Felicia sat back in the car seat. "Why can't we just go to Lava or something, this is hella shady." She said, turning her head to look at Dylan.
"This is not shady, we're literally just driving around."
"Why?"
"Because mom wants me home directly after school, but she knows that I drive you home too, so if I tell her that it just took a little longer then I won't get in trouble," Dylan sighed.
"What is she going to do? Check your mileage?"
"Maybe?"
"You've both gone insane," Felicia stated and, with some difficulties, crossed her legs in the seat. "Anyway, tell me!" Her skeptic expression was exchanged for one full of curiosity and anticipation as she waited for him to give her some details.
"Well..." Dylan started, "I- what do you even want to know?"
Felicia cocked an eyebrow. "Give me a full history from when we left his place Saturday morning."
Dylan laughed but nodded. "Yeah, alright, uh, well I went home and got to bed. In the morning I ate some breakfast and-"
"Skip to the part where Christopher Davis is involved, please," Felicia stopped him. Dylan grinned.
"But you said that you wanted the complete history and that's what I'm giving you," he answered and Felicia rolled her eyes, a faint smile on her lips.
"I know what I said but you know what I mean," she groaned, "come on, man!"
"Okay, okay," Dylan laughed, "well I was going to his house for the tutoring since I had to give his shirt back which I'd borrowed after Jenny puked on me. And, I don't know, we had an argument about some stupid thing and then another stupid thing that is still relevant and I will tell you that later, and then he just kissed me."
"And then he almost kissed me again but he is a tease and I had to leave anyway 'cuz it was late and mom is insane- your words, not mine--"
"I also said that you are insane-" Felicia started but Dylan waved it off.
"That's not relevant. Anyway, we made plans to meet on Saturday which coincidentally is the only day that mom wants me to go out on. He took me to a coffee shop at the edge of town where we ate some and then we took a hike to the overlook and had a picnic and we talked and talked and then we went to his place and-"
"And you did the dirty?" Felicia smirked and winked. Dylan shook his head, a short laugh escaping him.
"No, but we did watch Dirty Dancing. Then we went to his room where we talked some more and then we made out and then we fell asleep. Oh, also, I'm basically grounded on all days except for Fridays and Saturdays now."
"What? Why? You can't just drop a bomb like that!" Felicia exclaimed.
"Sorry. Mom wants us to be a happy little family while William is here."
"But you said you fell asleep at Chris's? Wouldn't that mean that you were out on Sunday?" Felicia really was quite a detective, Dylan thought as he drove slower than usual down the road so that they would have more time to talk.
"Yeah, I woke up early and he drove me home," his face lit up as he talked, "and you're not gonna believe it: Ry caught me coming home in the morning and she helped me with the marks! She was a pro, I swear."
"I always knew that little lady would grow up to be badass," Felicia laughed.
"You say that as if you raised her," Dylan replied, raising an eyebrow toward his friend. She shrugged with a face splitting grin. There was a moment of silence and Dylan relaxed further into his seat. No matter how he twisted and turned it, he couldn't figure out how Ry knew so much about hickeys. She only hung out with Nelly... Maybe the two of them went to parties?
"I always did have a feeling that there was something going on between the two of you," Felicia said, more to herself than to Dylan. Nevertheless, he blushed a bit. Had he been that obvious?
"Anyway," he said after yet another quiet minute, "how's it going with Maddie?"
"What do you mean 'how's it going with Maddie'?"
Dylan looked at his friend. "What I mean, Cia, is what's going on between you two?"
Felicia looked away, out the window. If it were to hide the blush that Dylan had noticed or that she didn't want to answer, Dylan didn't know. "I don't know, we hang out some."
"Okay," Dylan answered, not pushing further than he needed to. A few minutes later, he pulled up to the driveway to the Solander residence. It was almost four-fifteen and his mom would probably wonder why he'd been out so late. Or, 'late'.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning," Felicia called as she threw the car door closed. Dylan leaned his head against the headrest for a moment before he started the drive home, even though he had no desire to go there.
When he finally parked the car on the driveway, he wished that he'd just decided not to go home at all. The dinner that awaited with his whole family felt more and more like a chore for every day that he was forced to participate and at that moment he would much rather go to the library and study or something.
"Dylan!" His mom called the moment he stepped through the door and he sighed heavily. She sounded mad. He wasn't even that much later than when he usually got home. He hung his jacket in the closet and kicked off his shoes before going into the dining room where all four of the others were waiting.
"You're home late," she said sternly, standing at the end of the table, hands on her hips and a deep frown, the crease in her forehead making her look at least five years older.
"I was just driving Felicia home and we got stuck in traffic," Dylan defended, fully aware that it was a straight-up lie. Well, the 'getting stuck in traffic' part. "I'm not even home that late." He lowered his eyes to his dad who looked tired and then to Riley, who was shooting a glare toward their mom.
"Dylan, I am well aware that you drive Felicia home, and I'm happy that you are so close, but I also know that you get out at three-thirty and it should not take an hour to get home," his mom said with an anger that was completely unnecessary in Dylan's opinion. He sighed.
