A Dinner For Goners

     Glass flew everywhere! The density of the situation itself caused a ringing through Emily’s ears. Her brother laid unconscious on the ground while father and Nick strangled each other. The dinner table was ruined. Food, glass chairs, chunks of wood and much more inanimate objects laid themselves in disorganized syncs.

How did this happen?

It had only been an hour?

An hour……

What had happened in the last hour?

 Emily found herself asking. She racked her brain to remember the events that took place only just an hour ago.

The silence was deafening. Emily looked up to meet her fathers disapproved eyes, with a sigh she cranked her neck upwards and finally got a good view of the residents seated at the dinner table. Her brother looked defeated, while her aunt looked pleased and content.

“I don’t get why we have to do this,” Emily sounded her voice

“It’s the way it’s always been, nothing changed,” her father simplified

“There were other ways to solve this,” her brother agreed

“Maybe,” her father shrugged, but his voice held more authority and dominance to silence the rat in the corner.

Nothing seemed right.

The air felt fuzzy and wrong. Emily’s lungs couldn’t function with her heavy heart weighing in her chest like an iron ton. The wind blew right past the window and pushed past the curtains to steal the gossip, like a thief. The slow and anticipating breaths of her brother bothered her and just increased the level of anxiety she had.

Which started to take physical shape as her palms began to sweat and she started humming so loud she feared that if the door bell rang she wouldn't be able to hear it. The cars flew by the window with headlights booming into Emily’s mind thinking,

Is this it?

Has he arrived?

Is he even gonna show?

Her head swayed from the thickness of her thoughts that practically spilled out of her ears.

“Close the windows,” her father said, nothing less of a demand.

 Her uncle rose to his feet and shut the window, with the satisfying click sound. Indicating that he locked the window. Deep down she knew her father was nervous as well. Her Mother walked in out of the kitchen with a plate of fresh meat.

As if the night was following a cliché, the doorbell rang. The pit in her stomach sank deeper as her hands balled into fists and everybody else held their breath. The door was new and repaired but the creaking sound could still be heard from the pin drop silence they found themselves in.

His boots walked over the hard wood as if he owned the place, with confidence radiating off of his aura, a pocket full of mischief and his head held high, meeting everyone’s gaze except for one.

His practiced this before, look at her and then look away, it was that simple. But when he glazed his sight over her smiling face, he forgot how to breathe. None of the stares or the judgements mattered at that point. Her smile met her eyes in a hug. Her dimples seemed so pure that it made a citric garden jealous. His breath got caught in his throat but he pushed it down with a gulp.

“Hi,” she sounded breathless

“Hey,” his mind debated whether to wave or not. Which ended in him flaking his hand awkwardly.

“Glad you came,” Her father stood up with a mocking crooked smile

“We waited for you,” he continued

“As I can see,” Nick returned the same crooked smile

“Well take a seat,” Father urged, Nick took the first step only to be interrupted “Oh wait we gave you a plus one, where’s your guest?” father looked innocent, even though he knew that line stung like a wasp on fresh skin. “Do you not have anyone to bring?” Father pushed his buttons.

Nicks hands balled into fists so hard that his knuckles turned white, but his sweet smile could fool anyone. “Well I did, but they were all busy with your mother, it’s her special two for one tonight, but of course you would know,” Nick smiled while dad looked like he was about to pop a vein.

Everyone in the room knew there was heavy truth in what Nick said.

 “The chickens getting cold,” Mother clapped her hands. In her way of saving the situation, but the heat didn’t settle. The men took their seats.

And so it begins.

 Thirty minutes in and no one has said a word. Nick hadn’t touched his plate nor put any food on it. He only laid with his head back, his legs stretched, arms crossed and a smile. He often stared at Emily. Unable to bear the heat of the stare she looked back, just for him to turn away and find the ceiling the most interesting thing in the room.

“Would you like anything? You haven’t ate all,” Mother stood up with a plate of chicken. She could feel her husband’s glare but ignored it.

This dinner was for peace.

“You can pour it, but I won’t eat it,” Nick shrugged.

Mother sighed and sat back down. On spur of moment, Nick lifted his head as a light bulb peeked out of his head

“On the other hand, pass me that,” Nick reached out for the chicken, Mother happily passed the plate “Emily could I?” her name sounded like a prayer with how pleasant he made it sound

“This one?” Emily knew which bowl, she just wanted to say something

 “Yes,” he nodded. He reached out his hand more than necessary just to brush their fingers over each other. He poured the rice with the vegetables played hide and seek deep in the rice. He picked up the spoon with a jittery heart thumping with excitement.

 He scooped his food in his spoon and pushed it into his mouth. But as he pulled it out him purposely scraped the metal on his teeth causing an irritating sound and a death stare coming from Emily. He knew that it irritated her.

Which is exactly why he did it.

Emily could barely open her mouth to eat without satisfying her clenched jaw. Her skin was crawling and her spoon was bent from how hard she gripped it.

“Can we talk business?” Father slid a paper across the table.

“Of course” Nick nodded and took the piece of paper. That was supposed to change his life. Emily’s breath got caught in her throat as Nick read through the paper. She knew all too well how this night was about to end. Her father, mother, uncle and aunts were all playing dirt game. That could only be won by luck.

