Dan cleared his throat and walked down the stairs. He could feel a trickle of sweat flowing down his back and onto his buttcrack. He was nervous. As a grown man, he might have to act like a child in front of people his age.
Acting like he usually did would definitely be troublesome. He might even be labelled as a mentally ill person with a split personality disorder or something like that. It wasn't far-fetched to think that might happen.
The only saving grace in this situation was that Ian's personality was just as boring as his face and taste in decoration. Meaning, he was one of those kids with a word limit on their mouth and a huge potential to turn out as a shooter.
So, Dan wouldn't have to do a lot of talking and just portray himself as the quiet kid that Ian used to be.
"I got this. "Dan hyped himself up and quickly skipped through the steps of the wooden stairs. Ian's house was a double-storied, small wooden house with six rooms, four on top and the bottom floor. It was a nice family home but Dan liked it big. So, this house wasn't up to his standards.
But he had to suck it up and live here from now on.
As soon as Dan got down, a delicious aroma entered his nostrils. Dinner was going to be sumptuous. A silver lining to this depressing situation.
His eyes landed on a man and a woman sitting around a dinner table which had a couple of plates full of food laying on top. They were Ian's parents, Emma and John.
Dan approached the table keeping his face neutral like Ian always did. He sat down and looked left and right. The couple reacted to his presence with a stare. Dan felt uncomfortable but sat there waiting for food.
The mom scrutinized him for a few more seconds and said, "What were you doing in your room? Didn't you hear me calling? " She snapped but there wasn't much anger in her voice. How could there be when berating her only child? Ian was a loved child, the apple of his parent's eye.
Dan gulped and replied with a small voice, "I was sleeping. So, I did not hear you at first." Dan tried to mimic the way Ian talked, quiet and reserved even with his parents.
"Sleeping? What do you do at school to be so sleepy at home? Or is it that you stayed up late again? If I find you playing games late at night again then you can say goodbye to your laptop. " She went on a rant as some anger finally crept in her voice but her hands worked to put food on Dan's plate. Dan just nodded his head and waited for her to finish.
"Here eat. " She said and sat down back on her chair. She let out a long sigh and shook her head as if disappointed in Dan or rather Ian.
Dan didn't care about Emma's disappointment at her son and started eating. He almost inhaled the food as he was starving. The food was heavenly probably because he was hungry. Especially the vegetable dish which Ian's memory didn't have a name for.
Ian's mother being a cook played some part in it as well. She ran a small restaurant together with Dad. Their income wasn't much but it was enough to run the family of three. So, they could be considered a happy family.
"How was school today? " Ian's dad suddenly asked as he turned to Dan.
"Ah. The usual. Nothing special. "Dan replied in a quiet voice and ate faster. He had to finish the food and get back upstairs. It was getting too awkward for him.
The dad nodded and resumed eating. The silence was loud with only the sound of utensils striking each other echoing in the small kitchen.
Dan finally finished his food and quickly went upstairs like his butt was on fire.
He heaved a sigh of relief as he closed the door.
Sitting at a table with total strangers while eating food and acting like their son was hard. But all of this didn't feel totally foreign. Probably because Dan's and Ian's memories had merged together.
Dan shook his head and sat on the bed with a white bed sheet and white blanket.
"This kid's colour choice is just as boring. Dan again shook his head and laid down on the bed. He was exhausted after experiencing all of this bullshit. It wasn't something that should happen and he still questioned it whether it was real or not.
"It might not be. And it might all just be a dream. But such an elaborate dream was no different than reality, wasn't it? "
"Yes, it is. "A voice answered causing Dan to suddenly sit up on the bed.