in his head. I painted a portrait of a boy, a boy I seem very close with. In his head it’s simple addition.
“Thank you,” I say, maybe just to spite him.
“Are you getting paid for these?” Dad asks.
“No, Dad.”
“Well, we should talk to someone about that.” He starts to look around, but I have to stop him.
“No, Dad, it’s okay. This is a student show. No one’s getting paid.”
Mom snaps a few photos with her phone. “Well, this was just fantastic. These really are amazing, Ben.”
“Okay, now please, leave.”
“Benjamin, there’s no need to be rude, we came all this way.” Dad wraps an arm around Mom’s waist.
“Guys, I’m begging you. Listen—”
“Ah-ah.” Dad lets out a low chuckle and eyes Mom, but she isn’t laughing. “Now who’s misgendering someone?”
Un-fucking-believable.
And he’s just going to keep laughing in my face.
“That was one of the things we found, when you use the wrong words for someone,” Mom explains.
“Well, then maybe you understand how it isn’t a fucking joke?” I say just loud enough so they can still hear me.
Neither of them acknowledges it though. In fact, they start looking around at all the other students like they’re purposely ignoring me.
“You know, this really is a nice school,” Mom says. “Very modern.”
“Yeah, it’s perfect.” God, why won’t they just leave? “Now, please—”
“Oh, great,” Dad whispers under his breath.
Oh no.
Fuck me.
Hannah’s coming right for us, Thomas on her heels, and Nathan’s behind Thomas. A fucking conga line of disaster.
“Ben, I’m sorry, I—” Nathan tries to say, but he’s blocked out by Hannah.
“What are you two doing here?” Hannah doesn’t waste any time, getting right in Mom’s face.
“Hannah, listen—” I try to beg her to calm down. “Please don’t do this here.”
“Stay out of this, Ben,” she pushes back.
“Hannah, honey, come on.” Thomas takes Hannah by the shoulders and tries to lead her away, but it’s no use. “Let’s just go outside.”
“I’m going to ask you again.” She points a finger right at Dad’s face. “What are you two doing here?”
“We came to see Ben,” Mom says calmly.
“We wanted to support him,” Dad says.
This can’t be real, this can’t be happening. Not here, please God, not in the middle of the freaking school lobby.
“Oh, so now you can support them? After you kicked Ben out of the goddamn house?”
Not here, not here, not here.
I feel Nathan step closer, his arm wrapping around my shoulder. All I want to do is pull away, run out the door away from the place. But I can’t. I’m frozen where I stand, my stomach churning as that nauseated feeling takes over.
“Hannah Marie De Backer,” Dad tries to say, but Hannah isn’t having any of it.
“Do you understand what you’ve put Ben through, the panic attacks, the anxiety? You kicked out your own child, for god sakes.”
“This is none of your business,” Dad huffs. “We’ve realized our mistake, and we’re working to fix it. Ben’s even agreed to come back home after he graduates.”
Oh no.
Hannah turns on me. “What?”
This isn’t happening, this cannot be happening. “No, no, no, that’s not what I said!” Where did he even pull that from?
“We met up the other day and discussed him coming to stay with us once he’s done here. That way he can properly pursue a college education.” Dad keeps talking.
Hannah starts to laugh. “You met with them? After what they did?”
I have to wrestle my way out of Nathan’s grip, and it’s not until he’s let go that I realize he was basically the only reason I was still standing upright. “Hannah, please stop. I swear to you, I’m not going back there.” I stumble, nearly falling to the tile. “I never said I’d go back there.”
“Ben.” Dad actually looks surprised. “You said you’d come home after graduation.”
“They aren’t going anywhere,” Hannah says.
“Listen here, you little bitch—” Dad almost raises his hand. I can see the twitch of his wrist, stopping himself when he remembers we’re in public. He never hit Hannah. Never.
At least, as far as I knew …
But maybe he’s at his limit with both of us. Maybe this is proof enough. He’ll never change, neither of them will.
“I wasn’t serious.” I raise my voice without meaning to. “I said what I thought would get you off my back.”
“We thought that you’d be a little more understanding.” Dad’s getting louder with every word.
And suddenly, I’m hyperaware of everyone gathered around us. Like this is some kind of fucking fight in the hallway.
Mrs. Liu’s just standing there, staring at me, her face