Roman Roommate

18 - Meet the Parents

"Evelyn!"

I smiled as my inevitable sister-in-law came forward to give me a death grip of a hug. "Hey Vee! How are you?"

"Totally fine! I miss coming down to Earth," she gushed before peeking behind me. "Oh, who's this?"

Jay smiled behind me. He was wearing a button down shirt and jeans but he still looked way too formal for just a simple family affair in my opinion. He made a big deal about first impression when I tried to talk him out of his outfit.

"This is my roommate Jay. Jay this is my inevitable sister-in-law, Avena. She's the daughter of-"

"Minerva," Jay answered holding out his hand for her to shake. Vee gave me a very excited look before taking and shaking the hand he presented.

"We just call her Athena here," Vee answered smoothly. "She's not too much of a fan of that name."

Jay nodded understanding. He shoved his hands back into his pockets feeling obviously uncomfortable. I looked around my parents' suburban home. I had grown up here and I smiled at some of the memories that came from the familiar surroundings. We didn't need to go to Olympus or Olympia Lane for this visit since it wasn't the month 'grandparents included' visit. My parents lived in New York City just in a different part than I did. It wasn't more than a twenty minute drive. This disappointed Jay more than I thought. He was really hoping to see the godly world he had only heard of.

"Come on Jay, you've got tons of people to meet." I grabbed his arm and pulled him along. Avena followed after us with an eager expression. I could tell she was enjoying our guests discomfort as much as I was. After all, now she was no longer the new girl anymore. There was finally someone else to pick on.

I walked into my parents' living room and spotted my brother sitting on the couch. Vee trotted over to him and snuggled into his side just a moment before he stood. He glared angrily at the newcomer that I was clearly attached to.

"Who's this?" Logan asked through his teeth. I smirked at his obvious protectiveness of his younger sister. I rolled my eyes at his tone though. I removed my hand from Jay's arm much to Logan's appreciation, and placed it on his shoulder which annoyed him further.

"This is my roommate," I introduced lowly. Logan narrowed his eyes and walked closer to Jay. He was practically nose to nose with him and breathing on his face. I pushed him away more forcefully than playfully.

"Calm down Logan," I commanded. "I just brought him along for dinner tonight. We aren't getting married tomorrow."

"But we could if you're offering," Jay added making the situation worse. I gave him a glare the same time my brother did.

"So Jay," I began. "If you haven't figured it out yet, this is my older brother: Logan. Logan, you need to calm down and be polite to my roommate, Jay."

"What kind of name is that?" Logan asked distastefully.

"It's a letter," Vee pointed out coming to my rescue. "I like it."

Jay smiled at her and she returned it. Logan noticed the whole exchange and walked back over to his girlfriend. He purposely put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as if staking his claim on his territory.

I only rolled my eyes again and leaned up to whisper, "It's okay to ignore him. I do."

Jay smiled over at me as my mother entered the room. She stopped short upon seeing the uninvited guest. I hadn't exactly mentioned that I was bringing my new roommate. My mother's hazel eyes that matched my own went wide and her face showed an expression of horror. Yet as quickly as it appeared on her face, it was gone.