Char Coal (BWWM)

Chapter 9: Brewing

Chapter Nine: Brewing

Okay, I’m officially insane. How could I kiss him after dodging his first attempt? Correction, after all the horrible things he did to me. And now I was having dinner with his parents?

Was this some type of setup? This felt so surreal, like something out of a movie. I truly felt like I was going mental…

“So, Charlene was it?” His father started, sitting at the head of the table. He looked just like Dillion if he was older with a beard and grey streak sliding through the side of his head.

“Char is fine.” I pushed a smile. This whole situation made me so uncomfortable. I didn’t belong here, I didn’t want to be here.

What was worst was that I had Dillion sitting right next to me and his mother across from me, parallel to her daughter. His mom was a brunette who, honestly, was not aging as graceful as his father. I had no idea what they did for a living, but it must have been either something impressive or something illegal. Hopefully, not the latter.

“So, Char, have you been attending Newtown prep since your freshman year?” He finished.

“No, this is my first year, sir.” I barely touch my food, the fork was just sloshing around in my mashed potatoes. I wanted to go home.

“And you got stuck hanging round these two selfish brats, huh?” he joked.

Stuck is definitely the right word. “I guess.”

“Jack, you’re boring the kids.” Mrs. Humphrey interjected. “Let’s talk about something juicer. Any crushes?” she winked.

“Erm…” I was at a lost for words, I didn’t expect this type of question. My own mother never even asked me those types of questions.

“C’mon!” She continued to pry. “Dillion’s already told me his crush is Natasha”—

“Mom!” He interrupted, oscillating his hand across his throat.

“Sorry, sheesh. Everybody’s so tense.” She chuckled.

Natasha… I think we had a girl in our Culinary Arts class with that name. Now this makes sense! He probably switch to be a regular student in that class to get closer to her. But why force himself to be my partner?

He did seem like he had an interest in actually learning how to cook. Maybe he wanted my teaching so he could impress her. It was never really about me, huh? I feel kinda… relieved. Dillion wasn’t complex, he was the same jerk I met on day one, and he was just using me to fill a sexual void. This was going to be the last time I fall for his dirty tricks.

“I’m actually seeing someone, but he goes to a different school. My old school, to be exact.” I answered proudly.

“He’s a lucky guy to have a great cook for a girlfriend.” Mr. Humphrey winked as he took another bite of the meatloaf.

“Not to mention one with perfect skin.” His wife started doing camera gestures with he fingers. “Your ethnic look would look amazing in this fall spread I’m shooting for.”

“What!” Million shouted. “You’ve never asked me to be in any spread, and I’m your drop-dead gorgeous daughter!”

“Honey, you said you wanted to be an engineer.”

“When I was eleven! Look at me, I was meant to walk runways, not build refrigerators.” She scoffed. “I have the look!”

“I have no interest in being a model.” I waved off. People wouldn’t want this face selling their products anyway.

“See, she doesn’t want it. Give it to me!” Million continued pleading.

“I’m sorry honey, but there are too many faces like yours out there. It’s quite boring; perfect is boring.”

So I was imperfect… Perfect.

“So, Char,” Her dad ignored the background discussion going on between her and her mom. “How old are you?”

“Fifteen.” I replied, growing even more tired of this dinner.

Dillion coughed on his drink. “Fifteen?”

“I’ll be turning sixteen in November.” I added.

“You look older for your age. It’s hard to believe a fifteen year old broke the Humphrey curse and helped my son make something actually edible.”

“Humphrey curse?” I looked at him side-eyed.

“Everyone in my family can’t cook. My wife caught it when she married me, she all of a sudden couldn’t cook. It baffles me to this day.”

“That’s crazy.” I shook my head in disbelief. A whole family? Were they just use to someone catering to their every need?

“That’s because my mom tried to cook vegan meals like all her friends do. Everything tasted like dirt.” Said Dillion. “Still better than her juicing phases.”

I have reached my limit. They didn’t say anything wrong, it’s just that I didn’t want to be in this house another minute. It was late, and I should get home to finish the rest of my homework.

“Ya’know… I should be getting home. I have homework and chores”—

“Say no more.” Mr. Humphrey waved his hands. “Dillion will take you home.”

“That’s okay. I’ll just call an Uber.”

“But my son is free.”

“Really, I don’t want to be any trouble.” Or have any of you know where I live. No need to risk any having any surprise Humphrey visits.

“Well, I have to insist that you have us take the bill. We did bring you over here.”

Free ride home without them coming? Good with me. “Sure, since you insist.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Well, my ride is here.” I sat up from the living room couch, slinging my backpack over my shoulder.

