10: Family

Kris drove down the beach strand, clad in dark Ray Bans, a ridiculous grin plastered on his face. By contrast, Tao was in a much darker mood, arms crossed and scowl pointed as he focused on the houses zipping by. He had no interest in talking to Kris, looking at Kris, or even breathing the same damn air as Kris. The last thing he needed was to start thinking about the kiss they’d shared. Quite frankly, he’d much rather jump off the island’s longest pier and drown himself in the ocean.

“Why are you in such a bad mood today?” asked Kris, still smiling. “Oh wait! I know!” he teased, “It’s because you’re always like this. Do you have a happy button hidden on you somewhere? Let me see...” Kris reached over, poking Tao’s arm, shoulder, neck, temple, chest.

“WOULD YOU STOP TOUCHING ME!” exploded Tao with the force of a thousand nuclear bombs.

Kris opened his mouth in shock before erupting into amused laughter. “Whoa-ho-ho! Damn, Taozi! Are you really that pissed at me?”

“Are you really asking me that?” Tao almost slipped and looked at Kris but caught himself before the damage could be done.

“Yes, I am. Now why are you so angry?” Kris’ tone had done a complete one-eighty within a matter of seconds. Very rarely was the surfer ever serious. It unnerved Tao on the deepest level. He didn’t think he could confront what had happened last night and prayed that Kris wouldn’t bring it up.

“I just... I didn’t sleep well is all,” replied Tao, hoping his answer was passable enough and that Kris wouldn’t read into it too much.

“Well if it makes you feel any better, I didn’t sleep well either,” admitted the surfer.

Tao startled at the other’s admission. Secretly, he wondered if Kris hadn’t slept well for the same reason that he hadn’t, but quickly dispelled the thought. The two of them fell silent until Kris pulled into Tao’s driveway, putting the Jeep into park to the left of Mr. Huang’s midnight-black Corvette.

Tao sighed heavily. “I really don’t feel like doing this right now.”

“What, your dad?” Kris looked at Tao with mild concern, hemp bracelets sliding down his wrists as he shut the driver-side door.

“Yeah.” Tao ruffled his beach-matted hair. He’d given up on keeping it perfectly styled, a feat that was nearly impossible to do when you were constantly either on the beach or in the water.

“Hey. It’s not going to be that bad, okay? It’s just dinner, right? Besides... I’m here. Which means this dinner is guaranteed to be argument free!” Kris walked around the Jeep and nudged Tao’s shoulder with his own.

Tao shoved the surfer away gently, still intent upon not making eye contact. “You're such an idiot. I hope you know that.”

“Yeah I know, seeing as how you call me that practically every day now.”

Suddenly, the wind shifted, bringing with it the scent of coconut sunblock, salt water, and an underlying hint of sugary sunshine. Tao found himself breathing it in deeply, eager to get a taste of it on the tip of his tongue. Kris smelled like summer. Out of reflex, Tao looked up right as Kris took off his sunglasses and hung them on the collar of his white t-shirt. Their eyes finally met. Time slowed as they surveyed each other, each of them searching for a sign, although neither of them knew for what just yet. Then the moment passed as quickly as it'd happened.

“We better hurry up." Tao nodded toward his house. “The sooner we can get this cookout over with the better.”

Tao’s father was all smiles and there to greet them when they walked through the front door. “Come on in! I already started up the grill. It shouldn’t be too much longer before the hotdogs and hamburgers are ready.”

“Sounds great, Mr. Huang,” replied Kris, “It’s nice to finally meet you.

“Likewise, young man!” Mr. Huang extended a hand with an approving smile. Kris shook the elder’s hand firmly. “I wish I could say that I’ve heard a lot about you, Kris, but Tao tends to keep a lot of things to himself.”

Tao clenched his jaw, a snappy retort sitting heavily on the tip of his tongue. He took a quick look at Kris and swallowed it. Having an argument with his dad in front of Kris would be beyond insensitive.

Kris laughed lightly at Mr. Huang’s assessment. “Tao’s locked up pretty tight. It takes a lot of poking and prodding to get anything out of him, but once you get to know him, he’s a pretty decent guy.”

Tao’s breath hitched. Did Kris just pay him a compliment? Because it sure as hell sounded like one. The way the tall surfer was smiling crookedly confirmed his suspicions.

Mr. Huang cleared his throat, appearing somewhat bashful. “W-Well I’ll just leave you two to it. I don’t want to intrude or anything. I’ll let you know when the food is done.” Then he walked out the back door and onto the deck. Through the glass, Tao and Kris could see him open the grill and cough as the plum of smoke bellowed out. Tao’s father was a terrible cook. Hopefully his grilling skills warranted a better outcome than his other failed cooking endeavors.

