AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I have to share a room withthem? How is that okay? Are they even a boy?” He sneers, glaring at my outfit.
“Theodore, that’s rude. It’s not okay to talk like that,” Ben scolds him.
It doesn’t surprise me, but I was really hoping he wouldn’t be an asshole. I glance down at the sequin rainbow shirt I’m wearing, running my fingers over the embroidered cloud. “I’m nonbinary,” I interrupt Ben. “And I’m sure we can figure it out, at least until my room is ready.”
I don’t know what I did to piss Theo off, other than existing. His dad seems like a nice guy and Mom likes him. Maybe we just need a better chance to get to know each other.
Chapter One
Theo
Itoss my bag on my twin bed and glance around the room. It’s not much to look at. A single bed, built-in closet that barely has room for my dresser, a small window that lets the sun shine on my old desk. My wrestling trophies, sitting on the shelf. Four years and it still looks the same. Dad never bothered to redecorate, and Selene refused to, insisting it be ready for me when I finished college. Guess I have her to thank for not turning my room into an office or something. Not that that makes it any easier.
Four years of freedom living in the dorms during college and, just like that, I’m back home in my old high school room. At least it’s all temporary. All I have to do is get a job and save up enough money to rent an apartment. It won’t be long before I’m out of here again.
Music blares through the wall along with Cypress’s off-pitch humming.God, I don’t miss that. What I wouldn’t give to not have to put up with thegolden child.Our parents got married a few short months after they moved in when I was seventeen, and ever since I’ve had to put up with the comparisons. Cypress got an ‘A’ on their math test. Cypress volunteers at the local soup kitchen, cooking for the homeless. Cypress never sneaks in late from partying.Blah, blah, blah.What a kiss ass.
I toss myself on the bed and kick off my shoes. My phone chimes with a new message, and I glance at the screen.
Eric:You back in town yet? Want to catch up? We could go for a beer.
Just got home. I’m supposed to have dinner with the family tonight, but I can meet up later. Around seven?
Speaking of the family, I didn’t run into anyone on my way in. Dad’s probably still at work, and who knows where Selene is. I grab the remote, turn the TV on, and scroll through my options, but nothing is catching my attention. Maybe I should just take a nap instead. I am a little tired from driving most of the day. A show I’ve seen before catches my eye, and I settle in on mybed, letting it play in the background. Just as I’m about to drift off, Cy’s singing gets louder. Ugh, I haven’t even been home for a whole day, and they’re already ruining it for me. I throw my pillow at the wall, but it hits with a dull thud, barely loud enough for me to hear. My hand goes for the remote, turning up the show to drown out Cy.
I glance at my phone to check the time. Dad usually gets off work at four. It’ll take him roughly twenty minutes to drive home. I’m still holding my phone when a new message pops up.
Mom:Did you make it to your dad’s yet? Hope the drive wasn’t too terrible.
I type out a quick response, hoping it will be enough.
I’m here. The drive wasn’t too bad, but it was still long. I’ll talk to you soon.
I turn the volume on the TV higher, but it’s still not enough. My mind jumps around to different thoughts as I watch the show. I’m already thinking about where to apply for a job. It’ll be nice to catch up with some of my friends from high school. It’s hard to believe it’s been four years already.
Someone knocks on my door, but I try to ignore it. The knocking comes again and with a groan, I go to answer the door. Selene is there wearing a messy apron over her jeans and T-shirt. Great, if she’s been cooking, the food is probably disgusting.
“Hey Theo, you must have sneaked right past me while I was in the kitchen. I can’t believe you’re all finished with college and living with us again.” She smiles as she goes on about something, but I’m not really paying attention. “Well, dinner is about ready. Your dad got held up in traffic, so we’re just waiting for him to get back. Why don’t you come downstairs, and we’ll get started setting everything up, so it’s ready when he gets here?”
I roll my eyes behind my stepmom’s back, but I still follow her downstairs. It’s not that I think Selene is a bad person, but having a stepmom was never something I wanted. I was seventeen when they got married. And besides, I have a mom. She might have moved away after she and my dad divorced, but we still keep in contact. She even helped pay for my schooling and set it up so I could use her address to avoid out-of-state fees. I considered moving in with her after graduation, but it just didn’t feel like home. Phillyis where I grew up. I don’t know if I’ll want to stay here forever, but for right now it’ll do.
My eyes meet Cy’s as I step off the last stair. They must have come down earlier. I didn’t even notice when they stopped singing. Cy flips their long brown hair over their shoulder, looking down their nose at me before they turn and head for the dining room. Most of the time we don’t talk, but I can already tell Cy is about as happy about me being back home as I am.Joy.
I take a seat on one side of our little square table, and Cy follows their mom to the kitchen. Faint talking drifts from the other room, but I ignore it and pull out my phone again. Right until the front door closes. I can’t see it from where I’m sitting, but I don’t have to wait long before my father walks in the room. He glances at me for a moment before looking towards the kitchen. “Welcome home, Theo. Where’s—” He cuts off as Selene and Cypress walk in holding the food.
“Did you have a nice day at work, sweetie?” she asks, taking a step closer to my dad and giving him a quick kiss.
I ignore the back-and-forth chatter as Dad talks about his day. Cy and Selene set the food on the table, and I lookup from the game I’m playing to check if it’s worth eating. Maybe I’ll be better off getting a bite to eat with Eric later.
“The meatloaf smells great, dear.” Dad takes his seat on my right, with Selene on my left. Cy sits across from me, completing the square.
“Thanks, Cy helped,” Selene says, putting her hand on their shoulder.
“Can you put the phone away at the table, Theo?” Dad asks. “Come on, you must have some stories to tell from school.”
All eyes turn to me. I help myself to a slice of meatloaf, adding mashed potatoes to my plate to drag out the moment while I think of something to say. Maybe I should just keep quiet. Act like I didn’t hear anything to begin with. “It was school.” I shrug. “There were classrooms, a library, the usual shit.”
“Watch your language, son.” Selene looks at me.
