Read Star Bound :: Chapter 18

Hera

We headed to the dining room.

The dining table that usually had four chairs in it had a fifth chair added. Father, mother, and Carlos had already sat down. Leaving two empty chairs beside each other.

“Mum, you finally get to use one of those extra two chairs,” Carlos smirked.

That annoying brother of mine. The only reason Mum bought that table back then with six chairs was that she was expecting me and Carlos would find our halves and bring them home for dinner.

Of course, that took much longer than Mother’s expectations. I ignored Carlos and took my seat. Zale sat next to me.

“Oh, you are the guy back from the studio,” Carlos started. This was going to be a long dinner.

“Mum, this is the one I told you about before. Hera’s eyes were shining when she was talking to him.”

I wanted nothing more than to sit beside Carlos right now and stomp on his feet.

Mum then cut the chicken’s thigh and added it to Zale’s plate while smiling.

Oh my god. I know this smile.

She thought that she was feeding her son-in-law or something.

I was too embarrassed to even look at Zale.

“Mom, what is the meaning of this? You always gave me the thigh?” Carlos, who didn’t know shame, started.

“Take mine, Carlos, and shut up, please.” I retorted. After all, only Carlos and I liked the thigh part.

“Now you are even giving up your food,” Carlos smirked. “What has the world come to?”

If glares could kill, I believe my brother would have been a few inches deep in the ground by now.

“Carlos, stop making a fuss over the dinner table.” Dad reprimanded, finally, one sensible person in this family.

Mum then distributed the chicken, and we started eating.

“So what do you do, mmm, wait, what is your name?” Carlos was confused. “Seriously, Hera, you suck at introductions.”

He then looked at Zale.

“I am Carlos, by the way.”

“I am Zale. Answering your question. I am a Yin-Ra elder.”

I thought that would shut up Carlos at least for a while, but who was I kidding?

“I have read and searched about the elders before. You don’t look like any of the four who came to Earth twenty years ago.”

“Because I didn’t come back then, the others could perfectly handle the situation without me.”

“So you are the Eldest elder. Their mysterious leader.”

I choked on a piece of chicken. I wanted to cry, but my coughing fit prevented me. Carlos was about to stand up when Zale raised his hand, stopping him, then struck my back firmly with his other hand until I finally stopped coughing.

He handed me water. I drank slowly.

“Hera, be more careful,” Zale said.

I didn’t even know if I should laugh or cry anymore. I turned towards him.

“You are what again?”

“Why are you so slow sometimes, sis?” Carlos laughed.

Mum, who was smiling very excitedly a while ago, became calm.

A normal reaction for once.

Father, however, kept eating his food.

“Nothing, Hera, I am just the leader of my race; this has nothing to do with anything else.”

Anything else?

What was he even saying?

Does he understand what doors of hell he was opening with this sentence?

Of course he didn’t; he just threw the ball and stayed on the sidelines. Perfect.

Mum started smiling excitedly again as she added more salad to Zale’s bowl.

She is officially in her mother-in-law mode.

“So are you two dating?”

Carlos, oh Carlos.

I wanted to cry but had no tears.

I then whispered in my mom’s ear that she should pinch Carlos beside her before I do something irrecoverable.

“Sis, I might not have heard you, but the man beside you perfectly heard it. Don’t embarrass yourself.”

“What do you even mean?” I pressed my lips in a thin line.

“Hera, it breaks my reporter heart that you can be so underinformed.”

“What am I underinformed about?”

“Do you know that the Yin Ra people have advanced senses? He can literally hear everything going on in this house from top to bottom?”

“What?” I was appalled

“How can you be so underinformed with a brilliant reporter brother like me?”

I looked at Zale.

“You can?”

He nodded.

“It is a known fact. That bubble you live in with Fleur and Maeve is an insult to the modern revolution of journalism and reporters.”

“Carlos, tone it down a bit.” Dad intervened.

