[Atlas's POV]
Sometimes being at home was suffocating.
I was thinking as I escaped Sunday breakfast, heading outside to shoot some hoops in the courtyard. It was sunnier than it had ever been in a long time and it felt like I was slowly getting roasted from all sides.
On Sunday the family went to church, excluding me. That wasn't because I didn't like church or anything, I was pretty impartial, especially on a day like this those stony gothic churches had some pretty cool air. It also wasn't like I had some issue with religion now that I realised that the first time I'd ever been interested in someone it was a boy.
It was because for all intents and purposes I wasn't really a part of this family, no matter how much they smiled at me and looked at me like I could do no wrong.
That was why I hated breakfast. It was a warm affair even if the house looked oddly clean and marble. They collected around a table with an array of breakfast foods that we seemingly never finished, the light from the floor to ceiling window pouring in, the colourful garden smiling through the glass. It was picturesque, it should have been wholesome.
But I found myself only watching, waiting to be excused, observing as they interacted with each other and then the way the look in their eyes changed only just as they turned to smile at me.
They liked me, but I was different.
The sun fried my brain and I stopped thinking about it, just kept practicing, working myself into a wild sweat, my arms beginning to get tired even as I continued. I didn't ever take things half-way, even if it was just a matter of getting out of breakfast. I was pausing to take a drink when I heard mom's voice calling for me to come back into the house.
I drank as I walked, hoping it wouldn't be something to do with school.
At this point I got the impression they all stopped trying to hint at my parents, who were more than aware of what was going on, to somehow punish me and completely change my character... which was just as well. I did what I was supposed to do there, worked and got good grades, my attendance was always within the okay range, so what if I skipped the odd class or ended up getting into issues with other idiot kids? None of their business honestly.
I spotted her in the open plan kitchen and leaned over, wresting my arms on the kitchen counter. "What is it?"
"I need you to take Lily out." She told me as she was peeling the skin off of an apple with a knife. "Somewhere nice as a treat."
I groaned. "Why, she's old enough that she doesn't need me to go with her."
"She likes you."
"She's annoying."
"But she likes you." There was something stern in her voice this time, I looked up and I saw her staring at the apple as intently as before.
I felt a level of discomfort in my stomach and glanced away, pulling away from the counter.
"Doesn't she have friends to go with?"
She sighed, setting the peels aside and cutting it in half to core it. "She does but she's done so well on her last exam. I wanted to reward her, she said she wanted to go out, eat some fast food." My mother looked up at me. "Then she gave me this look." She sort of pursed her lips and widened her eyes. That meant nothing to me but presumably it meant Lily was insinuating she wanted to go with me.
When she was younger I used to take her out regularly after school for some food, like every other day for a while. That then became every week, then every month, then not at all.
I had my reasons but it didn't matter in the end. Lily had done nothing wrong after all, she was just young and stupid, but I understood her parents worry all the same.
"Alright," I gave in, watching her slice the apples. "As long as my six girlfriends get to move in after this." I said, grabbing a slice and eating it.
She rolled her eyes. "Never going to let that one go huh."
I snickered as I headed upstairs to let Lily know, get washed and change.
Once an idiot friend of mine spread a rumour I had six girlfriends that lived in my bedroom and even though people didn't believe it and thought I made it up they continued spreading it so that it got back to my parents who, instead of laughing immediately and appreciating the imagination that went into a line as dumb as that, went ahead and literally checked my room.
Lily beamed at me as I slammed the door behind me and headed for the shower.
When I got out of the shower I stopped to check my face, my hair was a little dark when it was wet against my skin. It would look darker if I didn't have the slight tan, it would look even darker if I stopped dyeing it from it's natural brown colour.
There was something mildly entertaining seeing the teachers lingering stares over that. They suspected it was dye, clearly. Usually students that disobey the 'no hair dye' rule go to get their hair close shaved or dyed back to the initial colour. My hair didn't match my dark eyebrows but it was the same colour the rest of my family had so they never asked.
I towelled off and got into some loose dark green shorts and a black tank top.
