The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis

Author:Angelo Surmelis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2017-12-05T00:00:00+00:00

twenty-one

Getting ready for church is always a big deal. We have to get up extra early so that we all look as pressed and perfect as possible. My dad and I have to wear a suit and tie and my mother is either in a dress or skirt-blouse-blazer combo. We look like a Greek political family about to do a press conference.

My mother enters my room. We still haven’t spoken about what she did to my artwork. Apparently she said all she needed to. I feel nauseous and angry. “Let me take a look at you. Still haven’t picked a tie?”

“This one.” I hold up a navy tie with a graphic print of small turquoise flowers outlined in white.

“No. Here.” She reaches into my top dresser drawer and pulls out a politician’s tie. Stripes. Navy, Greek-flag blue, and white. “This is more appropriate.”

She comes over to me, raises my shirt collar, and starts to knot the press-conference tie around my neck. “Your father and I are happy to hear you worked yesterday.” Working is the only thing that can get me out of church and other activities deemed worthy of my time. Being lazy is just as evil as being ungodly.

“But you didn’t get enough time with Gaige, did you?”

My mind is reeling. What’s going on?

She stands back and admires her handiwork. “Looks nice.” And then: “Good clothes hide a lot of ugly.” She pats my head and then runs a single finger down the bridge of my nose and stops right at the tip. “Did you see your friend Gaige?” She then puts her hands in mine, starts to hum, and leads me in a slow dance. She’s smiling. I follow her lead but am completely confused. We’re dancing around my room, she’s still humming, and my head is throbbing. “You can pass for handsome if you try.”

“Well, look at you two. Smiling, dancing, and looking good.” My father enters. My mother releases my hands and twirls to show off her outfit and newly fluffed hair. “Very nice, Vee.”

I can barely hear what he’s saying because I’m so focused on trying to figure out what she knows.

My dad says, “You look very handsome, young man.”

“That suit helps. Give us a minute, Eli.” She smiles at him and he walks out.

She takes my hands again and this time slows down until we’re cheek to cheek. “Did you miss your boyfriend? The one you seduced?” My hands instantly go cold. The tone in her voice doesn’t change. “I showed your diary to the pastor and he told me what was in it.” She pulls back and looks at me with cold, hard eyes.

“When did you? How?” My throat tightens.

“You’re not the only one who can be sneaky. You forget that thing at home sometimes. I need to know what you’re doing behind my back.”

“It’s not what you— Nothing happened.”

“It’s my fault. I assumed that Bible camp would be a place to be with people are are right. Good. But evil can be anywhere.

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