The Ghost of Sherman Oaks // Paxton Hall-Yoshida

7.

Chapter 7: S1E6

Friday, August 31st

Paxton Hall-Yoshida is an asshole, I know that now. I also know that I have a dinner to go to, so that's what I'm trying to focus on.

I pull out a green dress to wear, as well as my converse knock offs and my mother's necklace. Piling my hair on top of my head in a bun, I grab my purse and a small bag of makeup to do in the car.

Daniel, whom I've been going to school with for as long as I can remember, sits in my driveway on his phone waiting for me. It's been a long time since I called in a favor from him... or at least, it was until I called him to come pick me up from Paxton and Becca's house two days ago. Now, after seeing my cry so much, he seems determined to heighten my mood.

Which to him means offering to be my personal chauffeur, for some reason.

"Hey, you look nice, where too?" He asks as I settle in the passenger's seat, grabbing my phone and showing him the address. "Alright, off we go. Do you need me to come pick you up later?"

"Nope, Devi asked me to sleep over." I explain with a smile, pulling the mirror down on his slightly-too-fancy car and applying a bit of concealer under my eyes and on a couple of blemishes. I add a bit of highlighter and lip gloss as well as some mascara before I force myself to put it away, not wanting to overdo it.

Daniel drops me off at the front porch, telling me to call if I need him and finally, driving off. I love the guy, but it's starting to worry me how invested he is in this.

I knock on the door politely, holding a bundle of flowers from the grocery store we stopped at on the way. The door swings open and a beautiful woman stands on the other side, her hair pulled into a messy braid.

"Oh, hello! You must be Aurora, it's nice to meet you. I'm Kamala." She introduces herself with a thick accent. "I've got something on the stove so come in, come in. Devi and I are making dinner."

Kamala hands me a vase to put the flowers in, leaving me to do so alone as she explains something to Devi. "I look to put just one chili. Otherwise, it kind of overpowers the taste." She says, putting it in a steaming pot on the stove.

"Everybody, we have another very special guest for dinner tonight." Dr. Vishwakumar says, striding into the room clearly still dressed from work. "Kamala, please lower the spice level accordingly."

Ben Gross walks in awkwardly behind her, though he seems to lighten up a bit when he sees he's not the only invitee to the family dinner.

"Oh hell no!" Devi says angrily, looking at Ben as if he'd just purposely run over her pet cat. Dr. Vishwakumar quickly ushers Devi up the stairs to talk in private... though that doesn't seem to work out too well, as we can hear everything they're saying.

"How can you be so rude to that boy?"

"Because he sucks! It's bad enough I have to see him every day at school. Now we're just letting him into our home?"

"So, Ben... What are your hobbies and interests?" Kamala tries to take his attention away from the vent through which we can hear everything the other two are saying.

"Oh, well, I'm really into-..."

"That young man is a human being, and he's very sad. Do you know he cried in my office today? So many tears, I had to wipe down the chair after he left."

"That's not my problem!"

"We just had the vents cleaned." Kamala explains awkwardly. "It's crazy how well the sound carries. What grade are you in, Aurora?"