An Uber pulled up at Mia’s house before Mia and Kevin came out, dressed in the clothes they wore prior, then it drove off.
Kevin had an unhappy expression as they stood by her lawn.
” Hey don’t look like that, you’re the one who didn’t want to risk timing out anywhere near here.” She said while holding back her laughter.
” Is that why you had me go through a car wash then.” Kevin shot her a sideways look.
Just thinking about that humiliating experience left him feeling as if it was his dignity that had been scrubbed off instead of the garbage muck.
” Well I wasn’t going to let you bring me back home smelling like that.” Mia laughed.
” Ok maybe it wasn’t as funny…” Mia said awkwardly realising he was still giving her a sideways look.
” I’m heading home, you better not tell anyone about this.” Kevin let out a helpless sigh then cracking some of his aching bones.
” You’re heading to bed this early?”
” What?” Kevin paused in his step, turning his head around to look at her.
” What’s that supposed to mean.”
” Well you kinda live alone so I….
Just forget I said anything.”
” Hold up, are you saying what I think you’re saying.” Kevin furrowed his brows.
” Umm would you look at the time, I better head inside before my parents get worried–”
“Hold on…
are you saying you actually feel sorry for me?”
Mia’s shoulders slumped down at having been found out.
” Well you don’t exactly make me think otherwise, I mean you live on your own in that big house.” She turned around and said.
” So that automatically makes me a lonely fuck?” Kevin squinted his eyes.
” Hey, your words, not mine.”
” Why you!” Kevin said, his eyes twitching.
” Anyways, good luck with whatever you have–”
” Mia, who’s your friend.” A voice said, drawing both their attention to her family’s front door.
They both saw Nolan walking up to them from the front door.
‘ No…
What’s he doing here.’ Mia sulked inwardly since he was the last person she wanted to be here right now.
” Well Dad, he was just leaving–” Mia tried to say but froze when her father walked past her to stand in front of Kevin.
Kevin’s throat suddenly felt dry as Nolan silently looked him over.
‘ Fxck!
Of all the people why did it have to be him!’ Kevin felt his heart beat accelerating seeing Nolan, no matter how much he tried to stay calm, beeds of sweat began emerging on his forehead.
Kevin suddenly noticed Mia behind Nolan mouthing something to him but due to the lack of sound and his poor reading skills, he barely understood what she was trying to say to him.
‘ Yeah, there’s really no need to be panicking right now.
Since this world’s a bit different, he might not be that type of man, I mean the guardians are still alive till this point aren’t they.’
‘ Let’s just remain calm and get through this.’
” It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir.” Kevin decided to take a chance and offered the man his right arm.
” My name’s Kevin, I’m a friend of your daughter’s.” He said with a forced smile.
Nolan’s face remained stern as he looked over his hand then at his face.
Staring the man eye to eye, Kevin’s heart beat began racing again.
” You…” Nolan began speaking, causing Kevin to feel nervous.
” You….have no idea how happy I am right now.” The man’s words suddenly took an unexpected turn as he grabbed Kevin’s arm and shook it firmly with a smile on his face.
” W-What?” Kevin’s minds struggled to grasp what was going on, moreover, when he saw Mia looking defeated behind Nolan, he was even more confused.
” It’s been awhile since my daughter brought a friend over.” Nolan said.
” Honestly I was beginning to worry she didn’t have any besides one.”
” Dad…
I don’t think he needed you to tell him that.” Mia walked over with a moody look on her face.
” Care to join us for dinner Kevin.”
” Dinner?” Kevin blinked his eyes.
‘ Wait, is he inviting me over?’
” No No No No No, He doesn’t want to, Dad, and for the record, Kevin here was just leaving.”
” So soon?” Nolan looked a bit disappointed.
” Yes!
He has something very important he needs to tend to back at home.”
” I do?” Kevin replied.
” Yes!
You do!” Mia yelled at him, angry he couldn’t take a hint.
The last thing she wanted was him spending time with her dad.
” You sure you can’t spare some time.” Nolan said, ” my wife’s a pretty good cook.” He added a smile.
” Don’t you think it’s getting late?” Mia stepped in-between them while looking Kevin in the eye.
” Umm…
Yeah but my home is not exactly that hard to get to.”
” Plus dinner sounds like a great idea, Thank you, Mr Grayson, It’d be my pleasure.” Kevin turned towards Nolan and said with a smile.
” Now that’s what I like to hear.” Nolan laughed a bit.
” Come, let’s head inside.”
Mia watched the both of them heading inside while talking along the way, seeing them seemingly happy together, her eyes couldn’t help but tremble.
” This can’t be happening….” She said to herself.
Just then, a Car pulled into the drive way before someone stepped out.
” Sweetie?
What are you doing out here?” Debby asked upon seeing her daughter staring blankly at her house.
” Oh, Mom you’re back.” Mia quickly snapped out of her thoughts.
” Is your Dad not home yet?” Debby asked.
” No…
He’s very much home.
In fact he’s making himself comfortable.” She said with a forced smile.
” Umm…
Ok?” Debby said, confused by her daughter’s reaction.
” Let me help you with that.” Mia took her mother’s back before she could speak, the both of them then headed inside.
” Umm…
What’s going on?” Debby became surprised when she saw her husband in the living room happily chatting with a stranger around her daughter’s age.
” Oh, sweetie you’re back.” Nolan turned his head towards her.
” Might I ask who this young man is.” Debby said.
” It’s wonderful to meet you, Mr’s Grayson, I’m Kevin.”
” He’s a friend of Mia’s.” Nolan said.
” A friend?” Debby blinked her eyes for a moment.
Seeing this, Kevin was stunned, wondering whether what Nolan said prior was actually true, did that girl really have trouble making friends?
” Kevin here would like to join us for dinner.” Nolan said with a light smile.
” Really?”
” If that’s ok with you, Mr’s Grayson.” Kevin said politely.
” I mean I don’t see why not.” Debby said.
” You two give me a moment to freshen up alright.” She said before heading upstairs.
” Sweetie, care to join us?” Nolan said to Mia who was standing there with a moody look on her face.
” No.” Mia said plainly before heading upstairs with her mother.
” Is she mad at me?” Kevin muttered..
” No, she’s probably mad at me…” Nolan said, letting out a helpless sigh.