Cliff Jumping is Prescribed

14| Family

"It was just an in and out thing calm down," I told Drake on the phone as I thanked the uber driver for dropping me off at the restaurant. I stopped by Iris's office per request of her boss and played up my acting to trick him into thinking I chose the sketches she drew without seeing them before. Little do they know that it takes me forever to make a decision like that, so Iris was really saving my ass by bringing me the sketches in advance. It was also hard to keep my heart from jumping out my chest when  I caught an oversized rainbow eraser on top of a pencil in the middle of Rain's cupholder.

"Just don't make decisions because you love a girl. If she's a shitty artist then you can flirt with her differently," Drake's voice pulled my mind out of yesterday and I scoffed.

"Sometimes I wish I could punch you through a phone," I grumbled as I looked around the block. 

"Hey, I'm the brains in this relationship."

"And what am I?"

"A great investor. Now shut up and head on to your bro- lunch."

"Asshole," I muttered as I hung up in his face. This very much was a bro lunch. Dad and I were supposed to go out to eat together and then Marty decided to tag along. And Dad could never go out to eat with just two of us and not invite Benny, which led to Jeremy being invited too. So we were having one big bro lunch together in this restaurant that Dad swears by. I rolled my eyes when Marty waved at me like crazy from the other side of the restaurant and I plopped into the seat across from him. He and Bennett were on the other side of the table with a seat in between them. Ever since high school, our parents said if they are at the table with us we have to give each other elbow room or we'll end up in a food fight.

"Boys."

"Oh how I miss going out to eat with the two of you," Benny said while looking down at his menu.

"We never go out to eat with each other. You guys say I'm too messy for anything other than fast food," Marty scrunched his nose up.

"Yeah, and you proved me right on Zelda's birthday when you made the chef throw food into your mouth constantly," Benny said, looking at him like a father who was scolding their son.

"It was hibachi! That was his job!"

"To a certain extent! You're not supposed to throw noodles into someone's mouth Martin!"

"Then the chef shouldn't have participated," Marty said crossing his arms over his chest. "You must be so much fun in a relationship. I truly wonder how Zelda doesn't get scared someone's going to rob you from her," he said with a flat look.

I sat back and watched as my dad walked into the restaurant. He was wearing a dress shirt with the sleeves pushed up and dress pants which proved he was coming back from work. He snorted when he saw the way Benny and Marty were bickering and sighed as he sat in the chair between them.

"Boys. I'm getting a little sick of you all," he joked and Benny snickered as Marty banged the table.

"You're our honorary dad Papa Eloy. It's not our fault," he said gesturing to himself and Bennett "that our parents chose to retire and go back to their home countries."

"And you are my soon-to-be father-in-law," Benny said, agreeing with Marty's statement.

"And mine kinda finds me annoying."

"Everyone finds you annoying Marty," Dad said, ruffling his hair.

"I've never been here before is it any good Pops?" I asked and Dad grinned as he looked at the menu.

"I come here all the time with your mother," he said but before I could question him the door of the restaurant opened again and Jeremy came in a rush. He spotted us with eyes blazing.