Middle Part

January

New years at his fathers house is always loud.

My step-siblings are on the tables with a countdown timer. His father is loud and obnoxious when he's drunk while Mr.Kunikida is yelling at him. I sit on the couch staring at everyone.

I got to bed at 1:am, I'm tired but everyone else isn't. I had trouble sleeping.
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Waking up in the morning is always hard. He could hear his step - siblings laughing in the kitchen. It hurt a little, he never laughed like that with Papa and Dad.

When I walked down the steps I wanted to go back in my room. They were sitting down, Mr.Kunikida, Kyouka, Atsushi and Father. I forced myself to sit down with them. Mr. Kunikida smiled at me.

"Hey kiddo, do you want some waffles and fruit I made extras!" He said.
The smile was forced I could tell.
"Yes please" I respond quietly.
He loads up my plate with lots of waffles and fruit. I stare at it, it's a lot of food. Atsushi and Father were talking about something at school. Kunikida was in the kitchen with Kyouka.
I ate slowly I wasn't that hungry but I didn't want to be disrespectful. After breakfast I helped cleanup. Which Mr. Kunikida thanked me for and tried to make small talk. I felt bad but I also couldn't really care. I went in my room, I had the smallest bedroom in the house but it was decorated nicely. I had a loft bed with a desk underneath. I grabbed my good markers from a tub in my dresser. I drew until the afternoon when a soft knock was on my door. Walking over I opened it slowly, Atsushi?

"Yes?"

"Hey uhm Ryuu I was wondering if you wanted to uhhh... play some board games with me and dad."

I stared blankly at him. "No thanks."
I closed the door. I never really liked Atsushi. He was everything I wasn't minus the grades.

I had posted a picture of my art online. I wasn't famous but I had a few thousand followers on ig. People can be sweeter online. I can be a different person online.

I want to go on a walk.

Walking down the steps I stopped Mr.Kunikida.

"Sir."

"Yes Ryuunosuke?"

"May I go on a walk?"

"Ofcourse kid."

He ruffled my hair.

I had 50$ from my last stay at dads house. We had gone to Poland for Christmas, I had a great time and saved some money from my shopping allowance.

I walked down to the train station. Sat on an empty seat and listened to an unreleased Lana del ray song.

15 minutes later I was in town. It was really busy, but calming in a way. One of the seniors at my school, his dad owns a cafè. Mr.Fukuzawa, he knows my name and regular order.
I walked in and smiled at him.

"Ah Ryuunosuke, the usual?"

"Yes sir."

He made it for me and sat down to talk with me.

"How's your new years weekend going?"

"Loud, how about you?"

"Ah, Ranpo and Yosano are a handful you should know."

He chuckled.

"I'm with my father this month."

He hummed sipping his tea.

A customer walked in and he excused himself.
A ding from my phone went off. It was dad texting me about work. Father didn't like it whenever dad texts while I'm staying with him.