Flickering Reflections

The First Supper (Chapter 4)

Chapter 4:  The First Supper

            I thought my cheeks would never go back to their normal, sallow color. Even two hours later they were still a hot red. Whenever I thought of the information I had just learned a new wave of heat swept over my face. Lily was in the room next to mine, Heather's old room. It made me nervous having her so close.  I lay on my bed and tried to come to terms with it all. I had sex with my own step-sister, daughter of the man I hated, who happened to still be a minor. She was also living in my house. Her bed was only separated from mine by a thin wall. This was just wrong. This could only happen to me-I had the worst luck in the world.

            Tonight, it was our first family supper. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to it. I figured I would just be an intrusion on their happy family dinner. I could see it now: my mom cooking a large-compared to the amount the two of us usually ate-feast and Lily helping her like a doting step-daughter should. Hal will sit at the head-is there a head of a round table?-of the table like the man of the house. And I'll sit between my mother and Lily, wanting to die the entire time. The three of them will chatter happily, ignoring me because I am a rain cloud looming over their sunny picnic. It'll be grand; maybe I'll just go out by myself for dinner.

            I decided to pull myself up and go downstairs; maybe lifting some weights would calm me down a little. A run on the treadmill could do me some good as well. It was crazy how out of shape I was becoming. I strolled down the stairs, into the kitchen, and over to the basement door. I heard a bit of a ruckus down in the basement. Who would be down there? That was my space-all my exercise stuff was down there amongst things in boxes. My mom suddenly came out of nowhere. "Dylan! Can you help me start dinner please?" She put an arm around my shoulder, or tried to. It was funny because she could hardly reach.

            "Not right now, Mom. I think I need to go get some exercise." I wriggled out of her grasp.

            She grabbed back my hand. "But I could really use your help!"

            A loud bang came from the basement. I raised an eyebrow at her. I couldn't cook work a damn and she knew it well. I almost burnt down the house making pancakes last year. She was stalling me. There was something in the basement she did not want me to know about. I turned and bounded down the steps.

            When I cleared the stairwell, I could feel my anger rising. There were all my weights and equipment, shoved against a large stack of boxes.  In its place was a very large table. It was big, almost ten feet long and five feet wide. On top of it there were tracks, people figurines, trees, and trains. Hal's train obsession had taken over my basement-my basement! My mother bounded down the stairs right behind me and whined about how I shouldn't be mad, that Hal has as much of a right to have stuff in the basement as I do.

            "Hal, my main man, what the hell is this?" I attempted to keep my told calm and a smile on my face. It was difficult when my anger was rising.

            Hal blinked twice, unsure of what to say. His wife was near crying because her son hated him. His step-son was about to go off on him. All he needed now was a whiny teen daughter begging him for something or other. "Hey, Dad? Can I go to the mall with Jessica tomorrow?" Lily asked. She came down the stairs as if on cue. "Oh-sorry." She mumbled. She stopped dead in her tracks and stood silently.

            Tension was high. Hal's response led to my anger outburst. I could see in his eyes how he was contemplating the right thing to say-there wasn't one.  If he apologized, I would yell. If he explained himself, I would yell. If he defended himself, I'd fly off the handle. Unexpectedly, he shrugged and went back to work. I threw my hands up in the air. "Whatever." I grumbled and I stomped back up the stairs. It was childish, and I knew it. But I'd never truly grown up anyway. Perhaps it was time to start.

***

            I spent the next two hours in my room, brooding. I lay on my bed, throwing a ball at my ceiling and catching it as it slammed back into my chest. I did this as a teenager to help alleviate my fury; my mother hated it. Just as before, my anger melted away with every throw-but the grudge against Hal remained.

            Lily barged into my room without warning. "Is that really necessary? I could put up with it for the first hour, but I think I may strangle you if I hear another thud!" "With her hands on her hips she tried to look commanding-she did not. "Is somebody pouting?" She said in a baby voice.

            "No." I glowered at her. "And you wouldn't." I said, calling her bluff. Lily was too innocent-well, relatively-and sweet of a girl to come out and attack me. At least, that's what I thought.

            "Would you like to bet on that?" She scowled back.

            I threw the ball one more time. I looked at her expectantly. A smirk slowly spread across my face when she stood her ground. I'm guessing that was what set her off. With a piercingly loud war cry, Lily charged at me. I raised my arms over my face just in time to block one of her punches. After landing several on the top of my head, I caught both her hands. I put them behind her back and held them. Trying to gain the advantage, she climbed on top of me, straddling my stomach. Still, she was helpless. Abruptly, she propelled herself forward and her lips landed on mine. I let go of her immediately and pushed her away. She knew how to exploit my weaknesses.

            "Oh-um...dinner is ready when you are." We both stopped our brawl to peek over at the door. Standing in the frame was my mother. She had a towel in her hands and a look of shock upon her face. "I'll be downstairs."

            Lily leaped off of me and headed out into the hallway. I followed her and grabbed her hand. "What the hell was that?" I demanded quietly.

            "A kiss." Lily answered plainly.

            I shot daggers at her. "No, Lily, that is all done with and you know it. No more."

            She turned her back towards me and headed down the stairs without another word. I sighed, and descended the stairs as well. The smell of homemade lasagna filled my nose as I neared the kitchen. Scents of corn on the cob, bread, and other various things floated in the air as well. I heard my mom and Hal happily chattering away. Lil laughed at something someone had said. When I entered the room silence fell. Only my mother maintained her smile, though it seemed to fade a few notches.  "Sit down, Dylan." She waved to the seat next to her.

            While they all talked about how wonderful the wedding was, I filled my plate with food. "Aren't you going to pray first, Dill?" Hal asked me. I was about to shovel a bite of lasagna into my mouth. I made a mental note to tell him not to call me "Dill" ever again. I am not a pickle.

            "Why would I do that?" I asked.

            He gasped slightly, "Why, to thank the Lord for the food, of course!"

            "My mother made the food. Not God. Thank you, Mom." I chomped down on my fork. "I don't believe in God anyway."

            Appalled, he looked away. My mother glared at me. "Dylan that was rude," she barked. She looked apologetically at her husband. "I'm sorry, dear. Will you lead the prayer?"

            Hal's low voice droned on and on. Lily and my mother folded their hands and closed their eyes. My mother elbowed me. "Dylan!"

            "No!" I whispered loudly. I took another bite.

            "Damn it, Dylan! Be respectful!" She growled in a low voice, trying not to interrupt Hal.

            "I won't pray to something I don't believe in!" I answered, my voice rising. As my mother berated me about how this isn't how I was raised and how I needed to give some respect to people, I stood. "Whatever. I'm leaving."

            "Where are you going?" she yelled after me.

            I slammed the door behind me, "Anywhere but here."

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