In the fraction of a second it took for the doorknob to turn, the Nintendo 64 and all of its games vanished and the living room was back to normal, with Cybernator paused on the TV screen.
Darlene Conner strode in and DJ jumped up from the sofa. His game day was abruptly put on ice and a look was smeared across his face that told her just how busted he was.
DJ’s sister Darlene was a sixteen year old girl with a hobby for writing dark fiction, rebelling against the status quo, raising her own expectations of herself and throwing them in her family’s face. With her vampiric pale skin and a naturally lazy expression; her long crimpy painted black hair, and shoes that could pass for combat boots, Darlene was most likely exactly what the casual observer would assume of her, cynical and unfriendly.
With a backpack hanging over one shoulder, Darlene had just gotten home from college in Michigan and had a not-so-friendly interaction with her boyfriend at The Lunch Box – her first stop since the bus station. She wanted to come home and unwind a bit before the rest of the family could beat her there, but to her pleasant surprise her peculiar kid brother was at home in the middle of a school day and with company no less.
“What are you doin’ here?” she asked already amused.
“I’m—” DJ thought quickly and swallowed the rest of his chip. “Sick.” He coughed fallibly.
“Ahh, so you’re skippin’ school huh?” she said then noticed Prince kneeling on the couch, “And who’s your friend?”
“Darlene, please don’t tell mom. Please!” DJ pled.
“Quit begging. The last thing I want to do is help her out,” she said with a smirk. “But she’s gonna know what’s going on the minute she waddles through that door.”
“How come?” DJ asked.
“Clues bonehead,” Darlene replied as she headed for the couch. “Mom monitors the chips.”
As she picked up the bag of chips, she took another glance at Prince who seemed to be hanging onto her words with as much attention as DJ.
“Whoa, what’s up with your friend’s eyes?” she said leaning in on him.
Prince drew back feeling a bit intruded.
“I don’t know,” DJ replied. “They’re just like that.”
“Yeah, you might want to get that checked pal,” Darlene said and stood back upright, flinging her dark curls out of her eye.
The front door opened and in walked David Healy; Darlene’s sixteen year old longtime boyfriend. He had a small stature, unkempt brown hair in careless coils, and eyes that confessed of insecurities.
“Darlene, I think we should—” DJ caught his attention. “Oh—hey DJ. Shouldn’t you be in school right now?”
“No, go away,” DJ flatly replied.
“What do you want David?” Darlene asked with an exhausted sigh.
“I think we should talk.”
“What’s to talk about? We’re not a couple anymore, remember?”
“You should apologize to her for giving her that ultimatum David,” His Highness the Prince said breaking his silence.
“What? What are you talking about?” David asked moving to the arm of the couch, his eyes creasing with annoyance.
“You tried to make her choose between you and school. Don’t you think that was selfish?” he continued.
“Uhhh… yeah. I—I guess,” David answered. His mind seemed to be drawing a blank.
“Yea. He’s right,” said Darlene. She smiled to Prince, “Thanks little guy.”
Prince nodded approvingly.
“But you were the one being a jerk at the diner,” David accused Darlene.
“She’s always a jerk. That’s how she is,” Prince said.
“What?! I am not,” Darlene defended.
“Yes you are. You never do anything nice for anyone around here. That’s why you don’t have many friends. And the only guys you consider a relationship with – in my great opinion – are better off with other men. But then again, why compare oranges and tangerines?”
David chuckled alone before DJ finally caught up with the analogy and burst into laughter pointing at his sister.
“What the hell? Are you saying I’m like a guy? I thought you were on my side,” Darlene said and flung her backpack on the couch before David.
“Oh I am,” Prince calmly retorted. “But think of me as a square: I’m even on all four sides.”
The remnant of DJ’s laughter further frustrated Darlene.
“What are you laughing at dorkwad? You’ve got a better chance at winning an ugly contest than getting a girlfriend of any kind.”
“Hey, that’s not nice,” David said.
“Yeah, neither is that fact that you can’t touch the top of the door frames standing on your tiptoes, but you don’t hear me running to their defense,” she scoffed.
Prince couldn’t hold back a good chuckle.
“Whoa she’s on a roll today folks,” he said.
“Thanks. I try,” she replied nonchalantly.
David shot back at Darlene; Darlene shot off at both of them, and DJ shouted between them with attempts to be the loudest of the three. Prince watched on entertained.
The back door opened, but no one else noticed but Prince. In walked Dan Conner; the burly, strong armed, disciplinary, yet comical patriarch of the Conner clan; a fine father about town. Having been laid off from work a few months ago, he was on a diligent job hunt as of late. But without much luck in the matter, he just ended up right back at home; today a bit earlier than usual. Hearing all the commotion, he rushed into the living room.
“Heeeeyyyy heyyyy!” he yelled, breaking up the argument. “What’s goin’ on in here? DJ, what the hell are ya doin’ at home this time a day?!”
“I was gonna tell you Mister Conner,” said an appeasing David.
“Of course wimp boy was,” Darlene added.
“Who is this?” asked Dan looking at Prince. Anyone’s response at this point would have sufficed. His anger subsided however upon the sight of his eyes; looking strangely at them.
“What’s the deal with the eyes? Are those natural?” Dan said.
“I don’t know. Ask Marvin the Martian over there.”
“Shut up Darlene!”
“You shut up!”
“BOTH OF YOU!—just be quiet,” Dan yelled. “Now, I don’t know what you’re doin’ home right now DJ, but your friend’s gonna have to go home and you’re goin’ to your room, ‘cause you’re grounded.”
“But I don’t want to go yet,” His Highness boldly spoke.
As Dan looked into Prince’s eyes, he couldn’t help but feel the need to conciliate him.
“Well—uhhh—you don’t have to go home… uhh—you can stay here. But DJ’s got to go to his room.”
“I know, but it’s kind of my fault though…” Prince said and kneeled to face the back of the couch where Mr. Conner was. Dan looked slightly clueless, mostly entranced by the boy’s strange eyes.
“What happened was: I came to tell DJ not to play hooky. But then I got sidetracked when I saw his video game and so when he offered to show me how to play, I couldn’t resist.”
“I can’t even believe someone as cool as you would even want to hang with a dweeb like DJ,” Darlene said.
“We’re kids right? That’s what we do; make friends with each other,” Prince responded.
“Well I guess you should’ve told him sooner, but it’s too late now,” Dan continued with and unyielding authority. “DJ you’re grounded until further notice, so say goodbye to your friend —”
“Wait… It’s not over yet,” Prince said and looked to the front door.
The seconds soundlessly ticked away, and the group looked in wonder and anticipation.
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