However she knew Nick didn’t come without a gun or backup. Nick scanned the paper one second at a time to make sure they weren’t pulling any tricks.

 “Agreed,” Nick nodded in approval. “A pen?” Nick questioned no one in particular

“Here,” Emily’s brother reached out.

Nick turned his head back to the paper although turning his head he watched Emily’s eyes gloss over. Emily looked around the table. Seeing her father challenge her with a glare and her aunt count the seconds until she broke. Her mother and brother sat as still as a statue.

She looked around at the strangers she lived with her whole life as her thoughts began to sway away from reality. No matter how much bloodshed, deaths, guns, mafia leaders she’s met and seen, none of it could add up to the way her heart contracted and quivered.

Nick was just about to sign but looked up, interrupted by an angelic voice that seemed to crack beneath the straight face she masked on.

“Wait!” she stood up to her height. “You haven’t tried my juice,” picked up a random glass and held it to him

 “That’s water,” Nick pointed out, although his mind went dirty by that line.

 “I mean this,” her cheeks burned

“Thanks,” Nick enjoyed her awkward banter. He took a few sips, not taking his eyes off of Emily for a second “It’s great, thanks” he smiled setting the half-finished glass down and picked up a pen

“Don’t sign that,” she knew they rest of the faces were disappointed yet not shocked “It’s a trap,” her voice was barely a whisper

“I know,” Nick shrugged pressing the tip of the ink on the paper

“Then what are you doing?!” she exclaimed

“What’s life without a little bit of chaos?” he shrugged

“Just don’t sign it!” she wanted to slap the smirk off his perfect face

 “And why would I do that?” he asked

“Because you owe me for letting you hold my hand that one time!” liquid dripped from the corner of her eyes

“Yah that’s true” Nick sighed “Sorry can’t sign it,” he pushed the paper down the table and towards Emily’s father

“Then I guess this dinner is over,” her father was suspiciously calm

“You should leave,” Her father looked Nick dead in the eye

“Thanks for the food,” Nick waved pushing his chair back and standing up to his full height, putting Emily’s 5’3 to shame. Walking two steps he heard a choke followed by a cough. He turned around and his eyes feasted in horror.

Emily was on her knees, her bottom lip wobbling, heart trembling and her hand clutching her chest. Her face had gone purple and blue. The problem was that no one moved. They sat watching, some in delight, some in uncertainty.

“What the fu”

“I told you to leave my house!” father roared and aimed the gun he had ripped from under the table, aiming it directly at Nick’s chest. Not even a blink occurred and the trigger was pulled.

Emily’s brother only grinned as not a trigger but instead popped out a stick with a square flag with 'BANG!' Written in bold. Father pulled the gun back in confusion before turning to his son

“You did this!” he growled and with rage grilling his veins, he grabbed a fist full of his sons jet black hair that he inherited from his mother, and smashed it onto his plate of bones and forks with additional knives. Her brother fell to the ground with a loud thud. Unconscious.

Through all the commotion, Nick kneeled beside Emily, patting her back. “You need to vomit it out,” he said softly.

  Emily responded with a great shoving two fingers in her mouth. Gurgling and other unpleasant noises were heard as Emily took out her dinner……just the other way around.

“Get away from my daughter!” her father yelled, his voice laced with authority.

“That’s rich coming from you, considering the fact that you just tried to god dame kill her!” Nick yelled back just to be responded with a smash on the head with a plate.

 Their eyes snapped to her mother’s angary’s voice. Emily stood up and took a few steps back until her back met the wall in a hug. She watched the chaos unfold in front of her like an envelope being opened slowly and elegantly.

And just like that she found herself in the same situation she was in before.

Glass flew everywhere! The tensely of the situation itself caused a ringing in through Emily’s ears. Her brother laid unconscious on the ground while father and Nick strangled each other. The dinner table was ruined. Food, glass chairs, chunks of wood and much more inanimate objects laid themselves in disorganized syncs.

 All of a sudden, the sound of sirens caused everyone to halt. Red and blue lights played peek-a-boo with the clear window through the curtains. Everyone stilled. Until Emily’s aunt broke out in a run. Followed by her uncle. The back door broke open while the front door was meted with continuous banging and pounding.

Emily didn’t spare a second. At once, she ran towards Nick. Grabbing his hand, she sprinted their way up the stairs and towards the farthest room, which was an empty guest room.

“We need to leave” she panted, the bitter metallic taste of vomit still fresh in her throat.

'

 “I don’t think we can just step outside,” Nick responded, looking out the window, he gaped at the dozens of cop cars outside.

“Then what do we do!?” Emily through her hands in the air

“I don’t know,” he turned towards Emily and held her face between his hands “But we’ll try,” he smiled, warming her thumping heart.

With the chaos beaming outside and the gunshots singing there melody of destruction. Emily’s ears turned numb as she stared at the wondrous man in front of her. She could wonder for a boundless amount of time for how he could make her feel this extraordinary.

There moment was interrupted by hearing the heavy boots causing the floor to ground at the weight it was applying. Nick flung his gun out as the door burst open.

But it was too late.