SHOUT

Approval

|Chapter 76|Joshie|

"Then to balance the equation you want to-"

"Dinners ready you two," Mrs. Acker came to let us know. "Asen, can you tell Mikey? He said he was going to be in his room studying when he came home."

"Sure," he grabbed his work and went upstairs leaving Mrs. Acker and I in the living room.

Why has it gotten so awkward to be left alone with her?

"That reminds me!" She went over to her coat and grabbed a CD from the pocket. "Do you mind giving this to your mother? It's a cute little video I found of you and Asen when you were kids. I'm sure she will enjoy watching it as much as I did."

A video...it can't be...

"O-of course! I'll give it to her when I get home," I put the CD in my backpack.

Over my dead body. Mom will only tease me if she saw that video.

"Well let's get going, the food is getting cold," she hurried me into the kitchen and I heard Mikey and Asen come down the stairs following behind us.

Asen and I sat down next to each other and I could feel his parents staring at us.

"So Joshie, how long have you been dating my son?" Mr. Acker casually asked.

"Dad!" Asen hissed.

"What? I just want to know," he shrugged putting food into his mouth.

"It hasn't been that long...we just recently started dating," I uneasily answered.

Something tells me that saying we only started dating yesterday won't sound that great.

"Oh, and here I thought it has been a while," Mrs. Acker let out a light-hearted laugh.

"And what are your intentions with my son?" Mr. Acker continued.

Oh god, at this point the stress of trying to seem harmless is going to make me lose my appetite.

"Mom! Tell him to stop bothering Joshie," I heard Asen whisper to his mom. I assume he thought I didn't hear him.

"Dar-"

"You don't need to worry Mr. Acker. I have no ill intentions towards Asen," I grabbed Asen's hand under the table and watched his face turn red. "I promise to treat him right."

Mikey kicked me under the table right after those words left my mouth and I knew it was him because only he could reach me in that way. He wore a face that I assumed said something along the lines of 'Yeah right.'

"Is that so?" Mr. Acker smiled warmly.

I tried to ignore the aching pain on my shin, "Yup."

"Well then I'm glad you're the one he's dating," he continued to eat his food seeming content with the conversation we just had.

I felt Asen give my hand a squeeze and noticed he was smiling.

God, I'm so glad I confessed to him...though I wish Mikey would trust me a little more.

"Aw, you two really make me miss the feeling of young love," Mrs. Acker shook her head eating with a wide grin.

"Hey, our love can still be young! This man isn't that old, he has plenty of tricks he hasn't shown you," Mr. Acker teasingly responded to her.

"Oh?" She rose a brow at him.

"Gross," Mikey rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on Mikey, it's only a matter of time before you find someone too," his mother ruffled his hair.