Hello all! Here is the first part of the dinner scene.
Question for you before I begin:- 2x ~1400 word chapters (possibly a few hours apart the same day) or 1x ~2800 word one? The 2 chapters after these 2 are both vaguely filler (setting up two of the other storylines) and figuring out best way to do them. Any strong feelings either way? Would love to hear how people think the story is going so far - helps me to know what to have less/more of! Thanks as always for all of the views and reviews!
The 9 figures sat round the table, most lost in their food. Jesus and Kasey sat either side of Stef at the head as promised with Evan next to his girlfriend and Callie there also for moral support opposite. To Callie's left sat Michelle with Brandon opposite and Porter next to Brandon. Lena rounded off the other head of the table overlooking the whole scene. The rest of the family had all made alternative plans to avoid the trainwreck they feared would occur.
A few more moments of silence passed until Callie caught an eyebrow flicker from Stef encouraging her to attempt some small talk.
"Uhm..." she began picking up the hint. "So Mr Porter...how long have you been teaching?" The surly gent took a large swig of wine before answering. Jesus chased a stray bit of food around his plate with his fork.
"I guess it must be thirty years since I started." He grumbled. "Was a lot different back then." He said shovelling some more of his starter into his mouth.
Kasey had barely taken her eyes off Michelle and neither had Brandon, for a completely different reason.
"The dinosaurs out the window were a big distraction." Jesus quipped, quietly to Kasey across the table. Kick number one.
Although not quite hearing what he had said Porter picked up on the interruption and an icy glare flickered over his eyes.
"Kids tended to behave better back then. Didn't hide behind all the psychological mumbo jumbo that is now used to disguise being a troublemaker. You were allowed to properly discipline them." He stated as a clear jibe.
Lena shuffled nervously taking a sip of her own wine.
"I take it you enjoyed it more back then, not having to waste your time teaching anyone you deemed unworthy." Kasey snarked calmly in defense of her little brother.
Stef shot her a look.
"Would you like some more wine, Mr Porter?" Brandon asked noticing how fast he was getting through his glass. He nodded and Brandon poured obediently.
"I think I'll take some too." Stef added, gulping the rest of hers down.
"Well personally I've found kids responding a lot better to newer methods of teaching." Lena interjected. "Certainly my experience is that some of the worse behaved kids have responded better now there is more understanding of how to handle them."
"Well you would know, what with all of your classroom experience Lena. Remind me, how long is it since you got your job in the management?" He smiled clearly with another motive to undermine.
"Well, I do deal with a lot of kids one to one." She said coldly. "Trust me, you see the trends. You learn what works best for each pupil and you see the difference. It's usually the teachers who refuse to co-operate which sets the system back". She added as a clear dig.
"Makes you wonder about the college process then, huh?" Evan added trying to calm the tensions. "I mean the difference between the classroom and the lecture hall. How effective mass teaching can really be."
"Good point Evan." Stef smiled winking at him proudly, she was relieved that some of the party members were trying their best.
"Interesting comparison indeed. Maybe Kasey can shed some light; as a Vice Principal's daughter who has had so much experience of the college setting that is." He smiled rawly once again trying to expose a soft spot for both Lena and Kasey.
Lena rolled her eyes as Kasey turned to stare at him face on.
"I don't know. I find the quality of teaching at college far superior. There's a lot less power tripping and bullshit to put up with." Kasey responded slightly riled.
"Stef coughed a warned. "OK, maybe we could keep the language a little more PG." Porter smiled again, enjoying the sniping.
"Well the college exposure didn't really do Kasey any harm." Jesus added. "I mean let's face it, it's how she met Evan." A reminder met with mixed reactions.
"Of course! I forgot you snagged a college boy, Kasey." Michelle snarked. "I see why you were going for a deeper pool, seeing as the only half decent one at our school is your brother." She smiled stroking Brandon's cheek.
Jesus motioned vomiting slightly in his mouth as Kasey bit her tongue. Stef flashed her eyes between them.
"Yes, well it's true Evan has been a lovely addition to our family, despite the initial, delicate circumstances." Lena smiled.
"What delicate circumstances? That your daughter had been shafting her classes to hook up with a much older boy? Yes. I can see how that may have been delicate. Still at least it ended well. Tell me Evan, how old are you? You look vaguely familiar. I didn't teach you did I? Not that I ever forget a face."
"Uhm...I've just turned 21 sir." He responded having a small sip of his own wine.
Porter's eyes widened. "So Kasey would have been...?"
"Responsible enough to know what I was doing when I started seeing him? Yes." She added firmly. "Surely you can't be prudish about a year or two Mr Porter. I thought you weren't picky about age."
