Making Amends
Dustin was glowing. His happiness practically shone every time he moved to grin at his parents, or gestured wildly as he spoke. There was a bounce to his step that he'd been lacking the past couple weeks. His jokes were blatant, his hair was constantly falling into his eyes from all the movement, and the bizarre surfer/valley girl accent that no one had ever figured out where he'd gotten had returned to his voice full-force.
Shane smiled to himself. It was good to see Dustin being himself again. Things just weren't the same without him.
To her credit, Gwen had taken the little restaurant he'd suggested in stride. Dustin's mom was a true aristocrat. She thought nothing of taking a private jet halfway across the state for lunch. Her idea of dressing down was a non-designer outfit, and in her eyes there was nothing wrong with wearing beautiful jewelry, despite the fact that the ruby around her neck probably cost more than Storm Chargers and the mall it was attached to. She was one of those sort of people that even dust seemed to move aside for.
Surprisingly, she and Dustin were actually a lot alike he couldn't help noticing as he watched them laugh together, Gwen squeezing Dustin's arm. They were both sorta airheaded, although neither of them were as bad as they pretended to be. They shared the same dark curls and puppy dog brown eyes. All Dustin had learned about manipulating people came from her. And now that he was looking for it, he could see Dustin in her smile.
Dustin's attitude was all from Frank, however. Frank was walking just behind and to the right of his ex-wife, watching the pair with a fond smile. He was notorious for his laid back, casual personality. Nothing ever riled Frank. He was the type to take thing as they came, and had been the one to teach Dustin the basics of motocross when they were younger, claiming his son needed a hobby of his own.
Frank and Gwen's relationship was strange, but Dustin had always been confused as to why he and Tori thought so. They were actually divorced, for...since Ras was nearly two, so...almost seven years now. You couldn't tell by looking at them, though. They still gave plenty of public displays of affection, constantly flirting and teasing one another. They openly admitted that they loved each other, and Frank always stayed with the family when he visited. The only explanation for their divorce that he'd been told was something to do with Satan-uh, Dustin's grandmother-and different social scales, or something. He'd never been too clear on the details, and Dustin didn't understand the questions well enough to explain.
It was ironic when he thought about it, that Dustin was a combination of his parents' extremes. His mother's airheadedness and natural cheer combined with his father's easygoing nature. And yet there was something about him that was so entirely just...Dustin. The wacky sense of humor, the way dirt loved him and electronics hated him...
He blinked. He was obsessing again, wasn't he? Dustin tended to do that to him, apparently.
"You with us yet, dude?"
He blinked again, focusing on Dustin. He was grinning, so he must have missed something. "What?"
"Mom and Dad are grabbing us a table. I figured I'd wait for you to like, come back to the land of the living." Dustin informed him.
He couldn't help the slight smile that came over him. "You're too cute sometimes, you know that?"
He was rewarded with a brilliant flush. "W-what like, brought that up?" Dustin asked, looking flustered.
His smile widened. "Just thinking about you again."
Dustin fidgeted. Flirting seemed to throw him off, which was part of why Shane had started to enjoy doing it so often. "We'd uh, like, better get inside. Or something. Before they start to like, miss us."
He flashed a quick glance around to make sure there was no one around to see, then gave in to the temptation to brush the curls from Dustin's eyes. He smiled as the other blinked. "We'd better go."
As he headed inside, he could hear Dustin's whine behind him. "Duuuude! Like, no fair! You can't do stuff like that anymore and just take off, okay? Okay?"
"Whatever you say, Dustin."
****
He was pouting. He knew he was pouting, but he didn't care. That was *mean*. Doing something like that, and looking at him like *that*, and then just walking away? Shane was so beyond cruel.
"You all right, son?"
Dustin glanced up, blinking. "Huh? Oh. Yeah. Sure, Dad. I'm fine." He flashed a bright smile.
His parents exchanged glances, and he steeled himself. He wasn't as thick as Kelly was afraid he was being. He knew they were here to 'talk'. That would be why his stomach was currently doing flip-flops. He was hoping that inviting Shane along was a good sign. Getting a private room was probably a bad one, though.
"I want to apologize." his mother said at last. The careless and upbeat tone was gone from her voice, and her eyes were serious as she looked between him and Shane. "To both of you. I should have done something sooner. I know saying I'm sorry isn't enough, but that's all I can do at the moment." She paused, biting her lip as her eyes teared up slightly. "If I'd done something sooner, you boys wouldn't have had to suffer so much."
"It's okay, Mom." he assured her. It wasn't, because the hurt was still there, but he couldn't just *not* say it. She was being sincere, and he still didn't want to hurt her feelings.
She shook her head, a rueful smile crossing her face. "You're still a Radelle at the worst moments, Dustin." she sighed. "It's *not* okay. I'm your mother and I didn't act like one when you needed me the most. It's inexcusable. Don't try and make me feel better. I should feel terrible."
Dustin blinked, startled. She was serious. His mom was *never* this serious. She just...didn't do stuff like that.
