Christmas Re-Do

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

       I got home after school, not remembering what was going to happen. I walked inside, completely shocked at who was there. My so-called dad, Keith. I stopped referring to him as my dad a long time ago.

       He walked out when I was thirteen and he always hated me. My parents told me that I was born out of wedlock, but I soon found out the truth. My mom and Keith were married and my mom had an affair and conceived me. She was planning on leaving Keith for my actual dad, but she chose Keith in the end.

       "What are you doing here?" I asked.

       "I decided to pay my kids a visit," he said with a smile.

       "Oh, Evan and Susie?" I asked as Mom walked into the living room with a tray of cookies.

       Keith sighed. "Luke, you can't be mad at me for leaving four years ago."

       "I'm not," I said. I was.

       "Luke, why are you home so early?" she asked. "Don't you have basketball practice on Mondays?"

       "You haven't told her?" Evan asked.

       "Told me what?" Mom asked.

       "Luke quit the basketball team," Evan said. "And they all hate him now."

       I glared at him. "Thanks."

       "Why did you quit?" Mom asked.

       I shrugged, not really wanting to tell her about Briggs and Annie. I really hated talking about it, even with my family. The only person I was comfortable talking to about it was Melody. I was always comfortable talking to he about anything.

       "I thought basketball was everything to you," Mom said.

       "It was," I said. "Can I go upstairs now?"

       "Not yet," Mom said. "We're going to have family time."

       "And I should be here because?"

       "Because you're part of this family," Mom said.

       "Not really," I said.

       Mom furrowed her eyebrows. "Luke, what on earth are you talking about?"

       "The truth," I said. "I wasn't really born out of wedlock, was I? You and 'Dad' were married before I was born." Mom looked even more confused when I put finger quotes around 'Dad' to emphasize my point.

       "I'm lost," Evan said.

       I looked at him. "Long story short, you're actually my half-brother."

       I hadn't found out the truth about my birth by this time. I found out weeks later, so they really didn't know what I was talking about.

       "What are you talking about?" Evan asked.

       "Ask Mom," I said. "And your dad, because he certainly isn't my dad."

       "Luke, how did you find out?" Mom asked.

       "I have my ways," I said. "And thanks, by the way. For lying to me and telling me I was born out of wedlock when you had an affair and conceived me. I haven't met my actual dad because you didn't care."

       "Mom, what is Luke talking about?" Evan asked.

       Mom didn't reply. She looked back and forth between me and Evan, looking as if she was trying to think of what to say. I didn't want to stay to hear anything, though. I was really hating the alternate universe. I hated reliving the painful moments I had to go through; finding out Annie cheated on me with my best friend, being tormented by the basketball team, finding out I was conceived through an affair.

       I turned around and walked out of the house, climbing into my truck before pulling out of the driveway. Mom didn't even try to stop me from leaving, thankfully.

       I drove all the way to Melody's house. I really needed someone to talk to after reliving all of this again.

       Once I pulled into her driveway, I turned off my truck and hopped out. I knocked on the front door, knowing Melody was home since I dropped her off after school.

       Melody shortly answered the door, her eyebrows furrowing once she saw me. "Luke? What are you doing here?" she asked.

       "I need someone to talk to," I said. "And you're the only one I can trust right now."

       Melody opened the door wider for me to come on. I then followed her to the living room where we both sat on the couch. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

       "No, not really," I said. "Remember how I told you that my mom had an affair and made me and my 'dad' walked out on us?" Melody nodded. "Well, my 'dad', Keith, he decided to pay us a visit. And he was never particularly fond of me. At first, I thought it was because I was born out of wedlock since that was what my mom told me, but now I know the truth. He hates me because I'm not even his and I don't want to see him again. When he left, he yelled at me and called me a mistake and said a lot of hurtful things. Seeing him again brings back those memories."

       "Luke, I am so sorry to hear that," Melody said. "I had no idea you went through that."

       "Yeah, well everyone has secrets," I said, looking down. "I really, really hate this year. I've been through so much and...." I rubbed my forehead. "I wish everything would just go my way for once." I wanted to go back to my life so bad. I wanted Melody to be my wife again and I wanted to see my kids. I missed them all so much.

       "I know what you mean," Melody said. "I've been the girl nobody knows at school since the first day. My mom was my best friend, but then I lost her. And my older brother keeps putting basketball before me even though he's my legal guardian."

       "We really have unfortunate lives, don't we?" I asked.

       Melody nodded and gave me a thin smile. "Yeah, I guess we do. But at least we have each other."

       "Yeah," I said quietly, looking away from her.

       "What's wrong?" she asked.

       I shook my head. "Nothing. I'm just going through something really tough right now, even worse than my so-called dad coming back and finding out that Annie was sleeping with Briggs. I don't want to talk about it, though."

       "Oh, okay," Melody said. "If you ever decide you want to talk about it, I'll always be here."

       "Thanks," I said. 

       "Want to watch a movie to take your mind off of things?" she asked with a smile.

       "Definitely."

       Melody stood up from the couch and walked to the shelf with all the movies on it. "I have the perfect movie." She grabbed a case and showed it for me.

       "Pride and Prejudice," I said, my lips curling into a smile. "Nice choice."

       She put the movie into the DVD player before sitting down beside me. Being right next to her right now, even though we were just watching a movie, was enough for me to calm down. I couldn't wait for Winter Formal, now. Hopefully, the night was special enough that Melody and I would kiss and I could go back to my normal life.

       I really hoped Crystal was right about it. I didn't want to live through everything all over again.