Reno and Weisz

chapter 14: reno has an existential crisis

chapter 14: reno has an existential crisis

~reno~

       I scroll through the streaming program, trying to find something to watch. Nothing seems interesting enough to capture my attention throughout the whole movie or program, which only continues to leave me feeling extremely bored.

       The front door opens and closes. Dad walks into the living room where I'm lounging on the couch. He sighs. "You haven't moved from the spot all weekend."

       I look at Dad before looking back at the TV. "I've slept in my bed and I've gone to the bathroom."

       "That's not what I meant." Dad walks over and sits down beside me. He taps my leg, signalling me to take it off of the coffee table. "What's up, bud? Was the school dance not fun? You've been like this since you got home from it."

       "No, it was fun," I say. "Until the punch bowl got spiked and I got the blame for it."

       "What?"

       "Yeah. I would have gotten in trouble, probably, if Weisz didn't stand up for me since he was with me the whole time."

       "Why would you get the blame?" Dad asks. "Did they just assume it was you?"

       I shrug. "Apparently, a few people saw me spike the punch, even though I didn't. I don't know, Weisz says they probably thought it would have been funny to get me in trouble or they wanted to use me as a scapegoat since people already assume the worst out of me."

       "Reno, that is not okay," Dad says. "Do you need me to call the school?"

       I shake my head. "No, it's fine. Like I said, Weisz stood up for me. It just soiled my mood. It's the first school dance I actually worked up the courage to go to, and some assholes ruined it for me." I lean back into the couch. "Maybe I should change my appearance so people stop assuming the worst."

       Dad snorts. "Right, because that's the answer. If people judge you, you're the one who has to change. You like your look, Reno. You don't have to change it."

       I know Dad's right. I love my look. The only people whose opinion I care about loves my look. I shouldn't have to change who I am just because some people are judging me. I never really cared about what people thought of me, so I don't know why I'm so upset over the whole punch bowl situation.

       Maybe because people's thoughts don't affect me if I don't let it. But with people blaming me for spiking the punch bowl, I could have actually gotten in trouble. Given detention, suspended, expelled. I don't know what it could have been, but either way It's something that would have affected me.

       I can't wait until I'm out of high school so I won't have to deal with those stupid teenagers anymore.

       And it's stupid, because part of me still wants to change my look. Take out my piercings. Dye my hair back to it's natural colour. Blend in more.

       I've never even debated doing any of that before. "I think I'm having an existential crisis," I tell Dad.

       "Just do what I do whenever I have an existential crisis," Dad says. "Get another tattoo."

       "No, I'm fine with my one tattoo for now," I say.

       "Then get another piercing. Your piercings are like my tattoos."

       "Hmm... I have been wanting to get a septum piercing."

       Dad stands up from the couch. "Then let's go."

       "Right now?"

       "Yes, now. We need to get you off of the couch."

       I shake my head. "I need to mentally prepare myself for it."

       Dad snorts. "Reno, you got your snake bites piercings on a whim. No mentally preparing yourself for it. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't need to do it now."

       Dad, once again, is right. He knows me too well. Besides, what better way to get people to judge me even more by getting yet another piercing? I don't even know why I got judged so harshly just for having piercings. A lot of people have them. It's not like I'm starting a trend or something.

       So I get up from the couch so Dad can take me to get a septum piercing. It doesn't take it long to get it done and thankfully, it wasn't painful. It just felt a bit uncomfortable, but nothing I couldn't handle.

       Dad decided I should still stay out of the house for a bit after moping all weekend, so he takes me to Road Block to get something to eat. Some of his friends are here, so we join their table. Despite me only being a teenager and them being at least double my age, I never feel out of place being with them. They're like my family. My found aunts and uncles.

       They definitely have the family part down when they decide to tease me endlessly about my love life.

       "No, I still don't buy it," Joe says once I answered his question about whether or not I'm dating Weisz. "I'm constantly seeing you two around town together."

       "Hey, want to know a secret?" I ask. "There's this really cool thing called... Wait for it... Best friends. Wow, what a concept."

       "You can keep saying that," Ebony says. "But you do know that we're here all the time whenever you and your friend are working, right? We all see how you look at each other."

       "It's kind of weird how you're all at least thirty years old and you're obsessing over a sixteen year old's relationship," I say. "Don't you have anything better to do with your lives?"

       "Hey, respect your elders," Joe says.

       "Emphasis on elder," I mutter jokingly before drinking out of my milkshake.

       "They went to a school dance together," Dad says, which piques the interest of his friends.

       I glare at Dad. "We did not. I just so happened to go to the dance where he was. Besides, we didn't stay for long. We probably weren't even there for an hour."

       Dad furrowed his eyebrows. "I didn't know you left early. You still come home around midnight like you told me."

       "Because Weisz and I went to explore the town," I say. "I didn't want to stay after the whole punch thing and he didn't want me to leave alone."

       "What punch thing?" Ebony asks.

       I sigh. "Someone spiked the punch and then a few people lied and told the chaperone that they saw me do it. I almost got in trouble for it."

       Joe cracks his knuckles. "What are the names of these people?"

       "No, we're not doing anything," Dad says. "They're teenagers. They're stupid teenagers, but they're still teenagers."

       "Fine," Joe says. "But..." He points to me. "If anyone ever gives you any trouble, you let us know. We'll handle it."

       I smile softly. "I know."

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just wait until weisz sees that reno now has a septum piercing. he's gonna have a heart attack probably.

i also love reno's dad encouraging him getting another piercing lol. he's a cool dad.