"How was school?" Theo asked me.
Fucking awful, I am not going back tommrow. "It was fine," I mumbled, looking out the window.
Shit is getting so bad I can't even be on my phone.
I don't even know what to say.
I watched as the cars drove by, as Theo was dodging and weaving in and out of traffic.
Sometimes he goes really fast, and sometimes he goes really slow; it's a gamble.
"How were the tryouts?"
"Fine."
"Did you make the team?"
"Yeah."
"That's good."
"Yeah."
Like I want to tell him what happened, but he tells my dad fucking everything.
So I will tell him when I am ready to tell my dad.
"Something wrong." Yes.
"No, just tired, it was a long day."
"Did you make any friends?" D1 PRIER HOLY FUCK.
"Yes, they were big horns and a small horn, they were pretty nice," I said, trying to get him off my fucking back.
"Oh...what were their names?" he asked, pulling into the driveway.
"Are you doubting that I have friends?"
"Yes," Theo said, bringing the car into the driveway and getting out. "Well, I actually made friends, well, sort of."
"What do you mean sort of?" I grabbed my bag and got out of the car. Theo looked me up. "What did you wear for tryouts?"
"This."
"In your new sambas?"
Awkward.
"Yeah, sorry," I said, brushing him off.
He mumbled something that I didn't hear, and the two of us walked in throw the garage.
How do I even tell anyone about that?
Especially my dad.
Like.
God, I don't even know.
Whatever, I'm just gonna take a shower.
I'm not going to think about, it everything is fine.
I looked around.
No dad.
"What do you want for dinner tonight?" Theo asked with a smile.
"I don't care, whatever you make is fine."
He raised his eyebrow at me. "You always have something to say about my food, come on I will make you what you want tonight."
"I'm… I'm not really hungry." he is making me lose my appetite just thinking about what happened.
God, I feel dizzy again.
Those eyes.
"I am gonna shower and I will be back."
"Okay, no eating in your room, so actually come back downstairs."
I nodded.
I felt myself walking quicker than my legs could fathom.
Suddenly, the shower seems like the best thing right now.
"How was school?" I felt myself stop dead in my tracks.
I turned and bowed to my dad. "It was fine."
What is he wearing?
"Why do you have an attitude then?" I rolled my eyes.
"Don't roll your eyes at me. I asked you a question," my dad said, walking up the stairs towards me.
Fuck. "I have no attitude dad, the day was just fine that was it."
Here comes Mr. Fear Monger, Dad please hop off.
I walked up the stairs away from my dad, and I heard him follow me.
"Why were you talking to Theo like that?" I swear he has super sonic hearing or some shit.
"I wasn't talking to Theo like anything." he followed me into my bedroom and wouldn't let me shut the door.
I put my stuff down and I felt his presence still.
"I heard you." I felt a light shove as I heard my door shut. "Look at me when I am talking to you."
Oh.
He doesn't look very good.
"Are you okay? Also, didn't you have work? Why are you in your pajamas?" My dad looked so out of it, oh my god.
And for a man who always wears a suit, like constantly, his being in pajamas was so weird, especially when I got home.
"I'm fine. Why were you talking to Theo like that?" he pushed me so I was up against one of the walls in my bedroom.
"I wasn't. And if I was, I'm sorry. I didnt mean to."
"I do not want you to talk to him like that, once you get out of the shower, you need to apologize, you ungrateful…"
"Dad?" I watched as he rocked back and forth.
And also like a drone, he turned around and headed for my desk.
I followed him. "Are you sick?"
"No," he snapped at me.
He was holding a picture. Our family photo actually.
I think we took it two years ago now, me, him, and Theo.
I watched as he smiled at it.
"Dad, dad, give me that," I said, taking the photo back from him. Fucking weirdo, what is wrong with people today?
He snatched it back from me.
His eyes were this dark, dark color, and his horns were curving, which fun fact they normally dont do!
"Theo!" I called out.
"Don't call him.
"Why? You are obviously not well, he will help you."
"Please," my dad sat down on my bed, photo still in hand.
He pulled out his phone in his other hand.
He was giving that a weird smile too.
As soon as my dad figured out how to do the photo shuffle, Theo's pictures are in most of them, and I think I have one.
"Everything okay, honey?" I didn't even hear the door open.
"Oh, family meeting without me!" he playfully said.
"I told you not to call him," my dad said.
I heard Theo sigh.
"Get up, you big bear," he sai,d helping my dad to his feet.
He put the picture back where it went.
He mumbled something to my dad, and my dad's smile grew.
Gross.
"Now go, leave him alone," Theo said, and just like that, my dad was gone.
What the fuck is happening?
"Um, food will be ready when you're done with your shower and make sure you take a while…just gotta cook the food…extra well."
That's fucking disgusting.
I walked over to my bathroom and took off all of my clothes.
Dude, what is up with my dad?
Whatever.
Oh my god.
I turned on the water and got in.
