Warning** A Bit of Offensive language

When I get downstairs, I go into the dining room, if the dinner table was standing height wise it would be a little over 7 feet tall. Anyways when you enter the dining room, the dinner table is showing it’s width, my mom is sitting at the far right end, and my dad on the far left end. With 2 other chairs in the sides, we have 4 other chairs for the table, but we put them on either side of the doorway to the living room since they’re empty. Because my brother is at college, and the other chairs aren’t used unless we have company.

My sisters in the chair directly in front of me, so I go to the chair on the other side.

We’re having chicken, roasted vegetables, and white rice, with a strawberry salad on the side.

My father just finished discussing how his day went, when I hear him ask, in his deep baritone voice.

“And how was your day Deja.” He calls my mother, her middle name for some lame reason, I think he said, because everyone calls her, her first name, and saying her middle name is a special thing between them.

“It was good, I’ve just taken on a case defending this startup coffee company against some of their investors. It’s a simple case really, the investors are just getting greedy, they probably only invested in the business as a way to pass time. They didn’t think the business would take off as well as it did, and they wanted to change their contracts, and the company heads refused.” My mothers says calmly, but with a slight twinkle in her eye, because she loves what she does.

“Oh, guess who the lawyer is for the investors.” My mother says with a slight smirk.

“Who?” My father who is a man of few words, asks.

“Devon Ross.” My mother says, before taking a sip of her red wine.

“Augh that fag.” My father states with a sudden look of distaste and anger. “What’s he doing working in corporate law, shouldn’t he be in environmental court or some shit.”

“He’s surprisingly quite good at what he does, for a fruit-loop anyways.” My mother says with her head held high.

My father has always hated Devon Ross, they use to be High School friends along with my dad's twin sister, until he came out, and confessed his love to my father. It didn’t end well, they were the only 2 black boys in a mostly white high school, sure they were a couple oriental, and mexican kids here and there, but Devon and my father, stuck out like sore thumbs, and they bonded over that.

My father has hated that man since. And that’s all I know, no one in the family has ever had the balls to ask for my information, not even my mother. We don’t even know if the reason my dad stopped talking to Devon was, because he was gay or not.

Eventually my father calms down, and starts to read his paper again, and eat.

“How was your day Raven?” My mother asks.

“Fine.” I say.

My mother raises one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows and say’s in her usual cool collected slightly arrogant voice, “Fine? Do you care to elaborate further, or is that all were getting out of you today?”

I’m pissed, but I won’t let her see, I straighten my back a bit more and calmly reply while staring back at her, “Why do you care what I have to say, when you’ve already made it perfectly clear my opinion doesn’t matter?”

“Your opinion matters, but while you live under mine and your fathers roof, you will obey by our rules.” My mother says authoritatively.

My father just kept eating, and reading the news paper.

Probably silently listening in on the whole conversation silently passing judgment or some shit, he’s always aware of his surroundings.

I know how he looks like one of those fathers that doesn't care about his kids, and is completely unaware of whats going on in their lives, but believe me, until I started trying to sneak out to go to parties, I realized my dad is actually aware of his surroundings, he’s just so damn quiet, and keeps to himself you’d think he wasn’t aware. Don’t get me wrong I know he cares, he’s just not very expressive.

I’ve tried to go to at least 14 parties without permission, my dad has caught me sneaking out every damn time, then again he does own a security company, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.

“Oh honestly, Raven when are you going to stop pouting and acting like a child, and grow up?” My mother says, without making a single facial expression other than stoic, she’s cold, intimidating and calculative, and every bit of an analysts as my father except she shows it, unlike him.

“Oh I don’t know maybe when I’m in finally in Julliard, or maybe never,” I bluntly say, while keeping direct eye contact with my mother.

Which finally cause her to react, and she’s starting to show her annoyance.

My father breaks our stare down, by asking my sister how her day went.

“Emma how was your day, Sweetie?”

Emma’s the apple of my parents eyes, and I’m not jealous if anything I feel bad for her, I may not care about other people problems, like at all, but she’s my kid sister so I care a bit, I’m not a fucking robot after all.

“It was great, my robotics club has started coming up with some new ideas...” Emma says precise and confidently. And she starts to go on and on about all that, with my parents exchanging words and giving their opinion here and there.

When I’m done with dinner I get up and leave, “Aren't you going to ask to be excused?” My mother says authoritatively.

With my back already to her I just leave with a bored expression on my face, with her calling my name behind me. And my father telling her to just leave me be.

I go up stairs and start to do my stupid homework, while playing music.

When I’m done, I try looking up Artemis on Twitter, Instagram, Snap-chat Facebook, I even checked on Myspace and Tumblr, and nothing. I tried typing her name in different orders, and used her nickname Jay, and nothing. The fact that I’m even looking her up is frustrating in itself, but the fact that I can’t even find her is pissing me off.

I resorted to just googling her name, and on the first link, I see her. She in an image in the back of this book, the photos strangely small and in black and white, and it’s honestly kind of difficult to tell if it’s her or not, but I know it’s her.

As my cheeks start to heat up I click the linked website, it’s about books and info about the authors.

And there's barely any info about her even in this website, it says, “ Artemis Jay Jones is the author of the famous book series, “ Earth is a Zoo,” and is now going to be turned into a major motion picture. Sadly there is little known of the author, who appears to be reclusive of interviews and any form of media, all we do know is that she is female, and is a college student. Fans are anticipating her fourth and possibly final book to the series. She also has another 6 book series also Syfy related, and 3 other books that she has done in the past. ”

I know it’s lame, but I can’t help but re-read this a couple more times. At least now I know why I couldn’t find her anywhere.

I think about this, and why I’m even thinking about it, and her, as I fall asleep, in annoyance.