The Badboy, the Catfish & Me

Twenty-Four

Saturday morning felt different at Aunt Naomi's house without my parents. I woke up to find Aunt Naomi was already awake. A cup of tea and a bowl of granola mix cereal were ready for me in the small kitchen.

"Are you feeling any better?" she asked.

I took a bite of cereal and nodded in silence. I didn't feel any different than yesterday. Dull, maybe.

"You want to talk about what happened?"

"Um." I swallowed down the sweet mix. "I might've catfished a guy, and my mom found out." Aunt Naomi only blinked rapidly in response, mouth agape. "Okay, it sounds horrible when I say it like that," I added, my face heating up. "I mean, it is terrible, but I really like him, Aunt Naomi, so I got an account for a video game he plays from my friend to spend time with him. And I was going to tell him it was me behind the account, but then I found out that he might've asked me to prom but didn't because I said I wouldn't go for religious reasons...and I thought if I stay anonymous on the game instead of telling him it was me, well, he wouldn't avoid me there, either."

"I see," Aunt Naomi said, bringing her mug of tea to her lips. "He's the boy in the picture."

I nodded. "Things got personal. I found out that he's half-Bengali, just like me! I wouldn't have ever known that if I didn't play online with him. He even asked me if we could spend prom playing together," I confessed, staring into my cereal bowl. "And that's why I got into the fight with my mom. She found out about the whole thing. Then I logged in yesterday even after she told me to stop—I felt like I had to log in again, Aunt Naomi. He really likes me. My character, I mean. And that's why I'm so scared to tell him the truth. I'm afraid of how he'll react. And I don't know what to do."

My aunt put down her mug. "Inaya, thanks for telling me. I can tell you've thought a lot about this, and I think you're ready to talk this over with your parents now."

"Really?" I looked up, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah. I know you'll do the right thing when the moment comes. You mom knows that, too. So, don't let the mistakes, yours and your mama's, get in the way of that."

"All right."

"So," Aunt Naomi let out a loud breath. "Your dad told me he's going to show up around noon to have a talk with you. But don't worry! I'll still be in the house, just not in the room when you talk. You think you can handle that?"

My shoulders relaxed, and I nodded.

"Perfect. Do you want me to show you some cool fossils while you wait for him? They're going to be a part of the final exam for my students."

"Sure!"

In the living room, it was apparent Aunt Naomi had slept on the old gray couch that night, moving all her fossils on top and below the low table. I munched on my breakfast while Aunt Naomi showed me fossilized leaf impressions, pyritic ammonite shells, shark teeth, and a clay fragment dating back to Caesar's time. It was a good half-hour distraction.

When the doorbell rang, I felt my stomach flip. Aunt Naomi must have sensed it because she gave me an encouraging pat on the back before opening the door. At least I had a light breakfast to avoid losing any of it.

Baba's eyes locked onto mine the moment he stepped in. I looked away, focusing on the tie-dye artwork hanging on the wall. Aunt Naomi closed the door behind him and retreated to the kitchen.

My dad was quiet as he made his way to sit beside me on the sofa. He left some space between us and breathed in deeply a few times. I swallowed hard and hugged my knees, but I waited attentively for what he had to say first.