Caleb
“Lebby.”
My eyes sluggishly flutter open as I look around for the voice that called me. I see several kids standing at the bottom of my bed.
“What do you want?” I drawled as I sat up in my bed, letting a yawn escape between my lips.
“Our cousins are here, see?” Landon gestures to the two kids slightly behind him. A girl and a boy.
“Hey Gabriella and Carlos.”
Gabriella and Carlos were our aunt’s children. She has three kids. Carlos was the youngest, at the age of 2, Gabriella being 13, and Francisco, or Francis being 17.
“What’s up Caleb, I wanted to say hi. As your favorite cousin after all.” Gabriella said with a cheek to cheek wide smile as she placed her hand on her hips.
“I don’t have a favorite Gab’s.”
“Seguro que no.” Her smiled slightly dropped as she looked at an imaginary camera with her half-dropped smile. (Sure you don’t)
“Yo también hablo español tonto.” I rolled my eyes before giving her a glassy stare. (I also speak spanish stupid.)
“I forgot.”
“Just because my dad is caucasian, doesn’t mean I don’t know my spanish heritage.” I toss my legs off the bed and Carlos walked closer to me with his arms held out. A smile couldn’t help but creep onto my lips as I grabbed him and picked him up.
“Hi Carlos.” I spoke in a higher pitch. He smiled widely, showing all of his baby teeth. He was absolutely adorable.
“Is he your favorite?”
“I don’t have a favorite.” I repeated.
“Sure. I bet I’m Landon’s favorite, right?” He looked at Landon who widely nodded, which satisfied her and a proud smile pulled her lips.
“Where is your other brother?” I ask as Gabriella hops on my bed, sitting down next to me, kicking her feet a bit.
“Um, downstairs I’m pretty sure. But guess what.” She had a giddy smile on her lips.
“What?”
“No, guess.” She groaned.
“You farted?” I teased, and Landon started laughing, Gabby punched my arm with a frown.
“No, it was probably Carlos.” She continued, “Francis admires you.
“No way.” I let in a gasp. He wasn’t the type to like many people, let alone admire someone. And me of all people. I wasn’t an admiral person, I was just an average guy in college. I wouldn’t even call myself a nerdy college guy, that was definitely Milo.
“Yes way, I forced him to admit it.”
“Yo.” There was a knock before the door was opened, Francis stood there with his phone in hand.
“Hey Francis. How’s school been for you?”
Ew, I sounded like my dad.
“Eh, it’s been decent, people still suck ass though.” He stepped further into the room, shoving his phone in his pocket, “What about college, how’s that been going for you.”
“It’s alright, the assignments are absolutely—” I realized the children around me, and I stopped myself from cursing. “—crap. Workload after workload.”
“How’s taxes?” He asks with a light chuckle.
“Terrible—”
“You’re so awkward Francis.” Gabby interprets as she sticks her tongue out.
“Shut up Gabby.” Francis rolled his eyes at her, only for Gabriella to mock him. Immediately he goes over to her and grabs her, she tries to get away but fails and he throws her over his shoulder before starting to spin around.
“Fr—Francis! Put me down!” She shouts with a laugh.
Carlos slides himself out of my arms and walks towards his brother with his arms up. “Me too, me too.”
Francis throws her on the bed before grabbing Carlos and holding him carefully before spinning him around, causing him to let out hysterical laughs, before he is too thrown onto the bed.
“Come eat!” Abuela shouts.
Immediately we all leave my room, and make our way downstairs. Plates are set on the table, and we all sit down. We pray over our food and begin to eat.
“So? How’s the food?”
“It’s good mamá. I thought Alexandria cooked, but if so it definitely wouldn’t have been this good.” My Aunt gives a smartass response as she looks at my mom, who immediately snaps her neck at my aunt.
“Isabella, don’t you dare start. I will find a way to shove my foot up your ass.”
“I’m just saying, you can’t cook, that’s all”
“And you can’t either, last I remember you tried to boil noodles and managed to burn the noodles.”
And they began to bicker back and forth for about ten minutes before my Abuela stops them. From my Abuelo, they’ve been bickering since my aunt could talk. It was actually amusing to listen to their meaningless bickering. Knowing that they’d probably forget about this argument tomorrow.