Stef quietly put her hand on her daughter's knee warning her about the territory she was treading.
"OK - I am going to have more salad. Anyone else?" Callie interrupted trying to change the subject.
"Great idea, hon. Chuck me some then pass it down. The main course is almost ready." Stef added
There was a small clatter as Jesus dropped his fork after having been flicking it around in his fingers. This was another welcome distraction from the tension but not so much when Porter had set his sights on it.
"I see you fidget as much at home as you do in class, Foster." He commented as Jesus popped his head up.
"Huh?" He responded as Callie picked up his fork for him.
"Oh! And listening is of a similar quality as well." Kasey took a deep breath and Lena rubbed her forehead.
"Well there's nothing wrong with his hearing when there's food at steak is there bud!" Stef added trying to lighten the mood. "Hell of an appetite, helps him be the star on the volleyball pitch." She added rubbing his arm with hopes it may distract him from the dig.
"Oh wow, I didn't think you would still be playing volleyball. Your grades in the other classes must have improved more than in mine if they're still letting you play sports." Jesus simply laughed.
"Weird huh, maybe I respond better to teachers who don't call me stupid all the time."
"Oh son, come on now. You're not stupid, you're just lazy."
Kasey dropped her fork in anger as once again someone tried to save the mood. This time Brandon again.
"Hey I think I heard the food buzzer. Mom?"
"Good shout, B. Uhm, Callie why don't you top up everyone's water glasses and Jesus, Kasey, can you give me a hand? Maybe Evan, you can clear the plates."
"Michelle, Brandon, maybe you guys could tell us about that movie you saw yesterday..." Lena smiled. Stef picked up her wine glass and guided her two teens out with a flick of her head.
Michelle and Brandon exchanged a slightly nervous look trying quickly to think of any reviews they'd heard about the film they had pretended to watch.
"Mom before you yell at us I'm sorry but I am not going to sit by and..."
"OK, OK, calm down. I'm not going to. I'm just taking you out for a bit. I appreciate how hard this is and how hard you're trying. Look, why don't you just try and think of some other topics of conversation he can't turn against you."
"Mom, there is no conversation. It's programmed into him to be an obnoxious son of a bitch!" Jesus spat.
Kasey picked up Stef's wine glass and took a swig before her Mom batted her hand and reclaimed it.
"Hey! Look I appreciate the difficulty of this but that is no excuse for your language. Either of you!" One more lazy slur and I'll find some soap to wash your mouths with. Look - just try and turn conversation away from him as much as you can. Strike up one with Brandon or with Evan or Callie, just try and not get involved in the subjects that make you uncomfortable."
"OK, how about I start up a conversation with Michelle about how she hasn't taken her eyes off Evan all night?"
"Kasey." Stef warned.
"Mom I am serious. Every time I look at her she's undressing him with her eyes! She's doing it to wind me up. I know she can tell I'm watching."
"OK, you need to get over yourself. So you had one disagreement over a stupid boy 3 years ago - she is dating your brother! I hardly think she's going to be sizing up your boyfriend right in front of him!"
"We didn't have some disagreement over a stupid boy Mom, she..." Kasey began but retreated as she saw her Mom looking to press her for more of an explanation. "Look I just...never mind." Her voice dropped. That was not a memory she wanted to relive - especially not here and now.
"OK then. Now come on, let's get this food through. Let's go, let's go."
Evan wandered in with a tray full of the empty starter plates as Kasey passed him with the new ones and Jesus with a serving dish.
He lay the tray down at the side.
"That guy really is an asshole." He said blankly as Stef swatted him. "Hey, not you too, Mister! You and Callie are keeping me sane, I need you to help keep Kasey under control.
"Oh I'll play nice, but it doesn't change that he's an asshole." She took one more swing at him with the towel and a slight smirk as he grabbed another of the serving dishes.
Stef took a couple more and headed out as Jesus and Kasey returned
"You know...I know Mama isn't thrilled about us having ketchup with fancy food..." He smiled. "But Porter strikes me as the sort who may like to cheapen things. Hope it's not the ketchup with the dodgy lid." Kasey smiled and nudged her brother.
"I'm on thin ice as it is, bro. Don't let that stop you however. If you're so crippled by your ADD you may as well put it to good use."
Jesus opened the fridge and got his grinning out of the way while they were still out of sight.
Chapter 6 Preview: Jesus and Kasey get some light relief but Porter sets his sights on Evan.
"Never see you at church." Porter commented, his words dripping with agenda.
"I'm not really religious." He said barely audibly into his glass.
"You do surprise me." Porter squinted his eyes. "I've never met anyone more religious than your Mom." He added before looking between Stef and Lena for their reaction.