Marta and Abigail look at me a little confused before heading off to the TV room to talk. I just let the sister of the gang leader that has been letting his boys beat the shit out of me come over and enjoy herself at my family's expense… I thought about my family. That feels odd but most are trying in some form or another and some better than others. I settle down and listen to the adults talk, the people my age talk and finally just sit and listen to everyone else talk amongst themselves until dinner is served. It's an assembly line of plates and food where everyone is waiting patiently for their turn in front of the buffet Mom and Rosa have put together. I don't wait in line and decide to simply wait till others have gone first. It doesn't take too terribly long thankfully and I'm lucky when I get to the front that I don't have to take a plate, Rosa already made me one. I get a smile from her and grab a fork and knife to sit down somewhere quiet. I settle in the dining room since nobody else is there and eat. Ham, mashed potatoes, buttered carrots and Spanish rice. It's wonderful and I enjoy almost half my plate when I get company as Marta and Abigail join me at the table. They both take seats across from me and continue their conversation about school and people we go to school with. I don't join in until I think one asked me a question but I didn't hear what was asked.
"Huh, I'm sorry I didn't catch that," I replied, finishing a bite of ham.
"I asked who you are dating," Marta asks and I almost laugh.
"I've been the whipping boy for your brother and his gang for three years, it doesn't make girls want to jump into a relationship with me," I state and she scoffs.
"Okay but you're a sweet guy… Guy," Marta actually laughs at her own joke," have you tried asking anyone?"
"Yeah, one time and that led to a month of me being someone else's bank account and funding her good times," I recall Jenna, not too difficult.
"Okay but what about other girls, I know Abby and I could probably find a girl or two who would go out with you," Marta offers and I shrug.
"It wouldn't matter if they did or not, long term I'm probably not going to be hanging around here like your brother and boyfriend. I am looking at being gone after this school year ends," it's mostly true, I have been planning to be out of the house this school year.
My words have Abigail and Marta quiet and looking to each other for something to counter my option of leaving. It's still there, the option but it's not as appealing as it was a couple months ago. I think about whether it's the actuality of being on my own or that for the first time in my life I can remember feeling something close to actual happiness. I continue eating because it's dinner time and I'm hungry, I know right… motivation. Abby and Marta talk among themselves and don't ask me any more questions, which is alright considering she's the sister of one of the people I'd leave to die. Okay leave to die is a bit much but… no I'd trip Carlos's ass and let zombies eat him. I get through dinner and a second helping and figure dessert should be in about an hour after everyone is done. It's what Mom used to do and about the time Rosa would bring me a plate while I was hiding in my room during previous gatherings. I allow Mom to introduce me to a few friends of the family and their children. I get told a few of their names and as they try to talk to me about things important to them like sports or popular music I find myself once again lacking in knowledge on the subjects. I don't make an ass out of myself by trying to talk out of it but I'm the oddest teen here and it shows a little more than usual. I've moved off by myself to a corner when I see Rosa wave me over and quickly head to see what she needs. I listen to her request and immediately say no but Rosa has this very nice way of basically saying 'please do this or I'll cry and never forgive you as you burn in someone else's hell'. I don't understand it either but I grab my small amount of equipment and set up as everyone else talks and watches the television. It takes me a little bit and I do a quiet sound check. I've done more than a few but doing it quietly is a challenge and mercifully nobody catches on to what I'm doing if they did see me as I turn everything on and begin to sing.