"Lily!" I yelled her name, grabbing my wallet and heading downstairs, she trailed after me quickly and I only noticed at the door that she was dolled up.
I had to blink a moment because I wasn't sure I'd ever seen her in that short skirt before or the makeup. None of it looked shit, it just made her look like an older teen... a very small, short older teen.
I frowned, ignoring it as we set off together.
I was too tall not to be noticed but I'd make it my mission not to be seen around with her.
My friends already assumed I was dating my mom I'd punch someone if they thought I was dating my fucking sister. I cringed to myself. I'd find the most secluded booth they had in Deep Fry and keep my head down...
[Akara's POV]
"Explain why I'm being a pussy then."
Bobby rolled his eyes. "What's got you off beer then, explain."
"I just don't want any, why do you keep shoving it off on me, I'm not thirsty."
He frowned at me.
I sighed, leaning away from him. His gaze grew concerned and he reached out, I backed away automatically but his hand still reached my face and the back of his fingers pressed against my forehead.
"Not ill right?"
I stared at him, was he normally that... nice? I blinked twice. "I'm not ill, or sad, just not thirsty."
"Then take one. When you're thirsty you can drink."
"Jesus you're pushy."
Misbah laughed. "Don't get offended. He's only trying to prepare you for British office drinking. You'll thank him when you're working in your dead end office job being dragged along after work hours to drink fifty pints and you don't pass out like a pro."
I laughed, a breeze pushed some hair in my face and I ran my fingers through it, pushing it back. "That's alright. Most people think I'm considering looking into becoming a professional homeless person."
Misbah snickered. "Oh and homeless people never drink."
"You?" Bobby turned to Misbah.
Took Misbah a moment before he got that he was being offered a drink and he nodded, accepting one. "Gotta love a lukewarm beer."
"This one won't." I pointed to myself.
"Oh just drugs then?" He asked.
I nodded. "Yep, all kinds of drugs; ginger, crinkle, spike..."
"I think that last one was real." Bobby frowned as he took a sip.
Amir turned to me as he was stuffing some pages he'd been writing something on back into his backpack. "Aren't they all real?"
I stared at him.
He pursed his lips and looked away.
"Dumb." I hit his head lightly.
We sat there for a while, the sun came out totally at random that day and was just battering us, every breeze was a relief.
I yawned, leaning back, toying with my skateboard between my legs as I clicked around on my phone. I clicked on the only unread text I had and realised it was the last text Amir sent me.
[ A m i r ] so my friend is saying u kissed Jacob outside the lunch hall??????
I closed it as quickly as I opened it but I didn't realise Amir was looking over my shoulder until he spoke. "Are you ever going to answer my text message?" He asked.
I jolted away from him, bumping into Bobby, my heart doing a little double tap and smacked him on the back. "Shut up."
He straightened his posture and frowned at me. "Why?"
Misbah and Bobby peered at me as well. "Answer what?"
"Nothing." I replied.
Bobby raised an eyebrow. "Right forgot you was a MI6 agent, guess if you tell me you've got to kill me."
Misbah grinned. "Is Amir asking you out? Are you gay ghosting him?"
Amir's eyes grew wide and he turned back to look at me.
I glared at him. "Shut up." I told him again, with a finger pointed at him. "You lot shut it as well." I pointed at them.
Bobby laughed. "Touched a nerve? Got a feeling you're right Mischief!"
"But Amir is way out of his league, gotta be something else." Misbah cackled like a witch, spilling some of his beer.
My ears burned, I got up from the bench, grabbing my skateboard. "Alright, shut it gossip girls, it's none of your business. You," I grabbed his arm. "Come with me."
He stumbled as he was pulled up off the bench and haphazardly grabbed his back as he tried to keep up with me. "What- Where are we going?" He exclaimed, almost tripping over his untied shoelaces.
"You guys want food right?"
They made some noises of agreement.
I turned back to Amir as we walked. "Deep Fry." I told him.
[A/N] Thank you patrons... ~(˘⌣˘~)
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