Two
Part of Brock instantly regretted the decision to fake-date Vanessa. Was it fair of him to lie to his parents? One one hand, yes, because if they couldn’t accept him for who he was, then it’s their own problem. On the other hand, they were his parents, and getting their hopes up that he was going to be with a woman, well that was just mean. But, he liked Jose a lot, and if this meant he could still hang out with him, then he would do it.
Vanessa thought it was comical that her twin brother was gay for one reason: she was too. The joke in her little family was that their twin gene doubled as the gay gene. Like her brother, she too knew from a young age that she wasn’t like other girls. Their mother was incredible about it. She loved her kids no matter what, but she was very confused when Vanessa and Jose returned from school one day talking about how Vanessa had a date with Brock on Friday. Her kids saw the puzzled look on her face and immediately jumped into explaining.
“Mama, Brock wouldn’t be Jose’s friend because they both gay and his parents are homophobes or some shit and so I said I’d fake-date Brock.”
Alexis raised an eyebrow at her daughter, “you understand that this is probably very stupid, right mija?”
“Mama!” Vanessa groaned, “it ain’t that deep! It’s all a show. Actin’, you know? Hey I’m an actor!” Vanessa beamed.
Alexis rolled her eyes and shook her head, knowing that it was worthless to try to argue with her headstrong daughter.
“Fine, but when this ends poorly, no vengas llorando a mi!”
Vanessa shook her head, Jose stayed quiet. His sister was the brains of this operation. It was entirely her idea, he was merely a pawn in the game.
Brock wasn’t sure how he was going to tell his parents about his situation with Vanessa. He spent most of the day trying to get his words right. Brock loved his family, he did. He just didn’t agree with everything they believed.
His mom died when he was ten, leaving him and his father to fend for themselves. She was the understanding one, she didn’t care if Brock was more sensitive or emotional than other boys. She wasn’t like his dad, who forced the belief that homosexuality was a sin onto Brock. When she died, Brock was devastated. About five years later, Brock’s dad met and married a woman named Theresa, and he moved Brock across the state to be with her and her daughter. Brock liked them, and over time, Brock started to call Theresa mom. She was very good to him, she had always wanted a son. But Theresa was just as closed minded as Brock’s dad, so Brock didn’t feel comfortable discussing his sexuality with her.
Brock met Jose when they moved, and they got really close. Now, here he is, about to tell his parents that he was dating his best friend’s sister.
“Brock, time for dinner!” his mother yelled up to him as he sat in his bedroom.
“Coming.” He took his time descending the stairs, he had to tell them now.
He knew his step-sister was at dance class so he was going to have his parent’s full attention. He sat down in the middle of the table, his parents on each end, and reached for his plate. Tonight’s dinner was chicken parm, one of Brock’s favorites.
“So,” Brock starts halfway through the meal, “I wanted you guys to know that I- I have a date. On Friday.”
Theresa’s face lit up, “oh, honey, that’s great!”
“Really, son? That’s wonderful,” his father said, “who’s the lucky girl?”
Brock resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his father’s stereotypical assumption, even if he was right.
“It’s actually Vanessa, Jose’s sister.”
His parent’s faces were mixed reactions of happy and confused emotions.
“A-alright, well, we would love to meet her. Why don’t you invite her over for dinner on Thursday before the date?”
“Mom, you really don’t have to do that. It’s just one date.”
“Nonsense, Brock, we want to properly meet her and get to know her,” his dad insists, “we’ll make sure we tell your sister to come home, how’s 6pm sound?”
Brock’s jaw tenses, he’s not going to get out of this, so he just nods. Shit. If they wanted to really sell this, Vanessa had to show up.
Brock got to school early the next morning, parked in his normal spot and waited. Jose and Vanessa usually parked next to him so he would know when they got there.He was anxious. He was still kind of on the fence about the whole fake dating thing. When he saw the unmistakable red car pull in next to him, he hopped out of his car quickly, grabbed his bag, and waited for them to get out.
“Hey Brock.” Vanessa gave a smirk that melted into a frown with her nose turned up, “I ain’t gotta kiss you hello or nothin’ do I?”
“Wish you wouldn’t.” Brock deadpanned, causing Jose to snort laugh.