Tao was taken aback by his father’s polite, enthusiastic, and relaxed demeanor. He’d never seen the man in this sort of light before. To top it all off, he’d given him some space which usually didn’t happen. Tao wasn’t sure if it was due to the fact that they had company for the first time, or if his dad was making a legitimate effort to be considerate of his boundaries. He knew he should accept it for its worth and be grateful, but he wasn't used to bestowing trust in people.

“So um...” Tao wasn't sure where to start. He and Kris were in the house alone, which it made him nervous, because the last time they’d been alone it'd resulted in them kissing. Tao swallowed down the lump in his throat. This definitely wasn’t a good idea.

“Can I see your room?” blurted Kris, grinning like a curious child. He didn’t wait for a response before grabbing Tao’s hand and bounding up the stairs. He found the room easily enough, eyes widening when he pushed open the bedroom door. “This is it?”

“Yes?” replied Tao, feeling self conscious while biting his bottom lip.

Kris took in the old dresser, plain walls, boring sheets, and turned to Tao. “I’m just a little surprised is all. When you first got here, you dressed so... intricately. I thought for sure your room would be similar.”

“Well sorry to disappoint you, surfer boy, but I like my space clutter free. Besides, it’s not like I’ll be living he--“ Tao stopped himself short. He wouldn’t be here long. Only for summer break as a matter of fact. He thought about the island, the surf shop, his unconventional friends... and Kris. His heart sank just a little bit. He’d grown attached to the island where life passed by at a leisurely pace. It gave him the chance to think and reflect.

Kris noticed a shift in Tao’s demeanor and considered asking about it but let it drop. Tao had been on edge as of late. Kris had a feeling it was entirely his doing. “Is this your mom?” He picked up a small, wooden picture frame from the top of Tao's dresser, to which the younger nodded. “She’s really pretty.” And Kris meant it too. She was a gorgeous lady--all long, silky black hair, lightly tanned skin, and beautiful eyes. “You have her eyes, you know. It’s actually kinda freaky that you guys look so much alike.”

“That’s what everyone says.” Tao hopped onto the bed and yanked a pillow into his lap, cheeks lightly flushed as he occupied himself with staring at the pillow.

Kris flopped backwards onto Tao’s bed, stretched out, and rested his arms behind his head. “It’s true," he stated matter-of-factly, "And you know, everyone used to tell me the same thing about my mom.”

“I never asked but...” Tao picked at a corner of the pillow case. "Where’s your mom?”

“My mom? She died when I was a toddler. Caught the Flu. Then pneumonia. And never got over it. So my dad took care of me.” Kris was surprised the words fell so easily from his mouth. It wasn’t something he dished out to people. Revealing such personal things to Tao seemed natural and easy, though.

“So who took care of you after, you know...” Tao pressed, looking to Kris curiously.

“My grandmother raised me. She wasn’t in the best of health but got to see me graduate high school at least.”

“It really blows that all of that happened to you. It doesn’t seem fair at all.”

Kris shrugged his shoulders. “I’m used to it, I guess. For a long time, I just had myself. But then I had surfing and friends and... now you.” Kris kept his gaze trained on the ceiling and extended a hand into the air, squinting as he drew imaginary circles into the tiles overhead with his index finger.

“Ohh ghhad.” Tao faked nausea. “Don’t get all mushy on me. You’ll make me throw up.”

Kris laughed and yanked the pillow from Tao’s lap, sticking out his tongue like a two-year-old. “Why don’t we just say we’re friends and call it even?” He sat up and tossed the pillow into Tao’s face.

“Hey!” Tao griped, “What makes you think I want to be friends with you anyway?” The younger swung the pillow, hitting Kris in the side of the head with a halfhearted smirk.

Kris leaned toward Tao, a mischievous glint evident in his eyes. “It’s just a feeling I have, Taozi. Let’s just leave it at that.” He reached out tentatively, hesitating when Tao’s brows furrowed, then ruffled the other’s bangs with a soft smile. His hand lingered there as Tao's warmth moved its way through his fingertips, up his arm, and into his chest where it settled itself resolutely. Kris realized that warmth had been hidden there all along, right from the moment he’d first met the city kid who'd fallen into a tidal pool on the beach that day.

Kris had a lot to think about. He’d come close to screwing things up when he’d kissed Tao out of the blue. It hadn’t been planned, or expected, or even thought about until that point. He’d been just as shocked as Tao. However, in the hours leading up to now, Kris had been fitting the puzzle pieces together. Only a few remained until he’d finally have his answer.

“Boys! The food is ready!” Tao’s father called from the bottom of the stairs.

Kris lept off the bed at the mention of food. “Yes! I’m starving! I didn’t have time to eat today!”

“What?” Tao asked, surprised. “Why didn’t you eat?”

“Because I to spend half the day playing drill sergeant. My house was a wreck.”

“How bad?” asked Tao, eager to hear all of the gory details as they made their way down the stairs.