Oh god, why is the fan so loud?
Oh, and the lights.
Why are they so bright?
And why is this water so fucking hot?
Oh my god.
I let out a sigh.
Fuck whatever.
Oh my god.
I feel my heart start to race again.
Why am I thinking about him? Why the hell am I thinking about him?
Every detail is suddenly so clear.
It is so fucking clear.
Where I was standing in the gym, everyone around me.
His body.
The shape of his body.
He was pretty big but also had a nice sleeper build.
He had these golden eyes, and they were kind of sunken in.
And I felt my stomach dropping, thinking about the eye contact.
Thinking about him.
I can't.
I can't wash his touch away.
Part of me doesn't want to.
Part of my sick fucking brain doesn't want to.
I felt his hands on me, holding me.
Going every which way.
Now the memory.
The memories are all wrong.
I feel his hands all over my body.
With those golden eyes and those giant horns.
I felt my heart start to pound in my head as I opened my eyes.
I shouldn't have gone to tryouts, I should have just left.
I shouldn't have gone to school.
I turned off the water and I dried myself off and put lotion on.
I took off my shower cap and took my curls out a bit.
Great I look like death.
I shuffled to my drawer, opened it, and put on my boxers and pajama pants.
I slowly made my way down the stairs.
Damn something smells good as fuck.
Got to be some of the nasiest mother fuckers I have ever met in my whole life. What the hell?
In front of the food is crazy.
Theo and my dad were being all lovely, dovey in the kitchen.
Seeing my dad laughing makes this house feel more…more warm.
I can't really explain it.
I made it to the bottom of stairs and now I hear it.
The song they danced to at their wedding.
"Let me finish," Theo said as my dad held him from behind.
"I am…I am," my dad said, in a voice I almost couldn't recognize.
Gross.
"What's for dinner?" I watched my dad jump and quickly step back.
"Pasta, your daddy's choice, because you didnt want to pick."
One daddy, disgusting. Tw,o "I am fine with pasta."
"Even if you weren't, you would have to eat it," Theo said.
I helped set out tables. "Go put on a shirt."
"Bruh no."
"Don't fucking bruh me, go put on a fucking shirt." blowing stuff out of proportion so fast is my dads middle name.
"Honey, it's fine," Theo said, coming to put the food on the plate.
We finally sat down to eat.
I am feeling so much dread right now.
I really don't want to go to school tomorrow.
Because knowing my luck I will see him, I will see him without fail.
"I told you to take your medicine, but you always want to be mister tough guy." Suddenly, my problems aren't as important, because what?
"Theo, I just forgot, I'm sorry."
"And what if I wasn't here? Then what?" Silence.
"You dont have a job." Oh!
"Bitch."
"What did you just call me?" my dad yelled.
Theo turned his attention towards me. "Did you learn anything new in your classes?"
"Hey, I'm fucking talk to you-."
"When you want to talk to me nicely, I will respond."
"Maybe don't call me a fucking bitch then…" my dads voice died out as he started to stare at Theo with this look that even made me uncomfortable.
"Your son, lucien." me what?
My dad turned his head toward me.
The black eyes were back and this soulless look. "It's a shame."
What is happening?
"I learned a lot actually. Specifically in this one class with one of the friends I made and his boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?" the gays say in union.
"Yeah. His boyfriend is weird as hell, oh my god, he knew so much about m,e it really freaked me out. But Jasper."
"Is Jasper a big horn?"
I nodded. "So is his boyfriend."
"I don't want you around big horns." Too late.
"They were the only ones who wanted to be friends with me, and besides the ones I am friends with, all have partners, they aren't worried about me." I.
I felt myself gulp and try to muster up a smile.
"Anyway, just some stuff about life essence and shit yall have never taught me, which I don't know why, but it is pretty interesting."
My dad nodded slowly. "Did you go to tryouts? It was a pain to sign you up."
Liar, you don't even know, Theo signed me up for everything.
"Uh…yeah, I made the team and." I don't know if I should tell them. "And there was."
Yeah, no, maybe another day.
"There was a lot of magic, it was really weird," I said, trying to cover for myself.
"You're being weird," my dad said as I ate my final scoop of pasta. "I am not, it was just my first day, and seeing that many demons was just overwhelming."
My dad never even listens to anything I have to say why is he suddenly so fucking good at reading me.
"Did you try to lay low?" Note tried. He let out a sigh. "I told you, you need to lay low."
I grabbed my dish. "I haven't even said anything!"
"You took too long to respond."
"I am trying."
"Why aren't you doing? I don't need you trying."
Theo got up and grabbed my dad's dishes as well.
"Ignore your dad, he's uh going through something and didn't take his medicine and is now crazy." What does that even mean?
I put my dish in the sink and walked over to the fridge to look for materials for a root beer float.
I grabbed them out and put them on the counter. "Theo, you want one?"
"Of course, honey," Theo said, turning to look at me.
Okay, why is everyone acting weird today?
