Chapter 6: Dinner

We all go to the kitchen, where the table is already set up. I take a seat next to Raphael. Dad's sitting in front of me. Melissa and Scott come in with the food and places it in front of us.

Scott sits at the end of the table next to Raphael, and Melissa sits at the other end between dad and me. I take a look at Scott. He is fixing his empty plate, his uneven jaw tightly clench.

I knew that he wouldn't welcome us heartwarmingly, but I didn't expect him to be this much bitter about us. Just by himself, he is making melissa and dad uncomfortable. My brother is, like always, completely oblivious of the mood in the room.

The moment I smell the delicious food made by melissa, my muscle relaxes, and I sit less stiffly on my chair. Despite my impression that I was unconcerned by what was happening, I was nevertheless anxious about it.

In general, I don't care about what people could think about me, and I never had the need to be accepted in a particular social group except for my close relative and our long life friends, the Argent. So what I am living right now is my first experience of trying to fit in consciously.

Disregarding all manners, Raphael starts picking up food. A quick look at melissa tells me that she does not mind and finds it rather amusing.

The slightly tense atmosphere begins to relax, and everyone takes their portion while making small talk. Mostly about our moving and Melissa telling us about some activities we can do in town.

I made some effort to participate in the conversation even though I'm not that talkative of a person, unlike a certain teenager that only stares at his food and responds only with groans.

At first, Melissa seemed a little worried about how her son was reacting in the presence of her boyfriend and his kids, but now she is irritated about it, trying more and more to make him talk, every time to no avail.

I could see that it was affecting my father. He was giving worried looks to Melissa and was clutching his fork on the table.

She grabs his hand, indicating that she notices.

-Scott must be anxious about tomorrow. He practiced hard all summer to be chosen for the Lacross team.

At her words, Raphael perks up.

-You play Lacross? What's your position?

Scott looks up at his mom with the face of someone who is being thrown under a bus.

-Bench, but this year will be different. I'll make the team for sure!

He said those last words while staring at my brother and me as if he was challenging us to mock him.

-That's the spirit. I'll help you with your training if you want.

To his visible surprise, Raphael just beams a giant smile at him. He looks at me, and I give him an encouraging nod too.

-Well, I don't want to brag, but my brother and I were the co-captain of our old school.

Raphael was rubbing his nose, heads up.

-You were the only captain. Don't drag me into all this.

-What do you mean I was the only captain? All the team knew you were the captain in the shadow. The one that makes me light up in an even brighter light.

The cringe makes me want to disappear into the ground. If only I could merge in my shadow and go far away from him. I usually don't mind because our old team knew how chuunibyou he could be. However, doing his show in front of dad's girlfriend and her son is too much. At least wait for the third or fourth dinner before showing this side of you.

I look up, expecting both of them to be weirded out. To my surprise, Melissa only hid her smile behind her free hand, the other one still on my dad's, and Scott was looking at both of us with his mouth wide open in amazement.

-So you two were the monsters that completely destroyed our team in the finals last year?

I try remembering who was our opponents in the last game of the season. It was to no avail. I guess from the silence of my brother that he doesn't remember either.

-We didn't actually take the time to learn the names of the team we fought. After some time, it becomes the same in every game. So we stop caring.

Raphael nods at what I just said, and Scott looks at me again with his mouth open, but this time it's in bewilderment. He then snickers in annoyance.

-Yeah, I guess it happens when you get stronger than anyone else.

Raphael, closer to Scott, puts his hand on his shoulder.

-Don't worry, one day, You'll understand after we are done making you the third member of the generation of miracles.

We? wasn't "I" a minute ago? Why does he always drag me into his plan? And please stop with those titles.

-I think I'll need more than just training to be able to make it. But thank you.

He smiles at us. A shy smile, but a smile nonetheless. The first he did since I met him.

My brother proceed to talk about some games and the nice plays he made. As for me, I am doing small talks with Melissa. It is a lot of her asking questions about me and me answering her.

I learn that she is a nurse and she met my dad when he had to go to the hospital after a hunting accident. When he saw her, he could only gawk at her, and Christ had to tell her what had happened.

We kept talking way after we were done eating. Scott warmed up a bit toward us. Dad was happy about it until he spoke to him and was answered by a stone face Scott. He will have to make more effort to be accepted by him. From what I've seen, the young teen still has his father on his mind. It may be easier for us to accept the new partner of our dad because, for us, she takes a vacant place.

At the end of a conversation about melissa telling us of all the times Scott lost his inhalator, I couldn't resist anymore. I wanted to ask something from a while ago. I didn't want to ask before, afraid that it would be rude, but she doesn't seem to be someone that gets easily offended.

-Melissa, would it be okay if you give me the chicken recipe? I like to cook sometimes, and this one would be a delicious addition to my collection.

I feel and see Raphael and dad tense up. I knew it was rude to ask that. Did I mess up my request?

-Yes, of cou...

-NO!

The shouts of my family interrupt Melissa. I look at them and see their terrified expression. Probably not wanting her to feel obligated to say yes to my selfish demand.

-I don't mind giving the recipe.

