Chapter 4

*Sunshine's point of view*

As we all eat our soup, Dally slightly touches my elbow and whispers at me.

'Who is this guy?'

I knew these questions would appear at some time.

'I met him at the bookstore, practiced my acting with him and then followed him to where he stopped to eat to apologize. And then you found him in the park. But he is a normal person, doesn't deserve our special attention or anything, he is not poor, very social, easy to annoy.' I answer to her and she remains quiet. She's cookin' something.

'No, Dal. I deny every single assumption of yours. I just met him.'

'I thought strangers weren't a problem to you.'

They aren't. I've always been the social type, no matter the person. Why would people ever be so different if there's no one there to discover what they're made of? I always try to be that someone.

'I hate you.' I say and that makes her giggle.

'What are you two gossiping about?' asks mom from the other side of the table.

Mom likes to talk. I guess I took that from her. And the hair, as everyone says.

'Josh, how he and Sunshine met and how she annoyed him with her acting.' Dal says pretty loud and now everyone is silent and paying attention at her.

I don't show when I'm embarassed, but I think Josh does even if he tries playing tough. There's no way to stop this.

'We're sorry, dear. Sunshine is doing this with all of us. Turns everything into a bothering drama. Such a shame you met her like this.' Mom feels happy to say to Josh.

I shake my head. I admit I promised I will stop but what they don't get is that I really like it. I love acting, pretending I'm not myself, trying to understand how to be the character, how to bring him to life out of a few sheets paper. It's art.

'Come on, she is not that bad. And it helps her, remember? Everything needs practice.' I hear Devon defending my cause.

He's the only one I can practice sarcasm and laughter with. He rarely gets angry, he'd rather laugh at me than get annoyed like everyone else. He doesn't buy my tragic lines.

'Yes, but she does it in excess.' Says dad. 'Whenever we have something to say, she is always there to make it all even more complicated with fancy words and.. unuseful explanations.'

Devon laughs, Dal just giggles and keeps moving her foot under the table.

'I really appreciate your honesty, we can definetly declare our tonight's guest officially disgusted by my dreadful lack of charm and control.' I say and smile as I hear Josh trying to hold a good laugh.

'Oh, enough about this. Let's hear something about you, man. How did my so kind sister find you?' My brother feels the need to say. Dal hits him in his stomach and he starts laughing.

Josh stays silent for a few moments, probably trying to decide what to say.

'Well, I had a fight with my sister and she said she doesn't want me to leave with her anymore. I got to the park just to take a walk and think, I guess, when Dally came to me.. and here I am.'

'But what about your parents, dear? I don't mean to be insolent by asking you this...'

Mom can be too curious sometimes. Why do I care anyway if he feels okay about it or not?

'It's okay, ma'am. My sister moved here after our mom died and my dad made her have me with her. I've been living with her since then.'

Mom doesn't say a word, but I'm sure she exchanges sad looks with dad, who maybe tries to seem unimpressed.

'We're sorry about your mom, Josh.' Dal is breaking the silence, and dad changes the subject to lighten up the atmosphere, as we serve the stake.

'Do you like doing something?'

He probably didn't expect this kind of question from dad.

'Um.. I like long walks. But I guess there's no job in this world that would only take a walk to do.'

'He also likes books.' I dare to say and Davon laughs. 'A very observative reader, I might say.'

We finish desert and Devon invites Josh in his gaming basement. Dal and I finish cleaning up the table, as mom and dad go to their room to drink their tea.

'He's nice.' My sister says, as a conclusion of the night. 'Very agreable, like you said. Everyone seems to like him.'

'Mom rather feels sorry for him, but I don't know about dad. I know that he doesn't really like this whole idea of you bringing home poor strangers, but I thought he'd be more nice tonight, especially that Josh is a person like everyone else and he's not poor, right? It's not like he had to dine with a rat. He could've been more sociable. We all could've been.'

'Now why do you even care, Sun? I guess he'll have to leave at his dad's tomorrow, and who knows where that is? He'll forget us and we'll forget him.'

I sigh. I do not care about this stranger. I'm starting to feel sick when I think about the fact that I actually wanted to met him more than to apologize. His voice amused me and made me curious. Was it really impossible for Dal to find a true homeless person, that would actually need us?

'I don't know.' It's all that I can answer before I open my walking stick and go down the stairs to the my brother's basement.

They're talking about their ages and hobbies, while playing something on the screen. I guess boys open up easier to other boys than to their families. I take a seat on an upper stair, where they can't see me.

'I haven't played anything in ages.' I hear Josh saying

'I can tell. You suck.' Here comes my brother's answer.

Devon marks a goal and gives Josh some indications about the buttons he has to press to do different things.

'What do you think about my family?'

I didn't see that question coming from Devon.

'They're fine. Obviously it's very kind of them to let Dal bring home poor people.'

'I didn't really think you'd start with my parents, but go ahead.'

I wanna slap Devon so hard.

'Who do you think I would've started with?' Says Josh amused.

And Josh too, because he plays stupid.

'My little sister, duh. She's beautiful, you have to admit.'

I'm gonna turn into a tomato and throw myself on Devon's shirt. I get up to leave, telling myself that I don't care about no stranger's opinion in my looks or whatever, nor my brother's hook up plans, but my feet stop and freeze when I hear him say with the most sincere voice I have ever heard.

'She's perfect.'

My brother friendly shakes hands with him, as if I'm gonna marry him tomorrow. My heart beats fast and I feel stupid. I run up the stairs and go into my room as fast as I can. I know what is happening with me but I won't let it grow. I'll drown every single hormone that I have if I have to. I play an audio book on my phone, even if a physical one would've kept me more concentrated, and lay in my bed. The door opens and I almost yell at who I think it's Devon because he is the only one who opens my door without knocking, but the voice makes me swallow my words.

'I don't think you should let him go.' Dal says, as if it was the only thing in the world that was concerning her.

'Geez, Dal. Calm down, we just met him. It was just a stupid coincidence that we met here. He'll leave tomorrow and..'

I'm being serious now. My rational part of the brain has finally woken up.

'He looks at you really nice, girl.'

'Who cares? I can't even see that. Imagine if he would've been really handsome and if I could've seen him.'

'The problem is that.. he really is.'

She leaves my room as her phone starts ringing. I would've explained this feeling to myself if I could've seen Josh and fell for his looks, but I can't and I haven't really spent time with him so that I could say he deserves my attention. I don't know what is wrong but I'm surely not going to stress out for something that is just in my head.

Still before I go to bed, Devon opens my door really silent.

'Good night from me and Josh, redhead.' He whispers and I bet he smirks.

'Uh-uh.' I yawn and turn off the lamp.