TWELVE.

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❛ you made me want to feel again. ❜
     
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯



RIVER SAT AT the dinner table placed in between Ronnie and her mother. Silence circulated all through the air, except for the light sounds of their silverware clinking against the plates. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat tugging at the collar of his shirt. He grumbled silently to himself, wishing that he had worn something different.

River had changed his outfits countless times prior to arriving at Ronnie's house for dinner. He took a shower and made sure he wore his best attire - spending fifteen minutes exchanging out of his clothes. He replaced the red sweater he intended to wear for a nice buttoned down shirt and discarded the stained pair of denim jeans for a cleaner pair. He wanted to wear a nice pair of shoes but the only shoes that were in his closet were his hightop pair of converse.

River's hair was styled perfectly slick back, he gelled it - opposed to leaving it in the bedraggled state it's usually in and made sure there wasn't a single strand out of place.

He knew he probably looked foolish trying so desperately hard to please them but as he stated before: he wanted to make a good impression but now he was deeply starting to regret it. From his peripheral vision, River could see Ronnie's father sending daggers his way. He clears his throat and returns his attention back to the half eaten food that sat on his plate.

The entire time she sat there, Ronnie just silently prayed for the night to over. The silence made everything awkward and uncomfortable, she just wanted the night to end. Ronnie could sense River's nervousness; seeing him angrily tugging at his clothing and shifting in his seat. She reaches under the table and grabs ahold of his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. River peers over at her and smiles, thankful that she was there to help him rile down his nerves.

He returns the gesture then intertwined his fingers within hers, resting their hands on his lap.

"So, River tell us about yourself. Where do you work?" Victor's booming voice asked, startling both Ronnie and River - prying them away from their realms and grasping their attention. He picked up his fork and shoved a piece of the grilled steak into his mouth, looking at River and waiting for a response.

"Dad." Ronnie laments, sending him a pleading glare as she shook her head already knowing where he was going with this.

"What? I'm just trying to get to know the boy, Veronica." He probes, attempting to make it appear as an innocent conversation but she could hear the sarcasm seething in his voice. He gives his daughter a pointed look before averting his eyes back at River, still patiently waiting for his answer.

"I work at the factory downtown, I've been working there since I graduated high school."

"Oh. You work at a factory. That's nice." He commented, stifling back a cough as he brings his glass of water to his mouth and takes a sip. Victor placed the glass back onto the table and proceed to talk, paying no mind to the hardened glare his daughter was giving him. "So, you didn't go to college?"

River shook his head. "No sir, I couldn't afford to go but I'm saving up and I plan to enroll sometime later in the year."

"Well, that's nice. What are you intending to major in?" Mrs. Drew inquired, speaking up for the first time since his arrival. Though he could still sense her caution towards him, she didn't share the same amount of hostility towards River like her husband - which he felt grateful for.

River ponders on this for a second, not certain on how to answer. He always fumbled at the thought of this because he was unsure of what he was interested in and what he wanted to do with his life career wise. He always figured that he'd find his answers along the way. "I'm kinda indecisive about it right now."

"Veronica was the same way during her senior year in high school, she had no idea what she wanted to major in. I'm sure whatever you decided it'll be something you enjoy. Did you like the food? Veronica told me that you were a vegan." She queries, indicating to his plate that consisted of small bite sized pieces of food left.

"Oh, yes. Everything is delicious thank you."

Ronnie felt relief, albeit her father was doing everything to sabotage the night, she could tell that her mother was at least attempting to know River and was engaging in a conversation with him - which was certainly more than her father could say. She sat back smiling as her mother and River exchanged a few words.

"I'm curious to know how Corey feels about this." She hears her father state, interrupting them mid-conversation. River pauses and glances over at Ronnie, who only responded with a roll of her eyes. "About you two dating. He knows, right?"

"No because it's none of his business. Why are you even bringing him up?" Veronica catechizes growing agitated by her father's behavior. She didn't understand why he insisted on being such a pain especially towards River when all he's done is try to prove himself to them. Ronnie wanted her parents to get along with River but her father couldn't even make an initiative to be nice.

"Well last I remember he was your boyfriend. He was respectful, in school, had a lot going for him. I don't understand why you continuously choose the wrong men to date, Veronica. I mean for christ sakes, this boy drives a pickup truck and works at a factory! Why do you demean yourself by lowering your standards?"

Ronnie gasps - astounded and perturbed that he would make a comment like that.  She feels herself fuming with anger and utterly disgusted by his comments. She looked over at River who sat quietly with his head hung low and shoulders slumped. She felt terrible that he had to hear her father speak those cruel words.

"I like River dad he's a nice guy and I'm not gonna stop dating him because you're too shallow to see that. I think it's time for you to go." No longer wanting to hear her father's berating words, Ronnie dismisses her parents from her house stating that dinner was over and that she needed to clean up so she could prepare for bed - though the real reason was that she wanted her to get far away from her father.

"You can show yourself out." She grabs her plate and walks into the kitchen, placing the dirty dish in the sink.


They're in the kitchen standing over the sink, washing up the last few of the dirty dishes. They've both been quiet since her parents left twenty minutes ago. She assumes that he's still bothered by her father's words, which he has the right to be, rightfully so. Ronnie's the first one to break the silence.

"I'm sorry about my dad. He can be a dick sometimes." She murmurs, handing over the clean glass plate so that he could dry it off, and rolling her eyes at the mention of her father.

River takes ahold of the dish and uses the cloth to dry it then placed it in the cabinet afterwards. He knew he shouldn't have been so offended by his words being that Ronnie warned him about her father's behavior, but it still hurt that he thought so little of River simply because he didn't come from the same economical background as them.

River pulls himself away from his musings and sighs, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "It's—"

"No. It's not okay." She declares interjecting him before he could brush it off like she knew that he would. There was no excuse for her father's rude behavior. "You're an incredible person and I don't care if he likes you or not. I do. That's not going to change for him or anyone else."

At this he simpers and leans over to embrace her succulent lips with his, thanking her for her kind words. There was still one thing, however that still bothered him. Mr. Drew stated earlier that Corey was her previous boyfriend which he found quite peculiar because he remembered her saying that they never dated and she didn't correct her father when he said it. It shouldn't be bothering him this much because he's the one that's with Ronnie now but he couldn't seem to shake this eery detail from his mind.

Instead of drawing conclusions and turning something into nothing, River figures that it would just be best if he asked her about it.

"So..." He draws, clearing his throat as he leans his body against the counter. River folds his arms across his chest, glancing over at Ronnie who peered at him with a confused expression marring on her face. "You and Corey?"

Ronnie snickered as she tossed the damp dish cloth aside. "Um, no. No me and Corey. We never dated, my dad thought we did only because Corey used to follow me around like a helpless puppy."

River feels relieved at this news and relishes a content sigh. Ronnie looks over at him with her eyebrows furrowed together, wondering why he suddenly seemed so happy. When it finally dawns on her, she chuckles lowly, clicking her tongue against her teeth as she turns to face him with an amused smirk playing on her lips. "Did you really ask me that because you actually thought I date him or because you were jealous?"

"Jealous?" River scoffs lowly as he brings his hand to the back of his neck and sheepishly rubs at it. "I wasn't jealous. I was just curious, that's all." He winces knowing that she wasn't believing a word that flowed from his mouth but instead of calling him out on his bluff she simply grins, nodding her head and mumbling mhm under her breath before returning to washing the dishes.

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