Chapter 6: Guessed (Ziola)

My phone buzzed in my jean pocket and broke my concentration on Kael. Suddenly without giving me a second, the door opened wide and Xena walked in, followed by Dash and Dwight.

"Hey Zee," Xena beamed at me and start firing her gaze at Kael.

"Man, you've got company," Dwight said as he walked towards us, Dash behind him.

"Do. Not. Open. Your. Mouth." I mouthed the words at Kael turning away from his sight for a second. He still looks like he had a heart attack. "Oh," Dash said jumping onto the couch next to me. "Aren't you gonna introduce us, Zee?"

I would never bring Kael in front of them if I had a pre-warning, or at least a few seconds before they opened my door and stepped in. I can see them scanning him, head to toe.

"Guys, meet my cousin Kael," I put on my best smile to make it believable.

"And Kael, this is Xena, Dash and Dwight," I said hoping Kael would play along.

"_ Have we met before?" Dwight asked like he was not buying my lie.

"No, he lived abroad," I added quickly.

"Seriously man?" Dwight looked at Kael. He nodded and looked at me –clueless what to do.

"Um… Guys, what brings you'll here?" I attempted to rescue Kael.

"Oh! We are here to get you out and just hang out a little. But now we have your cousin. I think we should let him join too," Xena said, flipping her elegant curly hair.

'Oh. No!' thought. This is going to be a disaster. I opened my mouth to decline her offer but got distracted by a call.

"Excuse me," I excused myself from them leaving Kael who's pleading with his eyes. (Thank God! He might have left his glasses on my room, or else I have to find answers for that too.)

"Mom," I answered the call.

"Zee, what's up?" she asked, there's nothing about my mom checking in with me. She just wanted to pass me a message, most probably.

"Nothing mom."

"Dad and I are going out, so we won't join you tonight."

'Oh! Here it comes. What sort of luck,' I thought, but I didn't say those words. "Sorry mom, I'd love to see y'all"

"Oh honey, we can take lunch if you want"

Here it is again.

"Mom I'm hanging out with my friends"

"Oh!" she sighed in relief at the other end.

"You're fine ok?"

"Yeah totally"

I hung up on her and paced towards the living room. All of them have surrounded Kael. To my relief (yet horror), three of them were listening to him. For any reason, he was at ease. I stopped midway. "I think like I travelled through…" His words were echoing inside my head. I looked at him again, yes; he was different from the rest of us. Now surrounded by my friends, it's obvious that he has no idea about the surrounding. How clueless he is. I replayed the last hours after we met and some things started making sense –his words replaying inside my head.

I stopped my chain of thoughts and went inside.

"Hey Zee, your cousin is telling about a water park he used to go with his friends back at home," Dash explained. "Dude, where you said you were from?" Dwight asked.

Kael opened his mouth to answer, but instead of letting him, I spoke for him. "A very little town," I just cut off shortly and added, "guys, actually we have lunch with mom and dad."

"Oops!" Xena said pouting.

"Then let's go out another time," Dash added standing from the couch.

My friends knew better than getting involved with my dad. So, it was the best excuse I could use.

"See you man, you too Zee" Dwight patted Kael on the shoulder and walked away.

As soon as they were out of the door (I added a mental note to change my password) I looked at Kael. "We need to talk," I sat locking my gaze at him.