infuriating (colby brock fanfiction)

chapter twenty-three

"hi, it's so nice to meet you! i'm kat." the way the sweet brunette flawlessly introduces herself to my mother astounds me. we are standing outside of the mcdonald's just around the corner from our apartment complex, and she is the only person i see. my sister introduces herself as a big fan of her and i blush at her blatant excitement. she's precious, but i wonder if she understands that these are my friends, not my idols.

"it's really cool to meet you," kat says to my sister, turning and motioning for us to follow her inside.

when the ac hits my legs, i regret wearing shorts. it's much colder than i realized it would be in here and i should've come more prepared.

"andro and andro's family?" sam stands up and smiles.

he shakes my mother's hand and i shift awkwardly back and fourth on my feet. tara finds a seat next to devyn, who doesn't speak to my family formally until we all sit down. i am on the left, my mother in the middle, and my sister on her right. this leaves the seat on my left empty and i pray that whoever shows up and finds themselves to it isn't someone who will embarrass me in front of my family. so far everything is going well. the judgment on my mothers face has yet to appear and my sister isn't being too creepy around sam.

everyone dissolves into their own conversations before i have a minute to think and everyone quickly orders food and i begin to wonder if anyone else is even coming. i am happy with it just being us.

"when can i meet colby? i want to meet him before i leave!" amara says when my mother leaves the table to order. i take a deep breath and resist the urge to shush her, as if me and colby are some big secret and everyone at this table doesn't already know how he humiliated me and made me feel stupid for having feelings for him. they know, they all know. but nobody, not even tara knows about this morning, and about how amelia showed up and colby didn't deny that they were touching each other just a few days ago.

"i don't know, amara. i don't know if he'll be around. i haven't talked to him-"

"who are we talking about?" as if the universe hasn't played with my emotions enough lately.

"you, actually," i respond and stand to give him a hug, being completely civil. i will not have a brawl with him in front of my poor sister. she thinks everything is sunshine and rainbows. i can't break it to her that her beloved colby brock touched amelia just a few days ago, while telling her directly that him and i were dating.

my heart feels stunned, like i'm incapable of processing seeing his face right now. i feel nothing. i just want to get tonight over with as painlessly as i can. i will not make a scene in front of my family.

"colby!" amara jumps up from her seat when she realizes who arrived in the midst of us talking about him.

"amara right? andromeda's sister?" he smiles down and gives her a quick hug.

"yes! it's so nice to meet you! are you treating my sister well? i hope so, i would hate to have to-"

"amara, stop," i warn her quietly and colby seems uncomfortable. i want to evaporate. my mother is still in my line of vision, ordering her and amara's food so i am not worried that she will hear, i am more worried that she will say too much that causes colby to lose his calm. or maybe i'm scared of losing my own calm, i can't really tell.

"it's nice to meet you too." he ignored everything else she said and for that i am thankful. can this be over already? why would they invite him to come knowing everything that's going on with us? he's going to meet my mother. god, he had to have known that he'd meet my mother. he's insane for coming even after the others probably warned him about my family's attendance.