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priscaTitle: Supper at the Connor's home
Characters: Zeke Tyler, Casey Connor, Mrs. Connor
Prompt: supper
Words: 692
Finished: 10.02.2020
:::
Zeke had only agreed hesitating when Mrs. Connor invited him over for supper on Friday. It was not that he mistrusted Casey's parents; they seemed to be okay and they loved Casey enough to allow him to go his own way. But he had always known to avoid too much family stuff. Too many curious questions he wasn't willing to answer, too many expectations which would only put him under pressure. He knew he would hate it. But he loved Casey, and Casey loved his parents, and he had put it off for much too long already.
The evening ran much more stress-free than expected. Mrs. C. was nice, greeted him with a hearty hug, and told him that she was glad to welcome him in the Connor's family. Maybe this was a touch too much, but Casey had already warned him that this could happen. So he had been prepared and played along with a smile. Mr. Connor turned out to be interested not only in baseball but in oldtimer cars, too. A familiar subject Zeke knew a lot about. Casey was only sitting there, watching them chatting lively, a wide grin on his face.
Then Mrs. Connor told them that supper was served. „It's ginger glazed Mahi Mahi with rice,“ she told Zeke. „I hope you eat fish?“
He cringed inwardly. The word alone made him feel queazy. Remembered him of long-forgotten times when his foster dad had insisted to go fishing together with him every weekend. He had taught him to disembowel the fishes, had laughed about him when he had started to retch every time. Later they had grilled the fishes on a campfire, and he had been forced to eat them. „It's either that, or you will go to bed hungry tonight,“ his foster dad had told him. Back then he had been about six years old, and he had had no other choice than to obey. Though he often had thrown up secretly afterward.
„Zeke? You okay?“ Casey watched him slightly worried, and he forced himself to smile. „Yeah, sure.“ And he dropped down onto a chair at the dining table. No way that he would ruin this evening, no way. But the moment Mr. C. served the plate with the fish, he knew it wouldn't work. Instantly he felt sick, and it got worse with every second he tried to fight it. Finally, he gave up, rushed to the bathroom.
:::
Shaking all over he was cowering on the ground in front of the toilet, his stomach empty, but the nasty feeling still in his mouth. Like through a haze, he could hear Casey talking to him. „...okay?“ „What's...“ „... call a doctor?“
Exhausted he looked up. „God, no, don't make such a fuss.“ Casey winced and he knew, his words had been too hard. Suddenly Mrs. C. was there, too, and Zeke squeezed his eyes shut in the useless try to escape this embarrassing situation.
„Casey, give Zeke some room to breathe.“
„But, mom...“
„Go back to your father, please."
Finally silence. He forced himself to breathe steadily, but it still took a while until he felt ready to open his eyes again. Mrs. C. was still there, sitting on a little chair in front of the mirror. Her eyes resting on him; but there was no anger, no disdain, only genuine sympathy.
„I'm sorry,“ he murmured weakly. „I didn't mean to ruin this evening. You are so nice, and...“
„Zeke, Honey.“ She knelt down beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. „No need to worry about this. I'm sure there is a good reason for what has happened. Do you want to talk about it? It might help."
He hesitated, not used to it, that someone cared for him in this way. No one but Casey, who had shown him a way out of his loneliness. Who had taught him that he didn't have to deal with everything alone. Finally he gave in. „Okay. But let's go back into the living room. I guess, Casey and Mr. C. should also hear about it.“
Characters: Zeke Tyler, Casey Connor, Mrs. Connor
Prompt: supper
Words: 692
Finished: 10.02.2020
:::
Zeke had only agreed hesitating when Mrs. Connor invited him over for supper on Friday. It was not that he mistrusted Casey's parents; they seemed to be okay and they loved Casey enough to allow him to go his own way. But he had always known to avoid too much family stuff. Too many curious questions he wasn't willing to answer, too many expectations which would only put him under pressure. He knew he would hate it. But he loved Casey, and Casey loved his parents, and he had put it off for much too long already.
The evening ran much more stress-free than expected. Mrs. C. was nice, greeted him with a hearty hug, and told him that she was glad to welcome him in the Connor's family. Maybe this was a touch too much, but Casey had already warned him that this could happen. So he had been prepared and played along with a smile. Mr. Connor turned out to be interested not only in baseball but in oldtimer cars, too. A familiar subject Zeke knew a lot about. Casey was only sitting there, watching them chatting lively, a wide grin on his face.
Then Mrs. Connor told them that supper was served. „It's ginger glazed Mahi Mahi with rice,“ she told Zeke. „I hope you eat fish?“
He cringed inwardly. The word alone made him feel queazy. Remembered him of long-forgotten times when his foster dad had insisted to go fishing together with him every weekend. He had taught him to disembowel the fishes, had laughed about him when he had started to retch every time. Later they had grilled the fishes on a campfire, and he had been forced to eat them. „It's either that, or you will go to bed hungry tonight,“ his foster dad had told him. Back then he had been about six years old, and he had had no other choice than to obey. Though he often had thrown up secretly afterward.
„Zeke? You okay?“ Casey watched him slightly worried, and he forced himself to smile. „Yeah, sure.“ And he dropped down onto a chair at the dining table. No way that he would ruin this evening, no way. But the moment Mr. C. served the plate with the fish, he knew it wouldn't work. Instantly he felt sick, and it got worse with every second he tried to fight it. Finally, he gave up, rushed to the bathroom.
:::
Shaking all over he was cowering on the ground in front of the toilet, his stomach empty, but the nasty feeling still in his mouth. Like through a haze, he could hear Casey talking to him. „...okay?“ „What's...“ „... call a doctor?“
Exhausted he looked up. „God, no, don't make such a fuss.“ Casey winced and he knew, his words had been too hard. Suddenly Mrs. C. was there, too, and Zeke squeezed his eyes shut in the useless try to escape this embarrassing situation.
„Casey, give Zeke some room to breathe.“
„But, mom...“
„Go back to your father, please."
Finally silence. He forced himself to breathe steadily, but it still took a while until he felt ready to open his eyes again. Mrs. C. was still there, sitting on a little chair in front of the mirror. Her eyes resting on him; but there was no anger, no disdain, only genuine sympathy.
„I'm sorry,“ he murmured weakly. „I didn't mean to ruin this evening. You are so nice, and...“
„Zeke, Honey.“ She knelt down beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. „No need to worry about this. I'm sure there is a good reason for what has happened. Do you want to talk about it? It might help."
He hesitated, not used to it, that someone cared for him in this way. No one but Casey, who had shown him a way out of his loneliness. Who had taught him that he didn't have to deal with everything alone. Finally he gave in. „Okay. But let's go back into the living room. I guess, Casey and Mr. C. should also hear about it.“