Dinner isn’t exactly great…

Dinner was a strange affair. The whole time Ben was unsure what to do, what to say. His grandparents had died in a skiing accident when he was eight, so he didn’t have the best memory of who they were as people beyond warm, doting figures.

The actual meal itself wasn’t anything fancy, a simple casserole, but Ben’s mouth salivated at the sight of it. Francine served it up with a smile, the perfect image of a happy homemaker as they sat at the dinner table. Ben next to Suzy, Francine at the head of the table and to his left.

“So how did you two meet?”

Suzy was quick on the draw. “It was at the skatepark.”

Francine turned to look at him with a strained smile. “So you enjoy…skateboarding?” Her eyes went to the bruising on his face. “You can get awfully hurt doing that.”

“Yeah, I’ve got a few battle scars,” he replied, trying to play it off. He took a bite out of the casserole and quickly changed the subject. “This is a great meal, ma’am.”

Francine shot him a ten million megawatt smile. “Oh this? It’s just an old family recipe. I’ve tried to teach it to Suzy, but do you think this girl can cook?” She shook her head, laughing to herself. “Not a single domestic bone in her body.”

“I can cook,” Suzy interjected. “Mac and Cheese, scrambled eggs, toast, cereal…that’s all anyone needs. Besides, that’s what takeout is for. Life would suck without pizza.”

“Susan,” the older woman’s voice was hard. “What kind of home life do you expect to make when you can’t cook a proper meal? You can’t raise children on pizza.”

The girl clenched her hands around her knife and fork. Her face a mask of fury. “And who said I even want to have kids anyway? Just because you’re a Stepford Wife doesn’t mean I have to be.”

Ben had to admit Suzy’s words hurt. Was this really how she felt when she was eighteen? What could have changed her mind on raising a family? That of course sprang forth a thousand other questions, chief among them whether or not he was an unwanted child.

As mother and daughter bickered and Ben sank into the beginnings of an existential crisis, the front door opened and shut and a figure entered the dinning room.

The blonde girl looked an age with his mother, though dressed in her cheerleading outfit that clung to her figure, she struck Ben as more obviously feminine to Suzy’s tomboy. His mind slotted things into place. This was his Aunt Heather.

“Sorry I’m late Mom, but practice was an absolute nightm-” her eyes went wide when she saw a stranger sitting at her dinner table.

“Oh,” she said, “um. Hello?”

“Heather, dear, this young gentleman is Ben,” Francine introduced, “Suzy’s boyfriend.”

“Boy friend,” Heather repeated, looking from Ben to Suzy. “You mean, as in, a boy who is a friend, right?”

Suzy’s voice was tense. “No, he’s …my boyfriend. Like a boyfriend boyfriend. We’re dating.”

Heather looked at her non-identical twin for around twenty seconds before spitting out,“bullshit.”

“Heather, please mind your language,” Francine sighed. “It’s bad enough that I have one daughter who talks like a sailor...”

Eyes still locked on her sister, Heather pulled up a chair directly across from them. “So you’re telling me that this edgy dyke loser with her whole punk rock shtick found a guy to give her the time of day? Yeah, no. I call BS.” She turned to Ben, “How much is she paying you?”

Suzy had a look on her face. She was flushed with rage, her jaw clenched hard and mouth twisted into a snarl. It looked as if she were about to lunge across the table. But her eyes, Ben noted, glistened with unshed tears.

He found the sight unreasonably painful.

“You can believe whatever you like, but Suzy’s a great person.” Outrage filled his voice as a thousand memories from his life came to the surface. “The amount of times I’ve screwed up and she’s been there for me. When everyone else told me I was a loser, she always had my back. I’m lucky I have her in my corner, because Suzy is one of the kindest, most loyal people I’ve ever met and if you can’t see that Heather then you’re a fucking idiot.”

Stunned silence hung over the table. Heather recoiled like she had just received a roundhouse from Mike Tyson, and Suzy stared at him with open mouthed shock. Ben just slumped back into his seat, feeling his headache return and his heart pound in his chest.

Francine looked between them and nodded to herself. “Let’s, all just calm down.” She turned to Heather, “do you want me to get you a plate dear?”

That seemed to break the girl out of her stupor. She looked at Ben with eyes that burned full of demonic hatred and rage. “I’m not hungry.”

She pushed back her chair and stormed out of the room. Her footsteps thumped up the stairs before slamming her bedroom door shut. Francine rolled her eyes and went back to her food, occasionally giving Ben an odd look but otherwise remaining silent for the rest of the meal.

Eventually they finished up and Suzy grabbed Ben by his hand, practically dragging him out into the backyard. They settled themselves down on the porch, both quiet for a spell as the evening sky turned from orange to pink to purple.

It was awkward between them and Ben felt very tired. It had only been a few hours ago that he was in his room but it felt like it had been days. There wasn’t anything left in his emotional fuel tank. He was ready to lay down and let the universe take him.

“Look, I’m not good with words or feelings but,” a tiny smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, “thanks for sticking up for me. Heather is a massive bitch and my mom is always on my ass about how I need to shape up.” Her shoulders slumped, “ It gets a bit much, living in a house where everyone’s disappointed in you.”

Ben looked down at his hands for a long time and then at the girl sitting next to him. “I get it. More than you know.” He searched her blue eyes, hoping his sincerity would get through. “But what I said back there, that was all true. Forget them. You’re a great person Suzy, and you shouldn’t forget that.”

She seemed to be examining his face very closely and then without warning leant in and kissed him.