"And Shane, I'm *so* sorry." She took his hands in hers, making him jump slightly. "I'm so sorry for what my mother did to you. If there's anything I can do to help, please tell me."
Shane hesitated. "I don't understand." he said at last. "Why are you so supportive all of a sudden? I mean, you didn't seem to want anything to do with Dustin before."
She winced. "I deserved that." she sighed.
Shane just looked at her. Unlike Dustin, he wasn't going to pretend things were okay for her sake. That wasn't his way. Secretly, Dustin appreciated that *one* of them would be honest.
"I don't quite know how to explain it." she admitted. "I was so shocked at first... I think I'd tricked myself into believing that Tori's new boyfriend was just a fling, and that she and Dustin would end up together eventually. Then when I thought about it, you two were always the closest, ever since you were little. By the time I came to my senses, Dustin was gone and Mother was screaming into her phone about how disgusting it all was. I lost it. No one talks about *my* baby that way. Not even my own Mother." She straightened in her seat, looking indignant. "That's when I threw her out of the house."
"You threw Grandmother out?" Dustin interrupted, incredulous.
"Literally too, according to Maggie." his father put in with a grin.
His mother blushed. "No one says things like that about my baby." she repeated.
"So why didn't you do anything after that?" Shane wanted to know.
"I don't know much about Dustin's life anymore." she confessed. "I don't know his friends outside of you and Tori, and I've never known where Storm Whatsit is."
"Storm Chargers." Dustin corrected absently, ignoring the look his father gave him.
"No one would speak to me when I tried to call and ask where you were. I was so worried..." She bit her lip again. "I couldn't handle it. I had another breakdown. Laura took over trying to get a hold of your father after that."
"I was in Boston for one of the races there." his father spoke up. "I got a tip that there was a promising rider. I didn't get the message until the day before yesterday. As soon as I got it, I had Laura send the jet to the nearest airport and came straight here."
"Because of me?" Did his voice really sound that small?
"*For* you." his father corrected. He smiled, patting his hand reassuringly. "This doesn't change anything Dustin. We still love you."
"Although I may think twice about letting you have sleepovers." his mother sniffed.
"Sleepovers?" he echoed in confusion, mind still reeling.
"Well, I won't have to worry about when you bring Tori home to spend the night, but we'll have to work out something about Shane." she continued, frowning as she thought.
He froze. "Home?"
"Of course, silly. Why wouldn't you come home?"
He glanced at Shane out of the corner of his eye. Definitely trying to hide how upset he was. This was seriously not good.
Dustin was glowing. His happiness practically shone every time he moved to grin at his parents, or gestured wildly as he spoke. There was a bounce to his step that he'd been lacking the past couple weeks. His jokes were blatant, his hair was constantly falling into his eyes from all the movement, and the bizarre surfer/valley girl accent that no one had ever figured out where he'd gotten had returned to his voice full-force.
Shane smiled to himself. It was good to see Dustin being himself again. Things just weren't the same without him.
To her credit, Gwen had taken the little restaurant he'd suggested in stride. Dustin's mom was a true aristocrat. She thought nothing of taking a private jet halfway across the state for lunch. Her idea of dressing down was a non-designer outfit, and in her eyes there was nothing wrong with wearing beautiful jewelry, despite the fact that the ruby around her neck probably cost more than Storm Chargers and the mall it was attached to. She was one of those sort of people that even dust seemed to move aside for.
Surprisingly, she and Dustin were actually a lot alike he couldn't help noticing as he watched them laugh together, Gwen squeezing Dustin's arm. They were both sorta airheaded, although neither of them were as bad as they pretended to be. They shared the same dark curls and puppy dog brown eyes. All Dustin had learned about manipulating people came from her. And now that he was looking for it, he could see Dustin in her smile.
Dustin's attitude was all from Frank, however. Frank was walking just behind and to the right of his ex-wife, watching the pair with a fond smile. He was notorious for his laid back, casual personality. Nothing ever riled Frank. He was the type to take thing as they came, and had been the one to teach Dustin the basics of motocross when they were younger, claiming his son needed a hobby of his own.
Frank and Gwen's relationship was strange, but Dustin had always been confused as to why he and Tori thought so. They were actually divorced, for...since Ras was nearly two, so...almost seven years now. You couldn't tell by looking at them, though. They still gave plenty of public displays of affection, constantly flirting and teasing one another. They openly admitted that they loved each other, and Frank always stayed with the family when he visited. The only explanation for their divorce that he'd been told was something to do with Satan-uh, Dustin's grandmother-and different social scales, or something. He'd never been too clear on the details, and Dustin didn't understand the questions well enough to explain.
It was ironic when he thought about it, that Dustin was a combination of his parents' extremes. His mother's airheadedness and natural cheer combined with his father's easygoing nature. And yet there was something about him that was so entirely just...Dustin. The wacky sense of humor, the way dirt loved him and electronics hated him...
He blinked. He was obsessing again, wasn't he? Dustin tended to do that to him, apparently.
