No Good For You

XXXVIII

"Well, I can still see it. Just not the same color you'd see it in."
"So...grass and trees are always brown to you?" I asked.
"Yes, and everyone's like look at all the red leaves during autumn and I'm like...they're still brown I don't understand..."
I snickered.

We were walking around hand in hand as we ate little snacks we'd gotten from different stands. Jack had finally gotten American currency and couldn't stop spending it.

"Jack..."
"Leila..."
"How much of your art have you sold?"
"Perhaps between 250 and 300 works."
"Really?!"
"Yea." he chuckled.
"That's amazing."
"Thank you but that's over the span of the 8 years I've been doing it." he explained.
"You've only been painting for eight years?"
"Well, no. I've been painting since I was a child but I was 16 or 17 when I started selling pieces."
"Oh so you've been talented since birth."
He snickered. "My stick figures would disagree but it's a learning process."
"Well you're great at it."
"Thank you."
"Mhm."

"What about you?" he asked.
"Hm?"
"Do you have any hobbies? Anything you really enjoy doing?"
"Um...I'm not sure."
"Sorry?"
"It's just...I haven't really done anything. I don't know what I'm good at. What I enjoy. I just kind of...walk around I guess."
"Well then you look and see."
"What do you mean?"
"Try out different things and see what sticks with you. I'm sure there's something you're going to love."
"Maybe. But I wouldn't know where to start."
"Have you considered art?"
"I can't draw." I snickered.
"Can you dance?"
"That depends..."
"On?"
"I can ball dance."

There was that one time a few years ago that I was the young girlfriend of an old rich drug addict and he used to make us go to a lot of ball dances and dinner parties. His kinks were also being degraded by women  out of his league and only being used for his money so you can imagine the fun times I had.

"Really? I have two left feet so I think that's very impressive."
"I can teach you." I smiled at him.
"I don't know. I mean, I'm really bad. Absolutely poor balance." he chuckled.
"I like a challenge."

...

I sent a text to B asking if Jack could join for dinner. It took a bit of convincing but he accepted, all I did was mention how he let Riot bring Megan so it's a tad bit sexist for him to not let me bring Jack. Is it sexist? No. Did it work? Yes.

We arrived back at the house and I had to give Jack a pep talk beforehand as we got out of the car.

"Do not ask about their names." I stated.
"What are their names?"
"Uhh...The one with light blue hair is Psycho."
"Sorry?" he said and looked confused.
"Shhhh. The one with brown hair and all of the tattoos on his hands and neck is Riot."
"I'm a bit skeptical about this all of a sudden. Are they wrestlers?" he asked and I snickered.
"No. And the one without tattoos because he doesn't like needles is B."
"That's the one who held me at gunpoint, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Scared of needles but not pistols, that's fine. Quite normal."
I laughed at him. "I made him promise to not pull a gun out on you this time and he said he wouldn't."
"Oh how kind of him. Remarkable man."
I laughed some more then pulled him towards the door.

I unlocked it and we walked in.

"I'm baaackk..." I stated.
Riot and...Megan...came out of the living room.

"Joshua." Riot called.
"Jack, but hello." Jack corrected.
"That's what I said." Riot argued.
"Hi, I'm Megan!" Megan greeted and held out her hand.
"It's nice to meet you."
"Yea, you too. I see why Leila likes you so much. You're cute." she smiled.
"Uh...Thank you." Jack nodded and took his hand back.

The elevator opened and B and Psycho came out.

"Hey." B greeted Jack.
"Hello."
B looked at me. "Did you have a good time?"
"I did, yes." I smiled.
He looked back at Jack. "Good."

"Dinner is prepared." Malcolm stated when he came out of the kitchen.

We all followed in.

B sat at the head.
Riot sat across from Jack. Megan across from me. Psycho next to Jack because he hates Megan. He thinks she's too loud and hyper. He hates loud things. His brothers make it a habit to not yell at him.

Our food was served.

"You eat this?" B asked Jack as he started to eat.
"Uh, Yea, I mean, food is food."
"I don't know what they don't let you people eat over there. Ain't cows sacred?"
"Uh...N-No??? That's a religion. I'm British but I'm not religious. We eat whatever we want."
"Hm." B nodded.

"You people really follow the rules of some old lady?" Riot asked. He sat with his arms crossed as he glared at Jack.
"Well..." Jack began.
"I don't think he came here for you guys to keep asking about where he's from." I stated.
"Just tryin' to learn some new shit." Riot shrugged.
"It's fine, really. I think my family would have similar questions for you all if you met them." Jack responded.
"Like what?" Megan asked.
"Oh, I don't know specifically. It was just a hypothesis."
"A what?" Riot asked.
Jack looked at him. "An assumption."
"Oh."

We all focused back on eating.

"This is very good. My compliments to your chef." Jack stated.
Megan giggled. "You talk so smart."
"...Thank you."

"Jack, you ever been arrested?" B asked and looked at him as he took a bite.
"No...?"
"Mm."

"You should try the asparagus." I whispered to Jack.
"Should I?" he said back quietly.
"Yea, it's the one thing you haven't touched but it's very good."
"I've seen this somewhere animated. I've never had it before."
"In the little cartoon show? I've seen it too."
"Have you? Terrible experience. I didn't eat vegetables for an entire year. Thought I was eating little people."
"Aww, when you were little?"
"No, like last year."
I laughed quietly at him.

He took it with his fork and had a bite.
"Is it good?" I asked.
"Yes, are you proud of yourself?" he smiled.
"Quite a bit." I snickered.

I looked back at my plate and took a bite before looking up.
Riot was already looking at me but when I looked back at him he looked away then back at his plate and ate.

"You two are so cute." Megan smiled.

She looked at me and squinted a bit. I flipped her off.