His Rotten Apple

14 ~ I Hate Broccoli and I Will Never Like it!

"Zailey Marisol Tsang! Michael just called... What happened to you?! How could you break our precious plates?!" Lilia yelled from the kitchen just as Zailey opened the front door.

    "Ugh. Long story... What's for dinner?" Zailey asks walking into the kitchen.

    "Fried chicken."

    "Yeeess! Where's papa?"

    "Out buying some new plates, thanks to you," Lilia said sarcastically.

    "Michael said he'd get us new ones."

    "I told him not to. Especially when he wasn't the one that broke them," she mad-dogged Zailey.

    "Well, I wasn't either," she whispered bitterly to herself.

    The dinner table was awkwardly quiet, as the only sound audible was the screeching sounds of utensils on plates. Zailey looked around and bit her lip, contemplating on whether or not to reveal her plans.

She struggled to predict her mother's response, especially considering the problematic past that had trailed Lilia for years. Dance was her passion and soul. Rekindling that side of Lilia might trigger the same pain that had taken her years to heal.

Frustrated, Zailey broke the painful silence, "I... I think I found a way to earn some money."

    Lilia squinted her eyes in suspicion, "Zai! If you committed a crime, I will-"

    "Geez, ma! Who do you think I am? I'm not a criminal... Well most of the time..."

    "Then?"

    "It's a dance... Competition," she iterated slowly, testing the waters for any sign of a dangerous reaction.

    Ron quickly glanced at Lilia, who shrunk back, as if an arrow went straight through her heart. Almost immediately, Zailey regretted saying anything.

    A few moments later, Lilia looked up and smiled, "Zai... I'm so happy for you!"

    "Ma..." Zailey uttered as she leaped to embrace her from behind, "I don't have to do it... If it hurts you too much, we can find another way."

    "Hey! Don't treat me as if I'm some fragile thing. I'm not like those plates you broke, Zai."

    Zailey chuckled hearing this, and hugged her tighter, "I'll be sure to remember that."

    "So, you went to Connor's house today to ask him to be your partner?" Lilia questioned Zailey.

    "Yeah, I just couldn't ask properly. He was a bit... Busy," Zailey took a bite of her vegetables.

    "But you don't even know if he can dance," Ron said.

    "I know... Which is why I wanted to discuss it with him," she answered before taking another mouthful of broccoli.

    "You sure it wasn't just because you missed him?" Macy nudged at her elbow, "You wanna keep living in his house, don't you? Don't worry, once you two marry-"

    "Macy! Why don't you zip your lips, and keep them shut. Forever," she aggressively stabbed broccoli with her fork, stuffing it into her mouth.

    Lilia and Ron looked at Zailey, before glancing at each other, with wide smiles that almost imitated rambunctious laughter.

    "Zai, dear..." Ron started, "I think we might need to take you to a doctor."

    "Yeah... We're concerned, you've been growing a bit insane lately," Lilia continued, "A little too crazy... About Connor, I mean."