"You remind me of your dad when he was in high school," Theo said in a weird tone of voice.
I also forgot that they went to the same school. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"Good thing, he was so cute."
"Dude, hop off, you are my stepdad," I said, laughing, and Theo started laughing too. "I don't mean it like that, I just mean, I am glad you are taking care of yourself, that's all."
I was a chubby kid, that's why he is saying that.
"And I'm glad you are finding your confidence again, don't let your dumb dad knock on you, okay?"
I nodded.
Weird little moments like these make me feel like we are a family.
An actual one, instead of my dad's secret life.
"Did Dad ever creep you out?"
Theo nodded. "All the time, when I first met him. He was crazy and would mess with me, so not only did he creep me out, but I also hated him."
"Then how'd you get together?"
"We didn't, you know that." Oh my god, I just blanked about my mom, that's crazy.
"Oh shit i forgot," i said, laughing and theo just gave me a smile.
"I still had a crush on him, though, which was crazy considering all the stuff he did to me. We played basketball together just like you, that's how we met."
I felt my heart start to race.
I could only think about his name.
Nate.
It was playing over in my mind as Theo continued to talk.
"He was messing with me every day since then, and I fell in love, I dont know. My heart would race whenever I even heard his name. I was just…stupid, but I was convinced we were soulmates."
Soulmates?
"But then he met uh your mother and he stopped messing with me, and slowly he stopped talking to me, and then finally didnt even look my direction. He stopped coming to practice to avoid me, stopped coming to the classes we shared together." I watched as Theo dropped the dish he was holding.
The shattering made me jump.
"But it's all in the past now, let me get a broom," Theo said, blinking.
I heard my dad walk in. "Don't move, I will get it."
"No, you need to be resting."
I felt my legs lift off the ground and my arms pinned to my side, just as Nate did during basketball tryouts.
I watched Theo get lifted up, too.
I watched as the glass disappeared beneath us.
I didn't know my dad could do magic, what the fuck?
I watched as my dad stumbled back.
"Honey, honey, what did I just tell you?" Theo said, rushing over to him.
My dad mumbled something to him, and Theo turned to me. "Why do you go up to your room, and I'll bring the float to you, okay?"
I feel like this isn't a good time to ask questions because my dad looks like he's losing his mind.
I nodded. "Okay."
I opened up my bedroom door.
God, I haven't done this in a while.
I pulled my journal out from the bottom part of my bed.
It was a bunch of stuff and sketches.
I flipped to an open page.
Nate.
Dad's being weird.
I didnt know Dad could do magic.
Just like Nate had pinned me in the game before the incident happened, my dad just did to me and Theo, but he had a different look on his face.
For once, my dad looked weak.
I can't explain it.
I can't explain the pull with Nate.
My heart tugs.
I don't understand.
I don't understand any of it.
I am trying to, but I can't, I really can't.
I just have to avoid him.
Avoid the friends I've made.
I think he's trying to get under my skin because he's Vincent's friend.
Avoid them.
But.
They are cool.
New thing. Avoid Nate. Avoid him at all costs.
And get.
And get someone's phone number or Instagram, specifically Jasper, because he was actually pretty cool.
A very chill dude.
I wonder if.
I heard the door open, and I quickly shut the journal and hid it.
I turned to my phone.
10 minutes had gone by, oh my god.
My dad and Theo came in with root beer floats.
My dad shut my door. Oh, so it's family affair day in my room, okay.
"Hello, handsome, we have come bearing gifts," Theo said.
Okay, it's also getting in my bedtime. Theo handed me the float and sat next to me, and my dad pulled my chair up.
"Lucien, you should wear your hair like that again."
My dad, wearing his hair curly? Unheard of.
"Okay." Welp, I guess no better time than the present.
Why are y'all even in here?
"Anyone hit on you today?" I spit out my root beer float.
Oh, sorry, Dad.
"I take that as a yes? Was it a girl? Boy? Nonbinary person? Big horn? Small horn? Who was it?" Theo said as he continued to pry.
"Whowever it is, is not relevant because you are not allowed to date."
"I'm not allowed to date a demon, or I am not allowed to date at all?" I smirked as my dad started screaming.
I had that coming. "No one! You fucking." I watched as he took a deep breath.
"Like indefinitely or?"
"Indefinitely, now stop asking me so many damn questions."
Hey, I was asked the questions first, but okay.
"Theo asked me the question, it's not like I am going to date the first person to give me attention."
My dad raised his eyebrow.
Freak, put that shit down.
"Well, we just want you to be safe, okay," Theo said, side hugging me with his root beer float in hand.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." For once, I do.
My first day of school, it felt like I was in danger the whole time I was there. Of course I won't tell them that, but it's okay, I'll be okay.
After a while of sitting and finishing root beers, the two of them got up to leave.
So what even was the point of their visit?
Whatever.
Goal tomorrow.
Avoid Nate.
Learn more about demons.