I was so embarrassed. I couldn’t even lift my head towards Zale. I am trying to remember what the hell Fleur, Maeve, and I could have said while he was around.

But then again, I have a clear conscience, so whatever.

“So, have you two gone on a date yet?” Mum chimed in.

I just sat back in the chair and sank into it. The world might as well end.

“How do you define a date?” Zale innocently asked.

“A date like going to a place together to enjoy your time,” Father explained.

They are all in on it.

But the last bullet came from the least expected person.

“Hera did invite me to the art union exclusive auction next Monday.”

The problem was that I did. Somehow it became a date.

There was irrefutable evidence at this point.

I surrendered.

****************

Zale

I thought I had the longest Friday ever until I entered that dinner room. I thought this would be a calm dinner. I didn’t even understand how topics kept jumping from one to the other.

I kept up with every conversation. Hera, however, appeared to stop functioning somewhere between Carlos’ third question and her mother’s second serving of salad.

I wasn’t sure how to help.

I simply answered every question truthfully. I didn’t know what else I was supposed to do. After all, I didn’t want her parents to get a bad idea about me. Then there was Carlos. He kept asking questions one after the other.

Her mother gave me the chicken thigh, and from what I gathered, a chicken’s thigh was prized in their house. She smiled when she filled my bowl with salad.

I started eating, but I was seriously stuck on the part where her brother said Hera’s eyes were shining when she was talking to me. So is she excited when she talks to me? Is she also happy the same way I am when I am around her?

I looked at her slumped in the chair beside me and didn’t ask.

Then her father reprimanded Carlos for making a fuss.

I felt a warmth that I hadn’t felt in ages. The last time I had such a warm meal was one hundred years ago.

Then they asked if we had a date.

From what I knew, a date was two people meeting together to see if they could get married. I remembered those government-set meeting venues.

However, the implication here seemed different. So I asked what they meant by a date.

I didn’t understand the concept fully, but after her father explained what a normal date is and I said that Hera had invited me to the exclusive auction, she just became silent as she ate her food.

I think I have done something wrong, but I don’t know what.

When is Draco coming back?

Someone needed to explain to me what a date is and why it has gained more smiles from her mother and more smirks from her brother.

I finished my food. It would be disrespectful otherwise.

One after the other left the dining room. Only Hera and I stayed behind.

“So that is why they all bowed to you?”

I nodded.

“Why would you leave your job and come take pottery classes?”

“Because I like it.”

No, because I like you. However, I kept that last sentence to myself.

She looked at me incredulously.

“You have heightened hearing senses; no wonder you knew about the note and pen.”

I nodded.

“Have you finished eating?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“I will take you to the bathroom.”

I followed her.

I entered the bathroom while she went upstairs, saying that she would use the one upstairs.

I finished and went out when her father came towards me and handed me a book called The Republic.

“This is a limited edition. Better take care of it.”

I didn’t have the chance to answer when Hera’s mother stood behind her husband.

“Harold, what is the meaning of this? Why would you tire the man’s brain?”

“Martha dear, this is a good brain exercise.”

She shook her head, then handed me a plastic bag with a box inside.

“Boy, you do look fine, but you are too pale even by your people’s standards. Do you have anemia? Anyway, this lunch box has pasta and meatballs made freshly this morning. You can have them for lunch tomorrow. You have a microwave, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do.”

Hera came down. When she saw me, she was appalled.

“Mum, Dad, what did you do to Zale?”

“Nothing.” They shrugged.

My phone vibrated.

I took out my phone. It was Vaxar asking where I was.

“I am very thankful for having me for dinner, Mr and Mrs Cole,” I said. “I need to leave now, though.”

“Carlos,” Martha yelled. “Take your sister’s friend back to his home.”

“What? No need.” I was getting flustered at this point.

“You seem to have walked here; Carlos can take you to your house by car.”

Hera rubbed her forehead.

“Mum, he just moved into this neighborhood a while ago.”