Song: 10,000 hours by Justin Bieber and Dan+Shay

Chapter Thirty-six: Stark naked is definitely the best way to go

"Are you really going to read to me?"

"Yeah. Is that weird?"

I smiled at his tone. "Aw... You actually sound nervous." I teased.

He scoffed. "Me? Nervous? What? Impossible."

I smirked. "So you're definitely not flustered?"

"Flustered is not a word in my vocabulary Cherry."

"Uhh... Good for you. I guess."

He rolled his eyes at my tone. "Let's just get to the reading."

"My dad used to read to me when I was younger." I said out of nowhere smiling at the memory.

I rested my head on the arm of the chair. "I thought I was dyslexic, but I loved reading, so he'd read to me."

"You thought you were dyslexic?"

"I was very slow to learn to read, and Shane put the whole dyslexia thing in my head."

"Who's Shane?"

"My older doofus brother that likes to act like a badass even though we can all see he's not."

He laughed at that.

"Sounds a lot like you." I commented. He stopped laughing and smacked the book on my leg. "I don't have to pretend I'm badass I know I am." 

I snorted. "Your names even rhyme. Shane and Zane. I'm pretty sure he'd love to meet you, but then pretend he doesn't care when he sees you."

"Everyone would love to meet me."

I scoffed. "I didn't."

"Yet look where we are now."

I turned my body so my head was now on his lap, and my legs on the arm of the chair. "Where are we?"

He smirked. "Apparently in a certain position."

"Just get to the reading."

"Why did you turn Cherry?"

"So I could hear you better."

I actually did turn to hear him better. I just didn't think of how it would seem.

He smirked, before opening the book. "Hmm."

"Read. And stop looking all smug for absolutely no reason."

"Fine. Fine. I'll start." He continued after one last glance down at me. "After a year of slavery in the Salt Mines of Endovier, Celaena Sardothien was accustomed to being escorted everywhere in shackles and at sword-point."

He was a very fluent reader and after a while, I realized I was listening to his smooth deep voice more than the words he was actually saying. 

This better be a romance book.

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

"Master Rivers." 

Master? What happened to Mr?

What even is the difference?

The door of the library flew open and Steward walked in.

Hey, look! It's Stout Stewart.

I didn't stand up because Zane made no move to either. So my head was still comfortably positioned in his lap. Surprisingly, I was actually paying attention. It was okay so far. 

"We're busy." Zane replied as he looked back to the book to continue reading.

My eyes were still on Stewart. He bowed down and looked unsure of whether he wanted to continue or not. He chose to continue.

"Sorry Master, but your parents are around."

Zane snapped the book shut. I sat up. I was somewhat nervous. I wasn't ready to meet his parents yet. Not that I had an important reason to. I was just his friend. But still.

"And they couldn't come to welcome their son?"

Stewart stared at his feet sheepishly. "I- They were-"

"It's okay." I found myself blurting out to soothe his rant. He sent me a quick thankful smile before turning his nervous eyes back to Zane.

Zane sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Thank you Stewart. You may go."

The stout man hurried out the door and closed it.

Zane sent me a small smile.

I returned it. "I guess I'm going to have to meet your parents."

"I guess so too."

"Weirdly, I'm nervous."

He widened his smile. "I would tell you you shouldn't be, but then again I would be lying."

I punched him. "Stop teasing me. You're not helping."

"Stop punching me." He replied, clutching his shoulder.

"So it hurt, right?"

He stood up and yelled. "Mum! Dad! I'm coming!" He walked out of the room. I wore my sneakers, stood up too and went after him. "Real mature!"

He just laughed and continued down the stairs. I jogged after him. I realized I had left my purse in the library, but I didn't think that mattered. I didn't need it just to meet his parents.

I followed him to the sitting room, where his dad was sitting on the couch. And his mother was standing behind him.

We had come in from the back so they hadn't yet noticed us. Zane looked back at me and it was then I realized I had stopped about a few feet away from him. He gestured for me to come forward with his hand, and then grabbed mine with his. I smiled up at him.

A really big part of me really wanted them to like me. A really, really big part. So I had to suck in all my bad qualities like rudeness and sarcasm. Sarcasm is not a bad quality, but I had a feeling they wouldn't enjoy it very much.

Zane cleared his throat. His mother turned back. And to say her beauty blinded my eyes would be an understatement. A woman already with a son should not look that good and young. And she was rocking the silver pan suit she had on. She had blonde shoulder-length hair and green eyes. She really was a sight for sore eyes. Is everybody I know extraordinarily beautiful, but me?

She smiled brightly at Zane. "Oh honey. I've missed you." She walked up to him and engulfed him in a hug.

He smiled back at her, and used the hand he wasn't holding in mine to pat her back. "And yet you've been gone for weeks and haven't called at all."

"You know how busy I am."

"No time for your only son?"

Her eyes flickered with an emotion I couldn't quite place. It was sadness mixed with something else.

Was I invisible or something? 

Only one way to find out...

I could test it by taking off all my clothes. Brilliant!

Stark naked is definitely the best way to go.

I know right.

