. Rayne!" Mary said, waving.

"Are you all staying for dinner? Mason's father is making chicken and mashed potatoes!" Mrs. Rayne said.

"Oh, that's my favorite. Count me in," Gunner said.

"Me too," Mary said. She glanced at me.

"Sure," I said, forcing a smile. I would eat in front of them so that Mary wouldn't be suspicious.

"It'll be ready in a little," Mrs. Rayne said before disappearing out of the room.

Mason stretched and leaned back against my legs. "Please plug your ears during dinner. My parents are so embarrassing."

"I love your dad," Mary said, grinning.

Mason groaned. "You can have him. Everything that comes out of his mouth makes me cringe."

"Mason's dad is like the embarrassing drunk uncle everyone has," Mary informed me.

"He constantly uses the same jokes and they're all awful and I love that man so much," Gunner said.

"Apparently my dad has a fan club," Mason said miserably.

"It's about to grow by one when Nat meets him," Mary said, laughing.

Mason turned to me. "I am begging you for the good of humanity not to encourage my father. Or my mother."

"We'll see," I said, making Mary laugh.

We went back to playing Diablo. After a little while, Mrs. Rayne called to us to come eat. We set our controllers down after pausing the game and got up.

"Prayer circle," Mason said, holding his hands out. "We pray that my mother and father do not speak while we eat."

"We pray that your father uses that joke about making it Rayne," Mary said, pushing past Mason and out of his room.

"And that joke about me gunning after all the ladies," Gunner said, also pushing past Mason.

"Don't judge me too hard," Mason said to me with a sigh, leading me out of the room.

We went out to his dining room and sat down at the table. Mrs. Rayne passed us all plates with food on them.

"Mase, who's your new friend?" a man asked.

"Dad, this is Nat. Nat, this is my dad," Mason introduced.

"Nice to meet you!" Mr. Rayne said.

"Nice to meet you too, sir," I said.

"So what were you all doing?" he asked.

"Playing Diablo," Mason said.

"Diablo? Doesn't that mean devil? Mason, please don't tell me you're in a cult," his mom said in horror.