"You with us yet, dude?"
He blinked again, focusing on Dustin. He was grinning, so he must have missed something. "What?"
"Mom and Dad are grabbing us a table. I figured I'd wait for you to like, come back to the land of the living." Dustin informed him.
He couldn't help the slight smile that came over him. "You're too cute sometimes, you know that?"
He was rewarded with a brilliant flush. "W-what like, brought that up?" Dustin asked, looking flustered.
His smile widened. "Just thinking about you again."
Dustin fidgeted. Flirting seemed to throw him off, which was part of why Shane had started to enjoy doing it so often. "We'd uh, like, better get inside. Or something. Before they start to like, miss us."
He flashed a quick glance around to make sure there was no one around to see, then gave in to the temptation to brush the curls from Dustin's eyes. He smiled as the other blinked. "We'd better go."
As he headed inside, he could hear Dustin's whine behind him. "Duuuude! Like, no fair! You can't do stuff like that anymore and just take off, okay? Okay?"
"Whatever you say, Dustin."
****
He was pouting. He knew he was pouting, but he didn't care. That was *mean*. Doing something like that, and looking at him like *that*, and then just walking away? Shane was so beyond cruel.
"You all right, son?"
Dustin glanced up, blinking. "Huh? Oh. Yeah. Sure, Dad. I'm fine." He flashed a bright smile.
His parents exchanged glances, and he steeled himself. He wasn't as thick as Kelly was afraid he was being. He knew they were here to 'talk'. That would be why his stomach was currently doing flip-flops. He was hoping that inviting Shane along was a good sign. Getting a private room was probably a bad one, though.
"I want to apologize." his mother said at last. The careless and upbeat tone was gone from her voice, and her eyes were serious as she looked between him and Shane. "To both of you. I should have done something sooner. I know saying I'm sorry isn't enough, but that's all I can do at the moment." She paused, biting her lip as her eyes teared up slightly. "If I'd done something sooner, you boys wouldn't have had to suffer so much."
"It's okay, Mom." he assured her. It wasn't, because the hurt was still there, but he couldn't just *not* say it. She was being sincere, and he still didn't want to hurt her feelings.
She shook her head, a rueful smile crossing her face. "You're still a Radelle at the worst moments, Dustin." she sighed. "It's *not* okay. I'm your mother and I didn't act like one when you needed me the most. It's inexcusable. Don't try and make me feel better. I should feel terrible."
Dustin blinked, startled. She was serious. His mom was *never* this serious. She just...didn't do stuff like that.
"And Shane, I'm *so* sorry." She took his hands in hers, making him jump slightly. "I'm so sorry for what my mother did to you. If there's anything I can do to help, please tell me."
Shane hesitated. "I don't understand." he said at last. "Why are you so supportive all of a sudden? I mean, you didn't seem to want anything to do with Dustin before."
She winced. "I deserved that." she sighed.
Shane just looked at her. Unlike Dustin, he wasn't going to pretend things were okay for her sake. That wasn't his way. Secretly, Dustin appreciated that *one* of them would be honest.
"I don't quite know how to explain it." she admitted. "I was so shocked at first... I think I'd tricked myself into believing that Tori's new boyfriend was just a fling, and that she and Dustin would end up together eventually. Then when I thought about it, you two were always the closest, ever since you were little. By the time I came to my senses, Dustin was gone and Mother was screaming into her phone about how disgusting it all was. I lost it. No one talks about *my* baby that way. Not even my own Mother." She straightened in her seat, looking indignant. "That's when I threw her out of the house."
"You threw Grandmother out?" Dustin interrupted, incredulous.
"Literally too, according to Maggie." his father put in with a grin.
His mother blushed. "No one says things like that about my baby." she repeated.
"So why didn't you do anything after that?" Shane wanted to know.
"I don't know much about Dustin's life anymore." she confessed. "I don't know his friends outside of you and Tori, and I've never known where Storm Whatsit is."
"Storm Chargers." Dustin corrected absently, ignoring the look his father gave him.
"No one would speak to me when I tried to call and ask where you were. I was so worried..." She bit her lip again. "I couldn't handle it. I had another breakdown. Laura took over trying to get a hold of your father after that."
"I was in Boston for one of the races there." his father spoke up. "I got a tip that there was a promising rider. I didn't get the message until the day before yesterday. As soon as I got it, I had Laura send the jet to the nearest airport and came straight here."
"Because of me?" Did his voice really sound that small?
"*For* you." his father corrected. He smiled, patting his hand reassuringly. "This doesn't change anything Dustin. We still love you."
"Although I may think twice about letting you have sleepovers." his mother sniffed.
"Sleepovers?" he echoed in confusion, mind still reeling.
"Well, I won't have to worry about when you bring Tori home to spend the night, but we'll have to work out something about Shane." she continued, frowning as she thought.
He froze. "Home?"
"Of course, silly. Why wouldn't you come home?"
He glanced at Shane out of the corner of his eye. Definitely trying to hide how upset he was. This was seriously not good.