“What about me, hot stuff? Can I give ya a kiss?” Jose winked, causing Brock to blush and shake his head.
“Listen, Vanessa, I have an issue.”
“You ain’t gonna back out are you?” Jose jumped in.
“Well, no, at least I hope not, but Vanessa, my parents want you to come to dinner on Thursday. They want to meet you.”
“What? Why the fuck-”
“Because we are ‘dating’!” Brock said in a duh type of way, causing a blush to creep across Vanessa’s cheeks.
“Right.” she muttered, “I don’t know, Brock, meet the parents? That’s a real serious thing.”
“Vanessa, please.” Jose urged, while Brock said, “they’re a bit old fashioned.”
Vanessa sighed, “fine. But it better be some damn good food!”
Jose gave his sister a pat on the back as a thank you, and grabbed Brock’s arm to head towards the school for their first class.
“Thursday at 6!” Brock calls over his shoulder.
Vanessa met up with her best friends, A’keria and Silky, to chat before heading to their first class.
“Ya’ll, I done fucked up.” Vanessa shook her head.
“What did you do now, Vanj?” A’keria already sounded fully sick of her, if Vanessa wasn’t so tense, she’d laugh.
“I’m fake dating my brother’s best friend/crush.”
Vanessa said it quickly, and her friends looked at each other, eyebrows raised.
“You what?” Silky asked.
“You heard me, Silk.”
“Fake dating? Really?”
Vanessa nodded, “his parents are homophobes or some shit, and didn’t want him to hang with Jo anymore so this was our solution.”
“Uh..huh. Well. I hope this don’t bite you in the ass, Vanjie.” A’keria said.
Vanessa could tell they didn’t exactly approve, but they were her friends she knew she could count on them.
“Jose, which dress says good influence girlfriend? Black or red?”
“Neither, they both whore dresses.”
Vanessa threw a pillow at her brother’s head, “shut up and help me!”
Jose rolled his eyes and got up to look in the closet.
“Here.” he said, pulling out a soft purple knee length dress.
It was one of Vanessa’s least favorites, but she could suffer through it for a few hours.
The drive to Brock’s was an unfamiliar one. Neither Jose nor Vanessa had been there before, as Brock always picked them up when they had plans.
The house was cute, like a suburban cookie cutter. Brock’s mom answered the door and smiled at Vanessa, almost like she was surprised.
“Hello, you must be Vanessa!” she said, excited.
“Yeah, that’s me, hello!” Vanessa plastered her best smile on her face.
“Brock, Vanessa is here!”
Brock bounced down the stairs, giving Vanessa a side hug and muttering a soft hello.
“You’ve met my mom,” Brock said, leading Vanessa into the living room, “this is my dad.”
Vanessa gave a small wave which was returned by Brock’s dad.
“So, Vanessa, have a seat.” Brock’s mom gestured to the open loveseat.
Vanessa sat and Brock sat next to her, and the next few minutes were filled with small talk. They asked about her family and if she’s lived here her whole life. Vanessa thinks that they were trying to ask if she was in the states illegally, but she told them the truth. She lived in Puerto Rico until she was three, and now she’s here.
“So what do your parents do?” Theresa asked.
“It’s just my mama actually, and she is a hairdresser.”
“Oh, are your parents divorced?”
“Nah, they was never married.”
Brock’s mom had a forced smile on her face, Vanessa couldn’t help but feel like she was blowing it.
Theresa disappeared into the kitchen and then returned to announce that dinner was ready. They all stood and Brock gave Vanessa a reassuring pat on the back while his mom yelled up the stairs that dinner was ready to who Vanessa assumed was Brock’s step sister. He didn’t talk about her much, but Vanessa knew that he didn’t dislike her. When Vanessa saw who was coming down the stairs, her stomach dropped and her throat went dry. She knew that girl. She’s known that girl since she was in eighth grade. The beautiful blonde that was a grade ahead, and Vanessa has always had a slight crush on her.
Brooke Lynn Hytes.
“And that would be my step-sister.”
Vanessa nodded, unable to take her eyes off of Brooke, who looked so beautiful in her simple outfit of legging and a tee-shirt. She didn’t know that was Brock’s sister.
Shit.
This was most definitely going to bite her in the ass.