"Honey," his dad cut in, placing a hand on his wife's arm, "can we just eat? The food is getting cold and he couldn't have helped getting stuck in traffic."
"He needs to know that I am serious about this agreement. While William is here, everyone comes home at once!"
"Mom," William pleaded, instantly getting his mother's attention, "let's just eat."
She seemed to think about what he said, and after a minute's silence, she sighed. "Sit down, Dylan."
He did as he was told, grabbing a seat opposite William and next to his dad. There was a tense atmosphere filling the room, but his mom didn't seem to notice. Her mood had changed in a split-second and was now smiling at William, serving him some of the mashed potatoes.
"How was your day, honey?" She asked, putting the pot with the potatoes back down on its placemat.
"It was alright," William shrugged, "I Skyped with some friends back home- I mean, in Norway."
He shot a glance over at Dylan who caught the message and smiled down at his food. Moen. Their mother, however, did not smile. Quite on the contrary, she looked as if she had just found out that her pet had died.
" 'Home' is Norway?" She asked, and the awkward silence was back. William scratched his neck.
"Well, I've lived there for a few years, and I kind of want to stay for a long time. I mean, it's really nice to come here and visit, but Oslo is where I study and have my friends. Where I live."
"I just thought that this was still your home," his mom muttered.
Dylan stayed quiet, picking at his food with the fork in his hand. His dad cleared his throat.
"So, William," he looked up with a smile and met his oldest son's eyes, "how are your friends back there, then?"
A grin crept its way upon William's face and he chuckled. "They're amazing. I'm so grateful for everything they've done for me; they helped me feel like Oslo was home, and they really helped at the beginning with the transition from here."
"That's really good to hear," his dad mirrored William's smile and Dylan couldn't help but feel happy for his brother. While the bad memories were still there, he'd always tried to believe in second chances and seeing his brother getting onto his feet was heartwarming, in a way.
"Okay," his mom said after a few minute's silence on her part, "Dylan, how's school going?"
Dylan shrugged. "It's going fine. My tutee got a really good score on the latest project so that feels good, and I got an A on that project so..."
A chorus of 'That's wonderful!'s and 'Amazing job.'s filled the room but Dylan only looked at his mom who didn't say anything, but nodded.
"But that's whatever," Dylan continued with a smile, "because Ry had a test recently and she did amazing!"
"Is that true, honey?" His dad turned to the youngest sister, a wide grin decorating his face, "I'm so proud of you, kiddo!"
Riley turned slightly red in the face at the praise. "Thanks, dad."
"Great job, Riley," their mom said, taking a bite of her food. Dylan frowned. His mom seemed almost... bitter? Something was obviously wrong, but he couldn't figure out if they'd said something wrong.
A few minutes of chatter later, all of them had finished their food. Riley was the first to stand, grabbing her plate and glass.
"I'm going to do some homework," she explained and went toward the kitchen to put the dishes away.
"I should do that, too," Dylan said, he, too, standing from the table.
"I want to talk to you later," his mom said and frowned but nodded. What was that going to be about? He put the dishes in the dishwasher and closed it. Then, he grabbed his back that lay discarded by the stairs and went to his room.
His mom would probably come upstairs to talk. That was how she always went about having the 'serious talks' that she felt the need to have. It was usually something utterly insignificant, but if Dylan told her that it didn't matter, he would only start an even more insignificant fight.
He sighed, flopping onto his stomach on the bed and looked at the clock. It wasn't even six yet. The 'doing homework' part that he'd excused himself with was mostly a cover so that he wouldn't have to sit and chat for any longer than he absolutely needed to.
Having decided what to do, he got off the bed and went to get his book. Reading had always been the best way to get away from the world in Dylan's mind. Sure, some- cough, Felicia, cough- occasionally called him a nerd for it, but that didn't bother him much. It wasn't as if he just sat home and played videogames all day, he was co-captain for the soccer team for God's sake.
He just happened to have an academic side as well as his sporty one.
A soft knock on the door disturbed his peaceful reading session and he lay the book on the nightstand by his bed. Here we go, he thought and turned to face his mom who stood in the doorway.
"Dylan," she sighed and took a step inside, closing the door behind her, "we need to talk."
"What about?" Dylan asked, raising his eyebrows. I always went like this.
"I really want you home directly after school," she said, frowning slightly. "I don't want you staying around school... doing whatever you do there."
"What do you mean?" Dylan felt his face contort into some sort of confused grimace. "I told you that I drove Felicia?"
"That shouldn't take more than a few extra minutes," his mom sat down on the bed, making Dylan scoot over. "I have to ask you... do you have friends that smoke. Other things than cigarettes?"
Dylan's jaw dropped to the floor. "You think I stay at school to smoke weed? You think I'm high?"
"Well, driving if you get out at three-thirty then you should be home at four."
"Mom, can you not do math?" Dylan snapped, getting more and more aggravated. "If I get out of class at three-thirty then I'm not ready at my car before three-forty-five and I got stuck in traffic today, which took, like, fifteen minutes extra. I don't smoke!"
His mom stood abruptly.
"I just wanted to know," she said sternly, quickly moving out the door and closing it behind her. Wow, Dylan thought afterward. That was... something.
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