"Dude, I hear that Three Days Grace has a
concert this Saturday, man." Max said around the dinner table. "I mean,
I don't listen to rock that much, but Three Days Grace is a good band."
He cleared his throat. "Pain....without love....Pain.....I can't get
enough pain.....I like it rough-"
"Your singing is giving me pain," Michelle muttered.
Max rolled his eyes. "Everyone's a critic. Anyway, I was wondering if
you wanted to come, Kiho. I've got an extra ticket."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Are you kidding me? You have a
ticket for my favourite band's concert, and you're asking me if I want
to come?"
Max grinned. "Awesome, man."
"So Kiho," Mom said. "How was your first day at school?"
Before I could answer Michelle said, "Aunty, you won't believe how many
friends he made. They were talking and laughing as if they'd known each
others for years."
"Is that so?" Dad said, his eyes wide. "Good, good."
"That's great, Kiho." Mom smiled. "You always made knew friends
quickly."
"He has the charms of his father," Dad said.
Mom, Aunty Kayann and Michelle made a choking sound at exactly the same
time. Dad scowled and looked back down at his plate.
"It was pretty awesome." I said. "America's pretty cool."
"It's pretty okay," Michelle admitted. "But I'd so go back to Jamaica."
"Mmmm," Aunty Kay agreed. Her eyes looked far away, like she was venturing back into the past. Dad was chasing a pea around his plate, scowling.
"So," Max said. "Who's the stunningly beautiful Indian?"
I jolted. "Pardon me?"
"Indian. Brown hair. Glasses. The one who's mouth you stuffed a Jolly Rancher into. Ring a bell?"
"Er...." The room darkened with awkwardness. Crap, I hated these situations. Situations where everyone's eyes were on you, their attention like a boulder on your back.
"Kiho stuffed a Jolly Rancher into a girl's mouth?" Dad grunted in approval. "Stuffing things into girls' mouths. My boy moves fast like his father."
"Be quiet, Berris." Mom said. "The only thing Kiho's gotten from you is your looks."
"Don't forget my irrisistibly charismatic personality."
Mom sighed, abandoning the effort to argue with him. I chased a pea around my plate, trying to avoid some of the eyes that were pinned on me. All right, I'll admit it, Kajol was pretty cool. But it was just that. I barely knew a thing about her, apart from her love for Jolly Ranchers and her scary boyfriend. Man, that guy made chills run down my spine. And the way he glared at me. It was as if I was the next person on his beatdown list.
"Er, I'm gonna go up and get some rest. Yup! Rest is essential," I said nervously, rising from my seat.
"You're dodging a conversation," Michelle observed.
