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Strawberry Banana #13. In a Foul Mood with Chopped Nuts
Story : knights & necromancers ( High School AU)
Timeframe : Saturday morning
Word Count : 815
Rating : PG
“Drawing?” Parked in the open door to Kairn’s bedroom, Mrs. Cheva glared down her long, thin nose at Sethan as he scrambled to cram his pencils back into their case.
“Aren’t they lovely?” Mom all but sang, gesturing towards the board now propped against Kairn’s bed, and Kairn couldn’t help but groan. “You should see the one he did for me this morning. I think I’m going to frame it.”
Ignoring her, Mrs. Cheva drummed her fingers against her arm. “Don’t you have more important things you should be doing?” she asked Sethan.
“Mom, the art show is in three weeks.” He snapped the pencil case shut and stuffed it into his back pack, never giving her so much as a glance. “If I don’t get at least a few pieces-”
“And what about your school applications, how are you doing with those?” She hadn’t so much as glanced at him, but Kairn was scrunched in the corner of the bed, wondering whether he dared move or open his mouth and if the woman’s eyes really were capable of boring holes in the back of one’s head.
Sethan shrugged and zipped his bag shut. “I did one the other day.”
“One? I’m beginning to think I shouldn’t leave you unsupervised anymore.”
“Oh,” said Mom, smiling at her over the still naked bulb of the desk lamp she’d collected from the dresser. “He wasn’t unsupervised. We took good care of him.” She found the shade on the desk and started screwing it in place. “Seth’s been here for dinner almost every night, and helping Shasa with her math. He’s such a good kid.”
“Of course,” said Mrs. Cheva in that same dry, condescending tone Sethan was always so fond of using. “Thank you for your…hospitality, but we’d best be going. Sethan?”
The last of his art supplies stashed away, Sethan slung his bag over his shoulder and tucked the drawing board under his arm. “Yes, Mom,” he said, still not meeting her eye.
Kairn followed Sethan and his mother to the door. “So, tonight…?” he ventured, quietly, when he caught Sethan’s eye.
Sethan just made a sour face and shook his head. Kairn tried to force a smile as he held the door and ushered them through.
“Mom,” he called with a groan, once the door was safely shut behind them. “Why did you have to go and tell her he was here all week?”
Mom was rolling up the last of the sleeping bags from Shasa’s little campout in the living room. She gave him a puzzled look. “Well, he was,” she said. “You know, I really appreciate all the help he’s given Shasa. Did you see the quiz she brought home yesterday?”
Of course he had; she had it pinned up on the fridge like Shasa was four.
“Mom,” he said, opening said refrigerator door, with its proudly displayed B+ algebra quiz.
“He’s a good kid, what’s wrong with telling his mother that?”
“Nothing,” said Kairn, grabbing the jug of orange juice, “if his mom wasn’t a bitch.”
“Young man!” He didn’t need to turn around to see the look on her face; disappointment was perhaps his mother’s greatest weapon. “Watch your language and show some respect. I’m sure she’s not that bad.”
The need to show Sethan’s parents respect was not something she was about to sway him on. He opened a cabinet and found a glass, refusing to rise to her scoldings.
“She bugs his locker,” he said flatly, over the pouring of juice.
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard.”
“I know, I know.” What possessed him to even say it? “But he was flipping out about it the other day, and I thought it was crazy at the time, but she just, I mean she might.”
“Kairn.” When he returned to the fridge to put back the juice, she was leaning over the door and there was no room to escape that look now. “Whatever you think of Seth’s mother, I’m sure she doesn’t have his locker bugged. What good would that even do her?”
“I-it wouldn’t...I guess.” He closed the door and picked his cup up from the counter.
“Kairn?” He paused. “Hon, you and your friends haven’t… you haven’t been using drugs or anything, have you? Because you know you can talk to me if that’s what it is.”
“What?” Kairn spun around, barely keeping his drink from spilling out over his hand. He would have rolled his eyes, made some joke out of it all, but Mom was chewing her lip, looking at him like she really didn’t want to be thinking what she was thinking. “No! I mean, why would- No.” She sighed and offered him a bit of a smile, and Kairn shook his head. “I think I’m going to get back to studying. Maybe I’ll actually get somewhere now that I’m alone.”