“Let me walk you out.” Dillion offered.

“No, thanks. I’ve had enough of you for the night. Leave the torment for tomorrow.” I bit my bottom lip, heading for the front door.

“Char, about tonight.” He started but I cut him off.

“Let’s just act like it didn’t happen. It was obviously a huge mistake.” One I don’t plan on ever making again.

“Why don’t I have a say in anything?”

“You don’t deserve any input in my life, you shouldn’t even be in it but you always find a way to shove yourself in.” I turned back to look at him. “Do me a favor and stop, please.”

*

Standing at my front door, I could hear the hollering of my father. Even if he pushed me to be the son he never had, he was still very over protective of me. Taking a deep breath, I walked in.

“She’s a fifteen year old girl! How could you let her stay out with out even knowing where she is? What if she never comes back? What are you going to tell the cops, how are we going to find our baby girl?” I could see the veins on his forehead pulsate.

“C’mon, it’s Char. The girl’s idea of a night out is sports with her friends.” My mom scoffed, crossing her arms. “She’s not like other girls.”

To be honest, I didn’t what happened at the moment. It was like something in me popped and my inner being just cracked. I wasn’t broken, just cracked, a crack big enough to cause a reaction in my.

I backed away and opened the front door again, stepping out before anyone noticed my existence. Their voices were the perfect mask to my exit, they were too involved with each other to even allow outside stimulus in.

And within all the fighting, not one phone call to my phone. Not even a text. It’s like I was some idea in their mind and not a reality. My dad just wanted something to be angry about but he never thought I was in danger. He, like my mother, ‘trusted’ me. They didn’t actually believe I would get into any trouble.

I never fought for attention because I actually wanted less of it. I wanted my father to stop pushing sports down my throat and for my mother to decrease the amount of book threw into my brain. Their type of love towards me was a bit comorbid, and I just wanted some relief.

Walking around the house, I made my way to the covered patio. Sitting down at the table, I looked at the sky. The night sky was already there, and at that moment, I wished I was in the country or somewhere off grid so I could really see the stars. It looked so therapeutic in the movies.

With the week I’ve had, I could really use some therapy. It was crazy that I was only half way through it.

Deep breaths.

I don’t feel right, something in me is warped and now all these days feel so… foreign. I missed my old days, I miss Char from even a week ago. It’s like the persona everyone glued onto me was not sticking anymore. Why was I so upset that my dad signed me up for basketball? I loved the sport. And now I was getting all mind-boggled because my mom felt like I was good girl?

I was a good girl, right? I mean, my grades were good, I respected elders. My biggest walk on the wild side was when made out with Dillion behind closed doors, and that wasn’t too bad. But ‘week ago Char’ wouldn’t have done that.

Maybe I’m just overthinking things.

I jumped when I heard the patio doors slide open. It was Belle.

“Thought you might be out here.” She sighed, sitting next to me.

“How did you know?” I asked. There were opaque curtains in front of the door, so unless she had x-ray vision, I don’t see how she would know.

“I may have a tracker on your phone.” She answered. “You’re my little sis, I gotta look after you.”

I nodded. “As much as that invades my privacy, I appreciate it.”

“It’s whatever.” She shrugged. “You do the same for me. So, you gonna tell me what’s up with you.”

“That’s the thing; I don’t know what’s up with me. I feel like I’m getting closer and closer to a full mental blowout.” I grunt. “I don’t know, maybe I’m making mountains out of sand.”

“After I graduated high school, I felt like that. I went from being Ms. Somebody to Ms. Somebody in a crowd. I was so… pedestrian, it made me sick.”

“How did you get over it?”

“I know you’re gonna hate this answer since you’re all for feminism but Brandon. He made me feel special like I wasn’t mediocre, I was his girl.”

“You’re right, I hate that answer.” I chuckled. “But I’m kind of seeing some now.”

“Shut up!” She jumped up from her seat. “Details, girl, details!”

“It’s Demetrius.” I turned away to hide from anticipated glares of disappointment.

“Well… he’s cute, I’ll give you that.” She sighed. “But you sure he’s in it for true reasons.”

“I want to believe that but a part of me is extra cautious. I feel like I’m never going to believe anyone intentions with me.”

“Girl, you’re a melanin goddess. Honestly, he doesn’t deserve you, you’re too good for him but I guess we all gotta start somewhere. Just have fun with it, you’re too young for soulmate shit.” She reached over and held my hand. “Just slow your roll and calm down. You’re still in high school so there’s nothing to OCD out on.”

She’s right, I was just overcomplicating things.

But still… I feel something brewing in the back of my mind.