MONSTER OF THE UNKNOWN

A DINNER WITH FAMILY

"I'll go check who's there," Mathéo uses the sudden ring of the doorbell as an excuse to leave the table and he quickly gets up before he's insulted even more. He opens the door without asking any question and he's instantly elated when he beholds the sight of the lovely brunette standing there. "You came."

"I'm so sorry I am l-" Laura doesn't get to finish her apology before the boy unexpectedly hugs her tightly.

"It's alright. I'm just happy you're here now."

Now brimming with a lot more joy in his heart, Mathéo leads Laura into the dining room where everybody is and directs her to her chair beside him. She politely greets everyone at the table before taking her seat, and this strangely irks Louise and Ambre.

"Is this how badly this family's morals have fallen? So, now you just let this stranger's child bring random girls into your home to fornicate and you're not even the slightest bit concerned, Joséphine. I've always doubted your maternal instincts, but it's as though you're not even trying to prove me wrong at this point," Louise ridicules her daughter-in-law with an expression of disgust and anger on her face. "You should just turn this house to the boy's personal sex ring while you're at it. I pity your actual son."

"My mom didn't do anything wrong. I'm not 'fornicating' with anyone, and even if I was, I won't be so disrespectful as to do it in their home," Mathéo defends his mother. "Laura and I aren't even dating, talk less of having sex."

"So, you're not even denying it. How shameless! You might show your parents that nasty attitude, but don't think for a moment you can be rude to me," Louise furiously snaps at the boy. She wasn't expecting him to actually talk back at her and she wants to put him in his place for doing so.

"Don't you dare speak to my son like that, Louise! You can talk down on me as much as you want for not being the perfect wife to your son, but you have absolutely no right to insult Mathéo. He is our child whether you like it or not," Joséphine warns her mother-in-law. "You can find your way out if you don't want to be here."

"My mother is only saying the truth. Aldéric, how do you even feel comfortable raising some unknown child? I've googled his biological parents before and they're full-on psychos. He could be like them," Ambre forces herself into the argument to give her idiotic opinion as always. "He might even be like the next Ted Bundy for all we know."

"Could you two just not criticize Mathéo for one night? Like my wife just said, he's part of our family and he always will be, regardless of whatever baseless hatred you have towards him. Let's just all sit and enjoy dinner," Aldéric steps in to end the matter.

As the four adults at the table dispute among themselves, Lyam quickly notices the melancholic look on the face of his younger brother sitting beside him. It must be really hard for him to just sit here while their grandmother and aunt diss him so vehemently as if he's not a human being. The blonde decides to take up his big brother mantle by giving him some comforting words.

"No los escuches. Eres parte de esta familia no importa lo que piensen (Don't listen to them. You're part of this family no matter what they think)," Lyam whispers into Mathéo's ear. Lyam may not be as fluent in Spanish as his brother, nor does he have a perfect accent, but he has been taking classes in school long enough to sufficiently communicate in the language. None of the other Badis understand Spanish, so speaking it to each other is their own little way of talking in secret. "Todo lo que dicen nuestra tía y nuestra abuela es una tontería (Our aunt and grandma are just saying nonsense)."

"Gracias por decir eso. Me importa mucho (Thanks for saying that. It means a lot)," Mathéo genuinely responds, but his facial expression doesn't change. His brother's words just aren't enough right now. "I don't think I'm feeling too well. I'm just going to go to bed," the boy lies as he stands up and leaves the dining room.