"Call me Hayden." He holds a hand out for me to shake, and I take it. He gives me a blank smile, studying my face. I pull my hand out of the awkward grip and step closer to Truitt.
He was...young. I forget how young my parents actually are, especially when each friend of theirs I've met was a gazillion years old.
He had longish, wavy black hair, which looked messy and unkept. He had this weird pornstache thing going on which made anybody look creepy. He looked rather sloppy to be completely honest. From the laid back, baggy clothing he sported, which hung loosely around his tall frame, all the way to his disheveled hair cut and of course, we can't forget that mustache – I mean, pornstache.
"I haven't seen you since you were this high!" He bent down a little and gestured to around his knee's height.
I managed a light chuckle which I didn't mean at all.
"Hey I'm Truitt. The boyfriend." Tru smiled crookedly to Hayden, giving him a firm handshake.
"Zoey, maybe you could take Hayden's things up to his room?" My mom smiles, bringing Hayden toward the kitchen.
I look at the huge travel backpack and whimper slightly.
"It's okay I got this." Truitt drags the bag over his shoulder, his face goes red. Eventually, we both dragged the bag up the stairs, into the empty room next to mine.
- - -
"So, how was Thailand?" my mom asks excitedly, taking a break from the potroast.
"It was absolutely life changing."
I roll my eyes at the generic response, earning a look from my dad.
"What were you doing in Thailand?" Truitt smiles, stuffing his face with roast. Some gravy drips down the side of his mouth and I watch on in horror as it falls onto his white shirt.
"Well, I did some work in an elephant sanctuary over there. A mother and her calf needed special help after stepping on a land mine. So, I stepped in, along with two other nurses." Hayden smiled. I felt my heart warm a little by the story.
"This potroast is incredible, by the way Julie."
"So..you're a vet?" I spoke for the first time since sitting down for dinner.
"Rehabilitator. Spent 2 years in Thailand. Now I'm sort of stuck between things I guess." He laughs nervously.
"Well, you can stay here as long as you'd like, bud." My dad gives him a 'manly' box on his shoulder.
- - -
"Well, this is your room. We kinda share the bathroom..so..just yell or something if you're in there." I say dully, turning around. I couldn't believe my parents were making me share my bathroom with a 30 year old man.
"What if I don't?" he smirks. I squint at him, looking unamused.
"Like, if I forget." He finds this amusing.
"Then I'll get to see your micropenis." I smile sarcastically, turning around again.
"You know, you really shouldn't speak to your elders like that." I could hear the smile on his face.
I ignore him, walking into my bedroom and ignoring the strong beat of my heart as I close the door behind me.