Story : knights & necromancers ( High School AU)
Timeframe : Saturday morning
Word Count : 815
Rating : PG
“Drawing?” Parked in the open door to Kairn’s bedroom, Mrs. Cheva glared down her long, thin nose at Sethan as he scrambled to cram his pencils back into their case.
“Aren’t they lovely?” Mom all but sang, gesturing towards the board now propped against Kairn’s bed, and Kairn couldn’t help but groan. “You should see the one he did for me this morning. I think I’m going to frame it.”
Ignoring her, Mrs. Cheva drummed her fingers against her arm. “Don’t you have more important things you should be doing?” she asked Sethan.
“Mom, the art show is in three weeks.” He snapped the pencil case shut and stuffed it into his back pack, never giving her so much as a glance. “If I don’t get at least a few pieces-”
“And what about your school applications, how are you doing with those?” She hadn’t so much as glanced at him, but Kairn was scrunched in the corner of the bed, wondering whether he dared move or open his mouth and if the woman’s eyes really were capable of boring holes in the back of one’s head.
Sethan shrugged and zipped his bag shut. “I did one the other day.”
“One? I’m beginning to think I shouldn’t leave you unsupervised anymore.”
“Oh,” said Mom, smiling at her over the still naked bulb of the desk lamp she’d collected from the dresser. “He wasn’t unsupervised. We took good care of him.” She found the shade on the desk and started screwing it in place. “Seth’s been here for dinner almost every night, and helping Shasa with her math. He’s such a good kid.”
“Of course,” said Mrs. Cheva in that same dry, condescending tone Sethan was always so fond of using. “Thank you for your…hospitality, but we’d best be going. Sethan?”
The last of his art supplies stashed away, Sethan slung his bag over his shoulder and tucked the drawing board under his arm. “Yes, Mom,” he said, still not meeting her eye.
Kairn followed Sethan and his mother to the door. “So, tonight…?” he ventured, quietly, when he caught Sethan’s eye.
Sethan just made a sour face and shook his head. Kairn tried to force a smile as he held the door and ushered them through.
“Mom,” he called with a groan, once the door was safely shut behind them. “Why did you have to go and tell her he was here all week?”
Mom was rolling up the last of the sleeping bags from Shasa’s little campout in the living room. She gave him a puzzled look. “Well, he was,” she said. “You know, I really appreciate all the help he’s given Shasa. Did you see the quiz she brought home yesterday?”
Of course he had; she had it pinned up on the fridge like Shasa was four.
“Mom,” he said, opening said refrigerator door, with its proudly displayed B+ algebra quiz.
“He’s a good kid, what’s wrong with telling his mother that?”
“Nothing,” said Kairn, grabbing the jug of orange juice, “if his mom wasn’t a bitch.”
“Young man!” He didn’t need to turn around to see the look on her face; disappointment was perhaps his mother’s greatest weapon. “Watch your language and show some respect. I’m sure she’s not that bad.”
The need to show Sethan’s parents respect was not something she was about to sway him on. He opened a cabinet and found a glass, refusing to rise to her scoldings.
“She bugs his locker,” he said flatly, over the pouring of juice.
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard.”
“I know, I know.” What possessed him to even say it? “But he was flipping out about it the other day, and I thought it was crazy at the time, but she just, I mean she might.”
“Kairn.” When he returned to the fridge to put back the juice, she was leaning over the door and there was no room to escape that look now. “Whatever you think of Seth’s mother, I’m sure she doesn’t have his locker bugged. What good would that even do her?”
“I-it wouldn’t...I guess.” He closed the door and picked his cup up from the counter.
“Kairn?” He paused. “Hon, you and your friends haven’t… you haven’t been using drugs or anything, have you? Because you know you can talk to me if that’s what it is.”
“What?” Kairn spun around, barely keeping his drink from spilling out over his hand. He would have rolled his eyes, made some joke out of it all, but Mom was chewing her lip, looking at him like she really didn’t want to be thinking what she was thinking. “No! I mean, why would- No.” She sighed and offered him a bit of a smile, and Kairn shook his head. “I think I’m going to get back to studying. Maybe I’ll actually get somewhere now that I’m alone.”