Chapter 2: STILL DON'T LIKE YOU

" Bye Kim, bye miss Dee, and sorry for the trouble again, hopefully my parents will find a better solution."

"Nonsense Jian, it is no trouble at all dropping you off, Nina would have done the same if it was my Kim besides, you two are best friends so stop your worrying."

She really meant what she said, but that did help stop Jian from feeling like a burden. kim's house was 10 blocks before you got his house meaning, they had to go all the way up the road to Jian's house and then back to theirs since Kim always insisted on tagging along for the ride." Thank you. I will be heading inside now. Drive back safely." He waited until they took off before he headed inside. This was the fourth time this week that his parents couldn't pick him up from school and he had to rely on Miss Dee to get home.

" Hi sweetie, how was school?" His mother ask while she busied herself in the kitchen. Jian grunted as a reply as he dropped his backpack and propped himself on the couch. He was not in the mood for the usual mandan small talk, he was tired and a bit angry with her. Nina appeared from the kitchen at his son's response. " And what is with the attitude young man" She stared intensely at him waiting for an answer. " is this about having Miss Kim pick you up from school and drop you home? We already talked about this, it's only for a while until either your father or I aren't that busy. He was still silent. " Hey am talking to you say something?" He was gonna stay silent but if she really wanted to know he was gonna tell her.

" Yes! that's what this attitude is all about. I have to trouble them every single day this week, all because you won't let me use the school bus lIke most." His mother was shocked

" Jian Bentley Wayne, I will not have you use that tone on me, and there is no way I am letting you take that awful unclean and overcrowded bus you could get sick or get an infection." Are you serious? was what Jian wanted to ask, but Nina was quick to shut him down, " I don't have time to deal with you right now, Ivo is coming over I am yet to get started on dinner."

"Again? wasn't he here last Friday." Jian unlike his parents, was yet to warm up to their neighbor. It's not that Ivo had done anything to offend him except for their first meeting, and Jian wasn't holding a grudge for that. He always found himself annoyed and irritable any time Ivo was around him and not knowing the reason for that happened made it even worse.

"Yes he was and he will be here a lot so get used to it," His mother said with a smile she was very fond of the young man but not as much as her husband. It's been a year since they met Ivor and it became a custom to invite him over for dinner or barbecue once a week or twice if he was free.

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" Hi, Nina looking lovely as always" Ivo placed a kiss on both her cheeks as the lady giggled in delight at his praises. Nina had insisted that Ivo call her by her first name since it made her feel less old. This wasn't that hard for she didn't look a day over thirty yet she was in her mid-forties. Matt stood and gave the young man a big hug, he really was glad to see him. Unlike Other Matt's buddies, who refused To play monopoly with him because he was too competitive, Ivo never backed down and always gave matt a run for his money. " Hope you are ready for tonight boy coz am bringing my A game." Ivo laughed at his words, the same words he said before he lost the game to him. " I can't wait to see what you got planned out for tonight."

Ivo looked around the room hoping to see a particular someone but to his dismay, his eyes found their way back to Matt. "Is Jian out tonight too?" The last time he was there for dinner, Jian had been at a friend's house for a sleepover so they didn't meet. "No, he is in his room sulking about something teenagers you know." Ivo did know, and he knew for a fact Jian wasn't a big fan of him or his company. "He really doesn't like me does he?" The answer was clear when Matt gave him a sad smile and a pat on the shoulder. " Don't think about it too much, he will get over it eventually he is usually not the type to hold grudges for long,"

Jian eventually joined them for dinner and like usual, choose to sit on the seat farthest from Ivo and maintained minimal eye contact. In most cases, Ivo would instantly ignore a child who acted like a brat, especially one who is in their teens, but with Jian, he felt the need to please him and fix what he did wrong if he even did anything to begin with. " Would you like to join us in a game of monopoly? It's going to be fun" He offered. Dinner was eaten in haste so the fun could begin early but Jian turned towards the stairs once he was done he wasn't planning on joining them. Ivo invited him crossing his fingers that he would take him up on the offer.

" Sorry I am sleepy and I got school tomorrow" Jian didn't even try to come up with a good lie. It was eight o'clock and he didn't look even a bit sleepy, not to mention that tomorrow was Saturday. "But tomorrow is...." "Good night everyone" Jian cut him short and before he could compose himself, Jian had already disappeared up the flights of stairs. " let him be, he has no idea what he is missing on," Mark spoke as he finished setting up the game. "Are you ready to admit defeat or do I have to drag you through the mad first?" " Let us see who will be drugging whom in the mad."