"Weekends with your dad at the countryside huh, I'm a bit jealous." Michael's stepdad says as he drives along the quiet rural road, one hand resting casually on the steering wheel.
"Don't say weird stuff John." Michael replies, staring out the window at the passing fields and trees.
"Hey, what's so wrong with me not being able to see my favorite boy, over the weekend." John says, glancing back at him with a playful pout.
"Eyes on the road John, eyes on the road." Michael reminds him firmly.
"Oh…ok." John answers, sounding a little disappointed as he faces forward again.
"If you're itching for me to destroy you in madden, you have to wait till Monday." Michael adds with a small smile.
"Is that so." John says, letting out a warm laugh.
They soon arrive at Michael's dad's countryside house. As Michael steps out of the car with his luggage, John leans over.
"If anything happens, give me a call ok."
"Ok John, thanks." Michael answers. John waves and drives away.
"Michael!!." A red-haired woman with large breasts shouts, sprinting toward him at full speed.
"Huh!!." Michael barely has time to react before she crashes into him with a tight hug, sending them both tumbling to the ground in a heap.
"I see you've met Clara." Michael's dad says, looking down at the two of them sprawled on the grass with an amused expression.
"Met", is an understatement." Michael groans from beneath her.
"Sorry, I got a little bit too excited Richard." Clara says, chuckling as she sits up.
"Again, "Excited" is an understatement, who is she dad?" Michael asks, brushing dirt off his clothes.
"S-, she's my fiancé." Richard hesitates for a second before saying it.
"Jackpot dude, I'm happy for you, it's about time, I was getting worried you were switching sides." Michael tells his dad with a grin.
"Oh, how I've missed your humor Michael, come on let's head inside." Richard says, chuckling as he helps them both up.
They enter the house. Michael heads straight to his room to drop off his luggage, but the moment he steps inside he does the opposite—he collapses face-first onto the bed.
"Never imagined dad getting a fiancé, and especially with someone as hot as that, "I wonder if I could use my ey-."
"Dude that's your dads fiancée what the fuck is wrong with you!!." Michael immediately shuts the thought down, shaking his head hard as if trying to physically clear it.
Exhausted from the long journey, Michael falls asleep almost instantly. Before he knows it, evening has settled over the countryside. He wakes up and looks out the window at the soft orange glow of the setting sun.
"Damn, I really dozed off, surprisingly nice for somewhere other than my main bed." he thinks. A knock sounds at the door.
"Come in." Michael calls.
"Hey kiddo, Clara just finished cooking dinner, come on down." Richard says from the doorway.
"Nice." Michael answers, getting up. The two of them head downstairs together.
They all sit around the table and begin eating. Michael notices an empty fourth seat with a full plate already set in front of it.
"Uhm Clara who's the food f-." he starts to ask, but is interrupted when a girl enters the house through the back door.
"Wassup." the girl says casually as she walks straight to the dining table and drops into the empty chair.
"You're late again gwen." Clara says, shooting her an angry look.
"Chill out Clara, I had something to take care of." Gwen replies without much concern.
"Hey Michael pass the salt." Gwen says next, not even looking at him.
"You know who I am?" Michael asks, surprised.
"Well Richard wouldn't shut up, about his son coming over, so unless we allow strangers to eat dinner, I assume that's you, now pass the salt." Gwen answers flatly.
"Oh ok." Michael says and hands it over.
"I know you're pretty confused right now Michael, we would have told you about her earlier, but you slept off, she's Clara's niece and she's living with us." Richard explains.
"Why?" Michael asks.
"Got a problem with me living here?" Gwen asks while still eating.
"No, No, I'm just curious, she isn't staying with her mom or something." Michael clarifies.
"Cause she's dead." Clara says in a serious tone.
"Oh." Michael replies quietly, the mood shifting.
"Happy now." Gwen says, continuing to eat as if nothing happened.
"I'm sorry, forget I asked." Michael mutters.
"Nah it's cool." Gwen answers. The entire table falls into an awkward silence.
After they finish eating, Clara and Richard tell Michael and Gwen to wash the dishes together—supposedly so the two of them can get to know each other better. Michael and Gwen exchange matching snarky looks, both fully aware it's just a convenient way for the adults to escape the chore.
As they stand side by side washing the plates, Gwen suddenly says something that catches Michael completely off guard.
"Those eyes of yours are pretty cool huh, I wonder what they can do." she remarks with a knowing smirk.