Melissa looks alternatively at both of them, questions all over her face, while they are locking eyes with each other, sweating profusely. I can concede that my request could have been rude, but I didn't know it was to this extent. So I turn toward Melissa and lower my head slightly.

-I was wrong to ask you. I hope you can forgive me.

Melissa hesitate a few moments before answering me

-No... I mean, yes, I forgive you.

I am relieve that she doesn't keep hard feelings, and before anyone can add something, we hear loud cracking sounds outside. Scott and Melissa flinch and perk up, and by the time they get up, all the Rosé are running toward the front door.

Raphael was the first one outside and walked further on the porch, looking around for the source of the sound. Moving silently, we were spreading out, not wanting to scare the thing that made the sound but still wanting to catch it if it was still there.

After some moments, Raphael relaxes his body and starts to chuckle, and we all put our guard down.

Just when he was about to make a joke, something drops and hung from the roof just in front of him. His reflex makes him scream at a higher pitch than usual and punch at the dangling silhouette.

- Not my face! That's hurt, man

Scott, that was about to swing a baseball at the still unknown guy while screaming too, stops in his movement.

-Stiles? what the hell are you doing?

Stiles clenches his jaw. since he had just talked, Raph didn't break it.

-You weren't answering your phone. I didn't think you would have guests. You never have.

-And why didn't you knock at the door like any other normal human?

Melissa walks past my dad, that moved her behind him when Stiles fell. My family and I just look at each other. Knowing Stiles isn't a stranger was a good enough reason not to continue what my brother started earlier, so we just have to stand by for now.

-Oh! Hi Mrs. McCall! I didn't though you were here. I thought maybe Scott was asleep, so you know, just go in by his window would make sure he notices me instead of knocking until it wakes him up.

-You didn't notice the lights?

Stiles opens his mouth and looks at the illuminated windows that lead to the kitchen.

He then points to the other side of the house.

-Where I climbed up didn't have any lights on.

Melissa rolls her eyes and turns around, telling everybody she needs a drink. My father gives us a nod and returns with her. I walk in front of Stiles, introduce myself with the same simple "Alexander" I offered to Scott, grab his shoulder, and pull down.

I hold him by the shoulder, not letting him crash to the ground, and deposit him on the porch. I straighten his jacket, and he massages his shoulder.

-Dam, your grip hurts even more than his punches.

Raphael takes my place in front of Stiles and slams his hands on both his shoulders, ignoring the wincing of pain he gets as an answer.

-You're lucky I was surprised. If I took a stance, you would have more than a little bruise on your face, and you would probably have fallen down the roof. I'm Raphael Rosé, by the way, and this big talker is my brother, and just before was our Father, Stephane.

He then hugs the other adolescent and surprisingly gets his hug back.

-I prefer this kind of greeting, not gonna lie. If we can stick with it and not the "Making a piñata out of Stiles" one, I would appreciate it.

They laugh, and I make a little smile.

-I don't know. I'm not really the hugging type.

Stiles and Scott stop laughing and looks at me with worry. Raphael let go of him, laughing even more.

I extend my fist.

-I'm more of a fist-bump guy.

He breathes in relief and collides his fist with mine.

-You still didn't tell us what you're doing here.

-Oh yeah, my bad, I came to... Why do you have a bat?!

-To make a piñata Stiles if he doesn't answer my question.

-Noted... Well then, I know it's late, but you gotta hear this.

He glances at my brother and me and gives a questioning look at Scott. Feeling his hesitation, Raphael put his arm around Scott.

-You can tell us too. We won't snitch if it's what worries you. We wouldn't do that to our new brother.

With a large smile, he taps Scott's chest with his other hand.

-B...brothers?

-I'll tell you later.

-O... ok! So, I saw my dad leave 20 minutes ago. Dispatch called. They're bringing every officer from the Beacon Department and even state police.

-For what?

-Two joggers found a body in the woods.

Raphael looks at me with the same excitement in his eyes that Stiles have telling us this. We both know where this is going, and I'm pretty sure that invited or not, my brother will drag me with him to go too.

-A dead body?

-No, a body of water. Yes, dumb-ass, a dead body.

-You mean, like, murdered?

-Nobody knows yet. Just that it was a girl, probably in her 20s.

-Hold on, if they found the body, then what are they looking for?

-That's the best part...

He pauses for a short time, looking at our faces in expectation of our future reaction.

-... They only found half.

We are truly flabbergasted. Even I did not anticipate it.

-We're going.

-We are going too!

My brother confirms my earlier feeling, and we go inside to announce to my dad and Melissa that we are going out with Stiles for a bit. We found them on the couch, cuddling each other with a glass of wine in their hands.

At first, Melissa didn't want us to go due to the late hour, but my dad told us to go, that it would familiarize us a little with the town, but to not come back too late and to take care.

Melissa was frowning at him until he winked at her, making her blush. She did not refuse Scott to go anymore.

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2240 words

It took longer than expected to post it. I thought we needed action for once, so I added a fight scene. Without it, it was already 3000 and more words and 4600+ after, so I cut it in half and posted it both at the same time to not make a chapter too long.