Adaeze

1

"BOYS!" My mom yelled.

I paused the game out of hope she was calling us down to eat.

I got up and opened the door, Tatum was coming out too.
We both headed to the stairs and the asshole pushed me out of the way to get to the kitchen first.
I should've tripped him down the stairs. He becomes a senior in high school and thinks he's the shit.

I got down there and our parents were just standing and talking to each other.

"What's for dinner?" Tatum asked.
"We'll order something." dad replied.
I turned around to head back upstairs.
"Koda!" my mom called. I turned and looked at her again. "Come back please. We have something to tell the both of you."
I sighed and walked back to stand next to Tatum.
He went over to the fridge.

"So...this has been in the works for a while but we decided to wait to tell you guys."
Tatum opened up a container of cubed watermelon while I just stared at our mom.
"This house will have another person in it soon." They smiled.
My eyes widened and I looked at Tatum.
He stared too with watermelon in his mouth.

"Aren't you...a little old to be pregnant?" he asked and chewed.
She shot a look at him. "I'm not pregnant!"
"What're you adopting?" I asked.
"No, they are an adult. You two are probably the same age." she told me.
"What?" I asked.
"We're a host family!" my dad stated.
I stared at him.
"What?" Tatum asked.
"A host family is a family that houses a student from abroad."
We both just stared longer.
"So by the end of this week, you two will have a host sibling." My mom said enthusiastically.

What?

I don't know how to react to this.

"Okay? What's his name?" Tatum asked.
"It's a girl." my dad stated.
"Really?" Tatum smiled. "Where's she from? Like Brazil? IS SHE FRENCH?! Italian girls are hot too."
"She's from Africa."
"Africa?" he questioned.
"Yes. Her name is...um..." my dad tried jogging his memory. "Well I know it. I'm just not sure how to pronounce it."
"She's spending her last year of college in America. She's already fluent in English so there shouldn't be a language barrier." my mom stated.
"Do we have to teach her what water is?" Tatum joked.
"Hey!" my dad shouted. "That is not funny."
"It was just a joke." Tatum groaned.
"I don't want to hear you speaking like that when she gets here. That's not funny." our mom stated.
"Alright!" he groaned.

He didn't learn that from us. Learned it from those shitty people at that school he goes to. My brother is the poster child for hanging with the wrong crowd.

"How long?" I asked and changed the subject.
"How long will she stay here?"
"Yea."
"A year." my dad answered.
I nodded.
"Why are we doing this? Low on money or something?" Tatum asked.
"Can you stop being a dick for just ten seconds?!" our dad asked and I scoffed because no he can't.
"It was just a fucking question!" Tatum yelled back.
"It's only because it seems like fun." my mom answered. She cuts in between them every time they get into it because if she doesn't they're just gonna have a shouting match and I won't break it up because I don't care. "She wants to experience America so why not help her? She's a very smart young woman. Straight As. An engineering major. Fluent in three languages."

"Do we have to be friends with her or something?" Tatum asked.
"We won't force you to be but don't be rude either."
Tatum nodded and put the fruit back. That'll be hard for him. It's in his nature to be rude.

"When does she get here?" I asked.
"This weekend. You two will be going to school together."
"I have to drive her?!" I questioned.
"Well she doesn't have an American license."
I sighed.
"If you don't want to, I'll bring her." dad stated. "Your school is on my way to work."
"It's fine. I'll do it. Someone's gotta show her around anyway." I said exhaustedly. "If you do it, she'll just get lost the moment she gets out the car."
"Thank you, Ko. I'm glad at least one of you can adjust and be welcoming." my mom stated.

If nobody helped me when I got to some foreign country, I'd be pissed.

"What's her name?" I asked.
"Adaisy? Is that right?" my dad asked my mom.
"We'll ask her how to pronounce it when she gets here. We only saw it on paper."
I nodded.

"Now then. What do we want for dinner?" mom asked.
"Are we gonna have to eat African food when she gets here?" Tatum wondered.
"No, Tatum. You do not have to eat what you don't want to eat."
"Cool."
"Now what do we want?" dad asked again.
"Chinese." Tatum spoke up.
I looked at him. "Fucking dumbass." I shook my head and walked back towards the stairs to go to my room.

~~~

"Where'd you go?" Dylan asked after I answered his phone call.
"My mom called us downstairs. Had to tell us the news." I grabbed my controller and pressed play.
"What news?"
"We're a host family."
"What the fuck is that?" he asked.
I snickered. "It's the family that houses abroad students."
"They couldn't just live on campus?"
"Guess she didn't want to."
"Oh, it's a she? Think she'll be hot?"
"I don't know."
"Hm. Where's she from?"
"Africa." I answered.
"Cooooll! I never met like a real African person before." he stated.
I laughed. "Dude, what?"
"You know. Like I've met people from Mexico. And China. Never met anyone from Africa. Except Josh."
"Josh is from Austin, Texas." I argued.
"Yea, but like he's african American."
"Nooottt the same shit. And is that the only black person you know?"
"No. Mr. Calloway." he stated.
"So Josh and your music professor are the only black people you know?" I questioned. "Isn't your sister married to a black woman?"
"Yea but I don't really see them a lot." he responded.
"You gotta get out more." I scoffed.
"Are you the fucking diversity manager or something?" he snapped.
"No, but you gotta admit only knowing two and a half black people is fucking outrageous."
"How many do you know?" he asked.
"More than two!" I yelled.
"Yea, but like how many?" he repeated.
"Like thirty."
"No way."
"Fuck do you mean no way?!" I asked.
"How do you know thirty black people?" he asked stupidly.
"I fucking go outside? I'm not racist? Stupid fucking question."
"I'm not racist!" he shouted.
"Then why don't you know people from other races?"
"I don't know. Never came up." he responded.
"Sounds like you're doing it on purpose." I teased.
"Dude, stooooopppp."
I laughed.