VOXISTALE: Novel Edition

Chapter 61

"—Use substitution by noticing the first equation can be rewritten as y=13−3x and substituting it into the second equation . . ." Gregory muttered underneath his breath, biting the eraser of his pencil for a moment, before stooping over and beginning to write on a slip of paper before him full of algebraic equations. This wasn't homework, nor schoolwork. He'd already finished all that he could on that. Besides, he didn't have an algebra class this year. This work was simply to pass the time. He was bored out of his mind being cooped up in his room since his grounding, but it would end soon, and he'd be hanging out with his friends once again.

So he continued, writing down equations and solving them for his own entertainment, before he paused, realizing he'd eaten his eraser. A sudden knock at his door made him jump, and he practically threw his pencil across the room. "Yeah!?" he called through the door, diving under his bed to collect his pencil.

"Gregory, come outside. There's someone here to see you," his mother's voice came in, and Greg stood up, dropping the pencil he'd just collected, feeling his blood run cold.

His immediate thought was that it was the Messiah, finally staying true to their word. However, when he cautiously left his room and turned to see the front door where his mother was standing, the doorway open, he felt relief wash over him. "Dad!" he yelled, racing forward and throwing his arms around his father.

Karen Beatrice, Gregory's mother, looked a lot like him. Or vice versa, more accurately. She was short, thin, and seedy-looking with thick glasses and mousy dark brown hair that extended over her shoulders. Daniel Favian, Gregory's father, was very tall, and very well-built, with long windswept dirty blonde hair that usually hung stylishly in his eyes. He had strong, angled features, and typically wore button-up shirts with the top button open, revealing a bit of his hairy chest—nothing like his son. "Hey, little dude!" Daniel grinned down at his son, before looking up at his ex-wife. "Dunno what you mean, he looks perfectly fine to me."

"Just have your day together and bring him back before nightfall," Karen replied with a roll of her eyes, and slammed the door.

"Please take me far from this prison." Gregory groaned to his father, who chuckled.

"Can do, little man. Sissy is in the car waiting for us, so let's go."

The two approached Daniel's car, a sleek-looking black Mustang with a silver cobra above each license plate. In the backseat, Gregory could see his little sister, Lisa. In the divorce, his mother had gotten custody of Greg, while his father had gotten custody of Lisa. There were often times when Gregory wished that both him and his sister had been placed in the care of their father. His mother wasn't the greatest caretaker. He couldn't remember the last time she'd made a genuine effort to bond with him.

"Say hey to big bro," Daniel told Lisa as he opened the driver's side door, while Greg got in the passenger's side— he never got to ride up front with his mom; that spot was usually reserved for her "boyfriend of the week".

"Bubba!" Lisa smiled brightly at him as he got in. Unlike both their parents, she had light blonde hair, and hers was thick and a little poofy. While Gregor's eyes were purple, his mother's the same, and his father's hazel, Lisa sported bright blue eyes, very large and wide as she stared at her older brother, who smiled back. "Hey sissy," he greeted, and she giggled at him.

Despite the fact that Lisa and Gregory didn't spend as much time together as the average siblings, they were still close. Every time the two were reunited, Greg could see Lisa's eyes light up with excitement to spend a day with her big bro. It was nice to feel loved.

"Alright. Where to?" Daniel asked, his signature grin plastered onto his face as he looked over at his son. "Minerva's Garden? I know you love their sushi rolls. Maybe we could go to the pool before they close? It's a nice day out, after all. Or . . . how about we cruise around town and pick up some hot chicks."