It felt like an eternity walking home. I didn’t know what I was going to say, let alone if my siblings would listen to me at all. I didn’t have much to say to Jae… I was just thinking of what would happen at home.
Just as I finally reached my street—a sight for sore eyes—my phone rang, a cold sound. I didn’t recognize the number on the caller ID, but this time, I knew I needed to answer. “Hello?”
“Hey, Jon.” It was Athena. My heart sank. “Zoe gave me your number. I just wanted to make sure that you’d answer.”
“Oh, OK,” I sighed. I still felt awful, but at least she didn’t have much to say to me now.
“Talk to you later, cutie.” She hung up.
“What was that?” Jae asked.
“Athena. She told me if I got a call from her, I had to answer.”
“But why did you—”
“Because I don’t wanna get beaten up tomorrow morning by three tough girls. Look what they did to Karyn. They could easily do that, and worse, to me.”
“Oh, boy…” His embrace felt good, but I didn’t have much time to relax. I was finally home.
“Well, I gotta get going, too. Text me if you need me.”
“Alright, bro.” I smiled back at him as he left before unlocking the door.
“Hey, Jonathyn…” It was Daddy Rose, my dad. Mom had married both Daddy Rose and Daddy Gabi at about the same time, pretty typical since men are weak and women strong. She was really their protector, and they both had two kids with her. But I was the only boy. “What was up?”
“Can I tell you and Daddy Gabi together?” With Daddy Gabi, Mom had two girls, Zoe and Alicia, and with Daddy Rose, she’d had me and my twin sister Samantha. Sam at least listened to me. Zoe was Athena’s friend, which made me worry now. And Alicia was a loud jock who liked to bully her only brother.
“Sure. Let me get him.” Daddy Rose went into the kitchen, and out came Gabi, in a white crop top and short skirt. Linda met Gabi when he waited on her at a Mexican restaurant on a date with Daddy Rose a long time ago. It was love at first sight. She always talked about his cute hips. She had twins with Daddy Rose, then two girls in a row with Daddy Gabi.
“Mijo…¿estás triste?” Daddy Gabi knew I was sad. He put his arm around me, and they sat on either side of the couch. Having another dad who was Hispanic did mean I knew my Spanish, though.
“Yeah… A girl at school assaulted me and is ensuring I date her.”
“Oh no… Is that why you have that black thing around your neck?”
“Yeah, she’s a Goth girl. Her name is Athena.”
“Isn’t she one of Zoe’s friends?”
“Yeah… She had two of her other friends pin down my friend Karyn so nobody could defend me.”
“Wow,” Daddy Rose added. “Sometimes, Jonathyn, that’s life for us boys. I dunno what it is about girls, but their hens get thick at the sight of us. We are just pretty skirt-wearing small people that pump out babies. Testrogen is so strong in them…”
“That’s what they said in health class. Estosterone is overwhelmed by it, and they can lust after boys.”
“Especially teens,” Daddy Gabi began. “Cuando eres chica...el sexo domina todo en tu mente.” He was right...girls’ brains were just wired for sex like that.
“And I’m on my period, so of course I feel doubly awful.”
“Aww sweetie…” The relief that my dads were giving me emotionally came to a halt when Zoe came down. She was topless, as she often was at home, her breasts bouncing a bit. She wore makeup, unusual for most girls, but not in her circles. To see her in anything but black or gray would have been a surprise.
“Hey Jonathyn… Ooh.” She stopped and looked at me. “Is that… So you’re Athena’s boy now?” I somehow got the sense she knew.
“Yeah.” I wasn’t too enthused to say it, but I couldn’t lie to her.
“I remember when she was dating Blake and he wore a choker like that. Betcha it’s the same one.” I didn’t know him well at all, but Blake Trevor was one of Athena’s ex-boyfriends. “Stop in my room later.” She must have more to tell me. Zoe walked out.
“I wonder what she has to say to you,” Daddy Rose replied. “You better find out.”
“I don’t know if I want to.”
