just pretend

.02

I heard the door bell go off a minute ago and since then I've thrown on a nicer polo shirt and khakis.

When I walk downstairs Keanu's parents are there and surprisingly, so is a boy I assume to be Kaleo.

I've dated Keanu almost a year and I've never once met the kid. He looks exactly like Keanu. The same black curly hair, tan skin and brown eyes.

"Ah there's Andrew," Elijah Medero points out to me.

"Hey—" I make eye contact with my dad. Without him making a sound I know to straighten my posture. "Mr. And Mrs. Medero."

Before Elijah can correct me and continue to insist I call him by first name, my mother ushers everyone into the other room leaving my father and I.

Before I move to follow everyone my father stops me.

"Andrew."

"Yes?" I turn around.

He lowers his voice so that the others in the next room can't hear. "Elijah was saying that his son is quite rebellious and was hoping you would be a good influence to straighten his son out."

"I—uh what? I've never even met the kid and he goes to another school?"

"Your mother will have Mrs. Medero over for tea and I'll invite Elijah out to golf and things. We all seem to get along nicely so I hope for this to become more of a regular thing."

My dad is nearing 50 and now that he has his career and hobbies all figure out or he's retired from the ones that take up his whole schedule, like competitive racing, he's not got much friends. He met Keanu's dad from dropping me off at her tennis practice so many times.

"I don't have time to try and straighten out some delinquent teen, that's his parents job. They only have two kids, one of which is doing perfect, it shouldn't be that hard for them."

"Andrew. You will do it. They just think you will be a good influence. You and Keanu are so good together."

"Yeah well I'm dating her. I don't plan on dating him." I cross my arms clearly annoyed with what my father is asking me.

"Well you'll be hanging around this family a lot more and his parents are forcing him to come here as well."

He turns eighteen soon. I'm sure he'll run off. Which means I only have like six months or something having to deal with him.

Keanu describes him as a sarcastic asshole. Let's go find out.

I follow my father into the dining room where everyone is sat and all the food is already placed on the table.

Luckily for me the empty spot is next to Keanu. I quickly move to sit down and listen in on the the parents gossiping. Keanu talks to me but I only half listen. Leo, who is across the table from me, is dead silent. It's so blatantly obvious he is dreading this whole ordeal.

Later after dinner Keanu and I are sitting in the tv room where the huge tv is mounted on the wall and watching whatever cooking show is on. My parents are showing the Medero's the wine cellar down stairs. I can imagine my father is subtly trying to fit in somewhere all the trophies displayed on the shelves on the walls down there.

"I won this one in eighty eight against Freddie something—" I don't remember the guys name but he hates that Freddie guy.

Then Leo walks into the room and immediately rolls his eyes at the sight of Keanu cozied up next to me, her head nuzzled into my neck.

She lifts her head when she hears the footsteps.

"Leo. Come sit down."

"When are we leaving?" He ignores her.