East Kids - Tessa & Elijah

Chapter 16

Tessa

"Does anyone want ice cream?" my mother asks to break the silence that reigns between us children. Although the two adults have been talking excitedly since the beginning of the meeting, we children have hardly exchanged a word. Instead, we look at each other every two minutes, even though the other one can't help it that our parents seem to have fallen in love. But how else can you reduce your anger in a restaurant?

"I", I now speak while concentrating on controlling myself. However, Elijah seems to be trying less. "I would much rather disappear now," he replies to my mother, whereupon I instinctively give him a light kick under the table.

"Ouch," he complains, almost like a small, innocent child, and gives me a hostile look. His presence makes me angrier every minute. Why must he of all people be Cole's son? Does fate hate me so much?

I grin at him provocatively before turning to my mother. My cell phone is still in her coat pocket and that fact almost drives me crazy. I would never call myself a cell phone addict, but at this moment I want it more than anything. Okay no, even more than my cell phone I want Elijah not to be Cole's son, just a big joke. But I don't tell my mother what I think. I can't screw up her date. The discussion that we will have in the car, I can already imagine lively.

As I know her, she will only see and defend her side again, while I remain stubborn. That is exactly our problem. We are both as stubborn as two donkeys, which is why it will take days before we change words again, even if our pride also interferes. Unfortunately we are much too similar in these points.

"I knew that you were going to school, but I was really surprised that you went to the same class," Cole adds, because he doesn't seem to like the silence between the teenagers at the table either. I only give a slight humming of myself, for which I get questioning looks from both adults. Even Cole knows that I usually answer with words. I usually only make individual noises when something is going on.

"Yes, very surprising," Elijah answers in my place and takes a sip from his wine glass. There's a glass in front of me too, but I haven't touched it a single time yet. Instead I just try to concentrate on a spot on my bright green place mat and hope that time goes by so fast. But no chance. Now we've been in this, admittedly good, restaurant for an hour now, which seems to pull like chewing gum.

"It's great that you know each other," Cole sounds so euphoric that you might think he smoked something: "Because even though Hayley and I haven't known each other long, we've decided we'd like to move in together."

Elijah immediately swallows his drink and starts coughing like crazy. He expresses exactly what I feel at this moment.

At first the spit stays away when the thought of Cole moving in with my mother soon settles in my head.

"T-This is a joke," I stammer in shock. Although both of them have been together for several weeks now, I never really thought about the possibility that they would move together at some point. Especially not that they would announce it so suddenly. Couldn't we have been told that gently? However, I don't know myself how one should have done that.

"No, Tessa, this is no joke", she gently reaches for my hand to show me that she is with me: "We are not going to move in together right away. Cole and Elijah will just sleep with us for one night on the weekend." "Why is that?", that's still bad. Then I even have to spend time with him before our parents move in together. "And then why did we go to them of all people?" Elijah has also found his voice again.

"We want everyone to get used to living together before we really take the step and move in together," Cole says: "And we go to Hayley's apartment because it's bigger. We don't know yet whether we'll move to another apartment later or to Tessa and Hayley's." "But please support us a little and give the whole thing a chance," my mother now intervenes as well. "This is really important to us", Cole confirms again and takes my mother's free hand into hers.

I take a deep breath. Both really deserve love, but moving in with Elijah is a nightmare come true.