Claustrophobia (Boy x Boy) ✔

11) LIE FOR ME

*Cody Walker's POV

My parents, Gary and Vivian, and the rest of my family came to see me like they had promised. 

My dad is tall unlike me, but he's scrawny like me. He's a softy, and he likes to disconnect from us to go into his own private worlds every now and then. Those worlds I'm talking about aren't Narnias or any delusional images, but his hobbies — such as making explicit research about space — he can be quite obsessive about.

My mom is short like me, but she's roundish unlike me. She has the same dark curly hair me and my siblings have. She's quite temperamental and often speaks her mind, if there's something bothering her. She can shower you with care and love one day and another she can be cold as a stone.

My sister, Chloe, is 17 years old and she looks a lot like our mom. Although she looks sweet with her big grey-blue eyes, long curly hair and glasses, she can be capricious and she has quite a sharp tongue. Also, Chloe is smart, like scary smart. 

My brother, Cole, who just turned 15, keeps his curly hair short. He's almost as skinny as me, but he's taller than me. Sometimes I feel like he likes his computer more than people.

So, that's my family. I really care about them and I'm grateful for having them, but I feel like there's worlds between us. I haven't mentioned the bullying to them and we generally just don't talk. We talk of course, but we don't talk talk. I don't tell them what's really going on in my life and it's easier that way.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kobe and that's Mylo." I had been slightly worried how Kobe and Mylo would behave with my family, but I could proudly say they could behave when they wanted to. Mylo walked in the room, shaking hands with my parents, while holding Monkey with his other hand. 

"Want some coffee?" Mylo asked then and smiled politely.

"No need, we're only taking this idiot with us and then we'll have some pizza." Chloe grinned. She was already petting Ferret and Princess, who were circling around her legs.

"But first things first, show us your room." Mom told me and I did as she asked.

"This looks like an abbey. Where's all your stuff?" Chloe frowned. 

"We should go buy you some furniture. At least a bed." Dad joined the conversation. 

"I don't need anything. I like it this way." I denied quickly. When I looked at my ascetic room, I realised I really did like it that way. It was like me: grey, plain and so simple it was almost abstruse. 

***

Then we were at the restaurant. We had already ordered, so I left the table to find the men's room. It was all nice and dandy until I almost bumped into Ian. Was the guy stalking me? He was everywhere.

Then they sat at our table and I was just about ready to run out of the door, but then Ian's mom got up to hug me. When I looked at her, it wasn't difficult to tell where Ian had got his good looks. The only difference between the mom and the son was that the former was also kind and wouldn't throw you under the bus. 

"You're all grown up now — and what a handsome young man have you turned to." Sienna said to me, smiling with her perfectly white teeth.

"Well, I'm not so sure about that." I muttered, but once I saw my mother's scolding gaze, I continued with a shy smile: "But thank you, anyway."

"Ian told me you're in the same class again. He even asked if I still remember you. Of course I do." Sienna continued, making Ian stare at her with wide eyes.

"Oh, he did?" I asked and a sly grin spread on my lips when I turned to look at Ian, who looked embarrassed.

"Anyway, mom, here's the menu. Let's order too." Ian changed the subject and it almost looked like his honey shaded skin turned slightly reddish. For some reason, probably because I enjoyed seeing his uneasiness, that made me smile.

I'm not sure whose idea it was, but soon the adults — including me and Ian — were shaking a bottle of red wine. I hate wine, but I had a feeling a little liquid courage would help me through this torture. Apparently Chloe and Cole thought it would have been good for them too, but it wasn't my fault they hadn't been born earlier. 

"Have you been eating?" Mom began at some point. I swear, she always asks this same exact question when we see each other, and I always give her the same answer. 

"Mom, you know I'm always eating." I sighed. 

"Then why do you look so thin?" This was the exact same question that always followed the first one.

"I'm always this skinny. So is dad and so is Cole, it's in my genes." I gave her the exact same answer I give every time.

"Then what about your asthma? You know it can be dangerous if you get another respiratory viral infection." Mom began then.

"Can we talk about this some other time?" I asked quietly, glancing at Ian and his mom.

"I just need to make sure you're okay." Mom told me and then turned to look at Ian: "If he gets sick like that again, can you at least tell him to go to the school nurse?"

"Sick like that?" Ian looked like he had no idea what my mom was talking about. I could feel how my palms turned clammy and I started twiddling my rings nervously. 

"Like he was a couple of weeks ago." Dad explained. And I thought: I'm fucked. He's going to —

"Oh, right. Yeah, he was really sick. I'll make sure he'll see the school nurse, if that happens again." Ian said so plausibly even I almost believed the lie.

"Thank you, you're truly such a sweet boy." My mom said and smiled. 

Then we had our pizzas and I got a minute to breathe in between the interrogation. I glanced at Ian, surprisedly, and Ian looked back at me. His eyes held so many questions, yet he had lied for me. Why?

♡♡♡

Question of the day:
Who's your favorite fictional character?

(Me: I can't pick only one.. Loki (Marvel), Inan (The Children of Blood and Bone), Lucifer (Lucifer), Ben and Klaus (Umbrella Academy), Glenn (The Walking Dead) etc.)