His dad was just standing up from the couch then. He turned to us. He looked like a splitting copy of Zane. Except for his eye color and the sign of age on his face. His eyes were brown and he had the same color of brown hair, but his hair was short so it didn't look as full or curly as Zane's was. 

He dropped the newspaper he was holding on the couch, and walked to stand beside his wife who was rolling her ring round her finger.

"Hello son." He nodded slightly.

Zane nodded too. "Hello father."

Wow. Was that all? They seemed to have a strained relationship.

His father's eyes flickered to me, and I immediately straightened my back. His eyes looked me from up to down, no emotion revealed yet. I felt so conscious. I was dressed in black leggings, a red T-shirt and sneakers. Was that bad? 

"Who is this girl?" He questioned. Zane's mother looked up at that. She seemed like she was just seeing me for the first time, which I supposed she was.

"This is Cherry, my.....friend."

I ignored his hesitation and what it may mean, and beamed at them. "Nice to meet you." I stretched my hand out. His dad just looked at my hand, and back up to my face. Realizing he wasn't going to shake me, I put my hands behind my back.

Well, that was rude.

I know right, but I want them to like me.

Not everyone has to like you.

I know that, but they do.

"She stretched her hand out to you, what you're meant to do next is reach out and shake it." Zane explained to his father like he was a child.

His dad just turned to him and asked, "Where's Serena?"

That stung! It stung like hell.

His mom gave his dad a confused look. "This is Serena, honey. She probably went through surgery, so don't bring it up. I mean, which other girl would Zane bring here?"

He brings Serena here?

Well, what did you expect?

I really don't like that.

Zane sighed. "I said meet Cherry, mother."

"She goes by Cherry now?" She turned to me. "Why? Serena was a beautiful name."

"This is not Serena. We are not talking about Serena. This is Cherry, mother. Serena and Cherry are different people."

"Oh, so this isn't Serena? Thank goodness. She is way better off without that surgery."

After she said that, I looked down at my feet. I'm okay with my looks. I knew I wasn't half as pretty as Serena, but it doesn't mean I like it being brought up.

Someone please tell me if this was be mean and rude to Charvi day, because it sure seems like it.

"I can't believe you just said that, mother." Zane said through gritted teeth.

She seemed to have realized what she had said and then sent me an apologetic look. "Sweetie, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I didn't mean you were ugly. I just meant you weren't as pretty as- I mean, you're really, really, absolutely beautiful."

I sent her a small smile, seeing as she sounded sincerely sorry for what she said. Maybe I'll end up liking her. It's his dad I was having a problem with. More like he was having a problem with me. He was sending me scrutinizing glances, and also at Zane and I's intertwined hands. I wanted to step back, but I stood tall. When he met my gaze, I kept it and refused to be the first to look away. After about a few seconds of just staring. He stretched his hand out to me. I was so happy, I could combust. I don't know why and I didn't care, but he seemed to 'not hate' me and that was okay.

I took his hand, making sure to keep a straight face like his, and shook it. He retracted his hand first. Obviously.

Zane nudged my shoulder, and I looked up and returned the beautiful smile he was giving me. I held his gaze for a little while longer before turning back to face his parents. His mum was smiling at me, and his dad still had that straight face.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" She offered.

I thought over it for a while. Would it be good if I said no or yes because I seriously didn't know how their minds worked? If I said yes, and they didn't want me here and were just asking for the sake of being polite, it'll be bad, but if they actually wanted me here, and I declined their offer, it would be rude, and they may never invite me here again. I guess I'll have to take a chance and choose what I actually wanted.

"I'd love to, Mrs. Rivers."

She smiled. "You can call me Shayan."

"Really?" I asked enthusiastically. I was surprised she said that. Does that mean she's accepting me?

Accepting you for what actually?

I'm not sure I know.

"Yes."

I turned to his dad who was still looking at me. I didn't feel so uncomfortable anymore. And from the excitement he could see bubbling out of me, he knew why I was looking at him.

"You can call me Mr. Rivers."

"Perfect." I said keeping a poker face like his, but when he turned to leave, I think I saw a smile twitching to appear at the corner of his lips.

His wife went after him. Zane and I stayed back to talk.

Zane turned to me with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about what my mum said. She didn't mean it that way."

I shrugged. "It's okay. It's not like it's a lie."

"Cherry, you shouldn't-" I cut him off. "It's okay Zane." I didn't want to be fed some shit about how everyone is beautiful in their own way when I'm pretty sure some people were flawless and others were ordinary.

"Is it just me or do they actually like you?" He seemed to get the memo and changed his apologetic look to an amused face.

"I was about to ask that same question. How? I literally only spoke five times."

"I guess my dad sees something in you."

I smiled at that and started walking out the room.

I thought I heard him mutter, "Only you, Cherry. Only you." 

I felt like he had said that before, but I wasn't paying attention. All I could hear was a chant in my head: I scored the parents!

I did a little inward dance before I decided to act normal.

You're not weird. You're gifted. 

Obviously. Small minded people like Xander just can't get that simple logic.

He spoke up. "Just a pointer though."

I turned my full attention to him.

"My dad is very mysterious with his questions, and you never know what he might want as an answer, so just flip his question so that you're the one asking him."

I nodded before I walked into the dining room.

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