TIFFIN

30

Hey everyone :) I thought New Rules by Dua lipa was perfect :)
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"H-hang on!" I felt my words break as I tried to figure out a way out of this. "I-I'm not decent!"

"Then you better be decent in ten seconds before I knock this door to the ground!" My father threatened. 

If I knew anything, it was I could take my father at his word. He didn't look very threatening from the outside but when someone caused one thing to be obtuse in his life, he was scary.

I swiveled around to face Hero, hoping he'd get the hint that this was indeed a dangerous situation. Compared to my father, Hero was not at all dangerous. 

"What?" Hero asked dismissively. 

"In case you haven't figured it out," I began, "My father is on the other side of this door."

"So?"

I huffed. "Maybe I'm not being clear enough: He. will. kill.you."

Hero surprised me by laughing out loud, no doubt alerting my father. 
"I'll take my chances."

I didn't find this amusing. I eyed my dorm feeling desperate.

"Oh- there has to be a window somewhere- Oh- hide under the bed! I'm sure there's room!"

Hero stared at me in disbelief. "Kristina... This isn't high school where we are fucking after prom. We're both adults. If your dad doesn't like me, he can get over it."

"But you don't under-"

We both looked towards the door as it vibrated as my father pounded on it even harder.

"I'M WARNING YOU NOW, KRISTINA!"

"You might want to open that," Hero said nonchalantly. "Seems like your dad is stuck on breaking down the door."

"So, you're not going to hide or anything?" I hissed. "You're just going to lay there?"

Hero shrugged. "What does it look like?"

Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes, I went to open the door. When I saw my father on the other end, he had his leg raised, as if he were prepared to kick at it. His mouth opened, prepared to say something, but when he saw who was behind me on my bed, he stormed past me. 

"Oh my god, dad! What are you doing?" I shrieked, rushing towards both him and Hero.

"No, stay back, Kristina!" My father ordered, blocking me with an arm. "You don't know what this... thing is capable of!"

"Sweety, no!" My mother screamed, staring at my father in horror. "Don't intimidate him! He could have a weapon on him!"

I couldn't believe what I was witnessing. My parents were blowing things way out of proportion. 

Looking at Hero from a distance, however, I did see why they were acting so heinously. He had forgotten his leather jacket, wearing a tight black shirt that revealed the tattoos littering both his arms and the tattoos that were on his torso. His piercings glistened in the light my room offered. 

I could already tell to them, he looked like the devil and I, the innocent angel. 

"You don't even know him!" I shouted, not caring what came out of my mouth. "He has a name, you know!"

"Like what, Vincent?" My father hissed as if Vincent was the worst he could call him. 

"No," Hero replied, "It is Hero, but I applaud you for making it at least original."

My father was now up in Hero's face, causing their noses to touch. 

"Don't you dare talk to me! What makes you think you can utter a word to me, like we're equals, while you lay with my daughter-!"

"Dad!" I screamed. "We haven't done anything like that! I promise. All we were doing was talking..."

My father turned to me with a disgusted look on his features, looking like I'd just grown three heads. 

"Why are you sticking up for this... This freak?" He spat. "What did we raise you for? Look at him! He's a disgrace, with holes in his face and graffiti on his body! College has changed you. Maybe it is time for you to be a normal child and get a job!"

"For your information," I retorted, "I am an adult and I am not going to do that! This is my dream to go through school and get an actual career! You can't take that from me!"

"I can and I will!"

"Look, man," Hero began looking my father in the eye, "trust me when I say this: all you're doing is screwing things up for her-"

"Don't you dare tell me how to raise my daughter!" My father said, getting even closer in Hero's space. 

"You know what?" Hero laughed, not at all phased by my father. "I'm going to leave. You all have your own shit to work out."

To my surprise, my father stepped aside to let him pass, though he still was simmering. My mother freaked out when Hero made it to the door, audibly squeaking and cowering behind her hands as he passed. 

When we were all alone, my father rounded on me once more, not easing up one bit. "I knew when we saw your previous roommate that we should have driven you back home. The start of tomorrow, we will be here signing the paperwork to get you resigned!"

I gasped, not prepared for how early he was planning on doing this.