Somewhere Over the Rainbow

XX

"Ma, I am not eating at subway, we're still talking about el metro," Francesco first rushes to say, turning in his heat to look at his mother with a stern look.

"Mijo, I haven't said anything," Mrs Rodrigues shrugs, looking at her food, but wholly interested in what her son has to say next.

"Is there someone we should meet?" Nawaz asks, clasping her hands together and resting her elbows on the table, sweetly smiling at Francesco.

Francesco rolls his eyes, "No one."

"Who was that yesterday?" Romeo pitches in, slumped in his chair. "Shouldn't be hiding stuff from us."

"Why don't you tell me where you were this morning and maybe then I'll share my story," Francesco retorts, snarkily adding, "At least, I came back home."

"Romeo!" Mrs Rodrigues shouts, looking at her son.

"Mama, I was nowhere," Romeo insists. He grits his teeth together and with a sharp kick, he manages to make Francesco wince. Francesco immediately points his middle finger at him and that's all that is needed for their father to get angry.

"That's it!" Mr Rodrigues yells, slapping is hand on the table.

Ahaan's giggling dies and everything is silent. The tension from the beginning of the trip heats up and makes everything feel out of place and dangerous.

"Romeo, to your room, now," Mrs Rodrigues sternly, pointing to the house.

"Mama –" Romeo goes to protest.

"No!" his mother cuts him off, her face filled with anger. "You do not! hit your brother. And you do not sneak out or stay out without our permission."

Romeo looks at Francesco, his face full of hatred and aggressions. "This is unfair! He showed me his middle finger!"

"And I will have a word with him, because he is still behaving like an adult!" Mr Rodrigues interjects, his face a little more soft but Romeo knows  that he isn't okay with what he has done to Francesco.

Grabbing a croissant, Rome goes to his room, annoyed and done with everything. He storms up the stairs and slams his door shut, hoping it's loud enough to the point that it can break – he doesn't care.

Downstairs, everyone is at the table, silently beginning to  clean up. Nawaz squeezes Mr Rodrigues' shoulder, silently telling her father-in-law to take it a little easy on the only teenager in the house.

Upstairs, Romeo strips his clothes and gets into his pajamas. When he's angry, Romeo tends to get a lot of work done – he'll write songs, do his homework. Anything he can. So, when he opens his books to write his Economics essay, he doesn't like the fact that his mother has come in to interrupt him.

"Phone," she says, holding her hand out.

Romeo doesn't even argue. Silently, he hands it over. "You have been sneaking out. . Now, it's been confirmed. You cannot sneak out whenever you want to, Romeo, I am not allowing that. Your safety matters to us and honesty matters to us."

Romeo doesn't say anything, concentrating on drawing his diagram. His mother sighs before leaving the room, leaving him alone to think.

-

Rosanna is away from all the worries.

"A park?" Rosanna asks, once they are parked.

"What's with the judgement?" Charles asks, getting out of the door. Before Rosanna can open hers, Charles opens it up for her, holding a palm out for her to take.