The Volleyball Girl and The Player?

Chapter 27: family matters

HUNTER'S POV:

 "I'll go home with my dad and talk to both my parents as long as you go and see your dad," I say to Raya as we are standing outside my dad's BMW. He is waiting for my decision, but he refuses to get out of the car, so he can't hear what we are saying.

  Raya's jaw drops and scowls at me.

"That's unfair!"

 "No, it's really not. Basically the same situation,"

   "No it's not! It's totally different! My reasons are scary serious!" She snaps at me and I roll my eyes.

"Please,"

 She shakes her head at me and I sigh. I don't really want to talk to my parents but I do want Raya to fix her problems with her dad.

    "If you want me to work out my problems with my parents then do this one thing for me," I say and she squeezes her eyes shut.

"I hate you,"

   "I know you don't,"

"Fine! But your problems with your parents better be one hundred percent fixed," she snaps before stalking into her house. I see her limping slightly and sigh.

  I run up behind her, pick her up bridal style and carry her into her house. No one is home yet because her brother is still at school and her mom is still at work. I set her on the couch, kiss her softly, whisper thanks in her ear, and head back out of the house to my dad's car.

   He smiles at me, but I ignore him. I hear him sigh heavily but it's his fault that I left that stupid house.

We drive to the house silently and when he parks in the driveway, I hop out of the car quickly and head into the house. Mom looks up from her book and gasps in shock..

 She lurches off the couch and stumbles over to me. She quickly wraps her arms around me and hugs me with my standing there stiffly.

   "I'm so glad you're home!"

"Mom..."

   "I missed you so much. So has your father, he just doesn't admit it,"

 "Mom, I haven't decided whether or not I am actually staying here or not. I came to talk is all," I say and she freezes. She pulls away from me and her eyes fill with tears. She rushes out of the room and into the kitchen just as my dad walks into the house.

 He glares at me and I roll my eyes. I see not much has changed.

"what did you say to your mother?"

      "The truth. That I am here to talk about our problems and that I have yet to decide whether I am staying here or not," I snap back at him and we glare at each other.

"What is wrong with you?!" Dad starts and I rub my eyes.

   "This is exactly why I left in the first place,"

Dad stares at me for a few more minutes before his eyes soften and he rubs the bridge of his nose.

   "I'm sorry. Please don't leave. Let's talk," Dad says and I nod slowly. We walk into the living rom where Mom is sitting on her comfy chair, trying to make it seem like she wasn't crying.

     I plop down on the couch and Dad sits down on the other end of the couch. Mom cringes like she always does when I sit down like that. She's afraid that i'll break her 'new' couch.

 "Where do we start?" Dad asks and I snort cynically.

"How about the part where you explain to me why you both yelled at me for everything. And the part where no matter how hard I try it's never enough for either of you. It's always 'get better grades, Hunter' 'try harder at football and you might get good enough' 'why can't you be a better son?' 'Why are we stuck with you'," I snap and Mom starts crying again. Dad stares at the ground and I see shame written all over his face.