Silent night… Holy night… All is calm… Everything is bright… 'Round yon virgin… Mother and Child… Holy Infant so tender and mild…
That is about as far as I get when I notice that every room has cleared out and now the entire assembled family and guests are standing and staring as I continue with my first ever Christmas song. I thankfully know the whole song as it's one that doesn't need a freaking choir to back you up. I finish the song and I get applause, okay it's a foyer full of people and they're clapping but nothing went sideways on me so it's a good thing. Mom hugs me and I actually feel nice, warm and just a bit better than normal. I get everything unplugged and Mark helps me put the minor sound system away before Mr. Delauter has me meeting a few people from his firm. Mostly people at his level meaning the top tier of lawyers and I'm praised for my talent, it's a hobby honestly but I keep that to myself. I meet the Kincaid's, a nice black couple where the husband is the homebody and the wife informs me that I should consider eastern schools where there are solid art programs. There are the Goldstein's who are old, one of them is Jewish and both of them wonder if I can be paid to do a party, I get pulled out of that option quickly by Mr. D thank god. Finally I meet Mrs. Lawson and her son Clark, originally I thought he was her younger husband and as we talk a little both are giving me some freaking weird looks until Bethany pulls Clark aside to speak with him and I step away to refresh Mrs. Lawson's drink.
"Her late husband was one of the founding partners and she's never let his stake go but she's also kept a social calendar that allows us to meet clients with an ample ability to pay for the best legal teams in the state," Mr. Delauter says watching me make a drink for Mrs. Lawson," Where did you learn to do that?"
"For five years before you met my mother she was in bars about 6 nights a week at least, I was with her for three of those nights and the most sober person in the bar to watch me was the bartender. I paid attention and learned that it's just math. This is just gin, vodka, and Lillet Blanc with a twist of lemon," I state finishing the drink," fun fact the first time I made this I was grounded because I was using a sharp knife."
"Loretta grounded you for the knife," he asks, confused.
"That lasted about as long as a drink used to in her hands," I reply, returning to the party and handing Mrs. Lawson her drink.
"My word is there is nothing you aren't talented in," Mrs. Lawson asks me before taking a sip," Oh my lord what the hell is that."
"Vodka martini," I reply and see Clark giving me a sour look.
"Mother doesn't drink vodka martinis," Clark informs me as his mother laughs.
"Mother drinks them now, this is divine," Mrs. Lawson praises me and I smile a little but don't like being a bartender that much.
Bethany pulls me away from the group and I find myself walking with the black sheep in the family. I was the black sheep so I can understand the feeling. We get outside into the fresh cold air and she decides to begin.
"You're welcome for pulling Clark away," Beth says and I shrug.
"Okay but not sure I needed him away from me," I replied a little confused.
"He had mistletoe and you were the target," she tells me and I pause before coming to the relation," yeah your little song put you in a college guys crosshairs and if you drank he'd probably get you all sorts of ready for love."
"And you are finding this hilarious," I remark and she smiles.
"Only because you're finding out now and not tomorrow morning confused and sore, besides you aren't gay, more than one of my friends proved that," Beth comments and I keep my mouth shut," All is going according to plan."
"Plan? You have a plan," I ask skeptically and she nods.
"Yes it would be easy to make myself the villain in the story for hurting you publicly and you could have but you didn't. I don't understand why you never wanted revenge but you deserve a change and thanks to everything that happened after you were in the hospital I can go forward with my plan," Beth says and I give her a 'what' look," I was going to have a friend to two sleep with you, if they wanted to, and then have them spread around what a great partner you are in bed. Now they don't have to lie or anything like that but it still stands that when the cheerleaders are talking the rest of the females will listen."
"Okay so you paint me as a stud," I ask and Beth shakes her head.
"Not a stud, an uncut diamond. The female body of our school is going to see you as the potential saving story and only the best, actually the ones you want will be brought to you for test dates and I will guarantee that no more Jenna's will happen," Beth mentions her old acquaintance and I grimace.
"Well that sounds nice I guess," I like the idea but not the limelight of it.
"And as for Jenna, thanks to Lex and the apparently amazing job you did with her, she's going to make you better than a pretty black athlete in the girl's eyes. We're going to make her jealous and then you get to watch her pursue you and you can friendzone the bitch or fuck her silly if you like," Beth sounds giddy and a little evil right now.
"And you sound like a real villain here," I comment and she smiles.
"And you aren't, if I have the skills I'm going to do some good with them and that means you. It's not like you'd get any real satisfaction just sitting around and hoping people feel bad enough to apologize," Beth says and honestly she has a point.