“Let me put it this way,” continued Kris, “It was... pudding-wrestling-in-a-swimming-pool-trashed-living-room-shower-vomit-people-doing-the-nasty-in-my-bed... kind of bad.”

Tao burst out laughing, nearly tripping over the last step before doubling over and clenching his stomach.

“Well I’m glad you think it’s funny,” said Kris defensively.

“Where is my son and what have you done with him?” asked Mr. Huang as he placed a hand on Kris’ shoulder. Tao was nearly wheezing by that point.

“I don’t know,” replied Kris, “Vut I think I kinda like it. A lot, actually.”


-


Tao sat at the wooden picnic table on the back deck, chewing on a burger while eyeing his father and Kris with disdain. The two of them were laughing, having switched from soda to beer sometime over the course of dinner. Tao narrowed his eyes as he continued to chew slowly, the beach wind flicking his hair into his face.

“HAHAHA! REALLY?” exclaimed Kris, slapping Mr. Huang on the back in good-natured humor.

Tao bit the inside of his cheek.

“I kid you not! I came home from work that day, and Tao had doodled all over the hallway with the crayons I’d bought him for his birthday!” Mr. Huang snickered before downing the last of his beer.

Kris turned towards Tao and saw the god-awful look the other was giving him. Kris’ smile quickly faltered, and he flashed Tao an inquisitive look as if to say, what’s wrong? Tao only rolled his eyes and took a gigantic bite of his burger, chewing it ferociously. Kris wasn’t dense. He had a pretty good idea of why Tao was so ill at the moment. Mr. Huang was spouting childhood stories, but Kris knew it was only because the elder had no other stories to tell. Surely Tao realized that.

Mr. Huang caught onto the change in atmosphere, and without thinking, headed straight into a loaded minefield. “What’s that look for, Tao? Aren’t you having a good time?”

Kris flinched.

Tao threw his burger onto his plate. “A good time? Am I having a good time?” He looked as though he were about to explode, but Kris could see that Tao was trying desperately to snip off the fuse. “No, Dad. I’m not having a good time,” Tao proceeded more calmly. “You practically forced this cookout onto me. And now you’re telling stories about my childhood like you have the right to. Which you don’t.”

“I don’t understand,” began Mr. Huang, “I just thought--“

“Yeah, well, you thought wrong.”

It wasn't Kris' place to intervene, but seeing Tao get upset so quickly (and for good reason), blurred the boundaries. “Mr. Huang...” began Kris, “I can see what you’re trying to accomplish here, but don’t you think you should try to see things from Tao’s perspective?”

Tao felt as though he’d been struck by lightning. Was Kris actually standing up for him?

“What do you mean?” asked his father, brow furrowed.

Kris cleared his throat and straightened his spine. “Well, I can’t speak for Tao, but if I were in his position, quite frankly I’d be a little pissed off.” Mr. Huang fumbled for words but Kris didn’t give him the chance to speak. “Tao doesn’t know you that well. And you don’t know him that well either, yet you keep acting like you do. It’s like you’re trying to pick up where you left off, but I don’t think it works that way.” Kris had more to say but quickly stuffed it down. He’d already said too much. He didn’t have a right to weigh in with his opinion. After all, he didn’t have parents, but he couldn’t leave Tao hanging either.

“I...” Mr. Huang turned towards his son, “Is that how you feel, Tao?”

Tao looked to Kris, to his father, and then back and forth once more. Now was his chance to be honest. He’d never had the courage to do so before, but with Kris here, the honesty came out with ease. “Y-Yeah. It is.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” asked his father.

“I tried. But you wouldn’t listen.” Tao picked idly at what was left of his hamburger bun.

The table became quite as the ocean hissed in the background, the occasional seagull squawking overhead.

“I’m sorry.” Mr. Huang’s apology nearly blended in with the wind but Tao still heard it.

For the first time, he heard sincerity in his father’s words. In that moment, it felt as though a gigantic weight had been lifted from his heart. It surprised him at first, but after the initial shock had passed, Tao’s vision became blurred by moisture.

“I’m sorry too,” he replied, trying his best to swallow down the emotions that threatened to spew over the surface.

“I’m gonna go get another drink,” Kris declared, nearly startling the other two. “You guys want one?”

After receiving a sheepish response from Tao and his father, Kris went inside and ventured into the kitchen. He took his time pulling out three more beers, twisting off the top of one of them before leaning against the counter and taking a swig. Kris stared out the window, content with hanging out inside for a while so a father and his son do some much needed talking.

Kris hoped his tiny push had been enough. It didn’t do good for a person to stay mad at someone for the rest of their life. Family was a very precious thing, and hopefully, Tao would be able to see that now.

Kris smiled to himself, grin pearly white and eyes crinkled at the corners, and took another sip of his beer.