After their bickering it went quiet, my father cleared his throat, and my grandma let out a sigh, which confused me.
“Caleb.” My grandmother said, “I’m sorry for earlier.”
She didn’t look happy to be saying anything. She probably doesn’t mean it, and my father forced her to say it.
“It’s… okay grandma.” I emptily respond. I knew she didn’t actually mean her apology, my father probably just threatened to never let her come over and see Landon.
“Dad, do you have anything to say?”
My grandfather glassily glared at my father. The tension in the room was thin, like an explosion was about to erupt within seconds. Everyone looked at my father or my grandfather.
“To who?”
My father clenched the utensil in his fist tighter with irritation and clear frustration. “Your oldest grandson.”
“Dad, it’s fine.” I attempt to reassure him, but it fails, my dad still persists. And I can only wait until the tension explodes.
“No it’s not Caleb. He hasn’t said a thing to you. He’s in my house, he’s gonna speak to his grandson.”
My grandfather sits down the piece of turkey in his hand. “That boy isn’t my grandson.”
I knew he hated the fact that I like guys, but to say I wasn’t his grandson hurt. I think it hurts more than most of the homophobia I’ve received in my life.
“Harold—” My Dad shouted.
“I said what I said, James, that boy isn’t my grandson. I refuse to have a faggot as my grandson.” My grandfather shouted as he pointed at me, and I knew I couldn’t just let him degrade me, but I didn’t know what to say.
“Do not call my son a faggot.” My mom stood up furious.
“Sit down and know your place woman.” My grandfather threatened, which made my father stand up with nothing but frustration and hatred boiling over his face.
“Don’t speak to my wife like that.”
“It’s your fault that boy likes men, you raised him to be soft. He isn’t a man, he’s just a faggot.” My grandfather let out a small laugh, “But of course you can’t raise a child, you could never do anything right as a child. One failure to another.” I watched as my father’s eyes widened as his thoughts consumed him in an expression I couldn’t read.
“Don’t talk about my husband or my son like that!” My mother shouted, “You—”
“Stay in your place woman, you are nothing but a man’s trophy.” Harold had a mirthful expression as he shot down both of my parents. And I was fuming. He could talk shit about me all night, but he wasn’t going to talk to my parents like that, especially in front of me.
I push myself up, my fist clenched on the table as I try not to throw my plate of food at him. “Say another thing about either of my parents one more time. I dare you. Talk about all the shit you want about me, but you aren’t gonna disrespect either of my parents in front of me.”
“Are you challenging me? You want to fight me faggot? Show me you’re a real man by fighting me, and I’ll consider calling my blood.”
“No, I won’t hit you because wasting any energy on a man like you is more than a waste of my time.”
“See, not a man. Nothing but a soft pathetic faggot.” He let out another laugh before his expression dropped, staring at me with pure hatred.
“Unlike you I have things to lose if I were to fight you, it doesn’t make me less of a man not to hit you, but a more emotionally unmature one if I were too. I want you out, now.”
Harold scowled at me before looking at my grandma, “Let’s go, we’re going home.” She nodded before standing up and grabbing her plate of food. Harold hurried out the door with his coat and other things.
“Have a blessed night everyone.” She then turned away and left with her husband, shutting the door behind herself.
I collapsed in my chair, that was actually more scary than I thought. I wasn’t sure if Harold was gonna walk around the table and actually try to fight me or what. Soon there were claps and a bit of cheering.
“A good way to maturally deescalate the situation while also showing him who’s boss.” My Abuela said proudly.
“Good job hijo.” My mom sat down, while also sitting my father down as well.
“Thank you mamá.”
“I’m proud of you kiddo.” My father said, “Not everything needs to be solved by violence, and you did exactly what I taught you.”
“I’m also happy he did that, but um— can we finish eating? The food’s gonna get cold.” Francis added next to me. I laughed a bit before picking up my spoon.
“That was honestly so brave of you to stand up to that old man like that.” Francis added and I smiled before placing the spoon of mashed potatoes in my mouth.
I guess I am an admiral person
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