Trying To Endure

Chapter Five

SONG: The Neighbourhood - Scary Love

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April Levesque

For our first date, we congregated in the parlour. Mike folded his arms. He had tattoos on his arms, a Crucifix Cross on his back, and Kaison's name on his chest, where his heart was. His dark-brunette locks flopped over his dark ambers, 90s-style. His olive complexion smoothly contrasted with the black clothing. 'You look like a fuck-boy.'

'Excuse me?' said Roy, offended.

'Mike!' Mum scolded how rude that was in Sinhala. 

Mike shrugged. "Just an observation."

"I agree." Dad looked at me and shook his head, disappointed. "You have a bad taste in men."

Ethan sniggered, stuffed his mouth with a tuna sandwich, clearly enjoying the comical scene. He returned from boxing class, explained why his shirt is saturated with sweat and his left, bruised cheek.

I rolled my eyes and zipped my coat as Mum said, 'Can you boys stop?'

'Right!' I agreed.

'This is your first date,' said Aiya. 'We're being cautious.'

Mum put her hands on her hips. 'Were we being cautious when you started dating Makayla?'

'I'm just saying.' Mike did another double-take of Roy. 'He looks sketchy.'

"Looks like he's running from something," Ethan says, voice low and dramatic, then shrugs. "I've been watching How To Get Away With Murder."

Dad murmured, 'He is made quite strangely.'

'I won't lie, Roy,' said Ethan. 'You look like Shrek.'

'That's an insult to Shrek,' said Mike. 'Roy is uglier.'

Ethan pointed the end of his sandwich to Mike. 'The truest shit I ever heard you say, Aiya.'

'That's enough! You're acting like he's not even here!' Mum walked around a sofa and tenderly situated her hands-on Roy. 'Ignore them, my dear. They're always petty like this.'

'Roy,' said Dad. 'I want to test your decency—'

'Julian, not this again,' Mum cut in Sinhala. Roy frowned at the foreign language. He was probably going mental, wondering what on Earth she was saying.

'This will be helpful, Jeromi.' Dad loves literature. He always uses a Shakespeare trick to test a person's morals. He did that with Makayla and was satisfied with her answer. 'Roy.' The blond whipped his gaze to Dad. 'Let's say there are three caskets. One is gold, one is silver, one is lead. A picture of my daughter is in one of them. Which one do you think it is?'

'Gold,' Roy responded with confidence. 

Dad sighed, displeased. "Greedy child."

'Excuse me?' snapped Roy, then suppressed the irritation.

'It was the wrong answer,' explained Mike.

'Okay, and? What's that got to do with her?"

Dad arched his brows. He exchanged a glare with Mike as they telepathically communicated. Dad is a Captain for a reason. 'My daughter has a name. Not 'her'. Your attitude isn't welcome in this household, you hear me? If you use that tone on my daughter ... God have mercy on you. That's all I'm saying.'

"I don't like him, April,' said Mike in Sinhala. 'Throw him out.'

'Tomorrow is garbage day,' murmured Ethan approvingly.