❛ you made me want to feel again. ❜
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RIVER SAT AT the dinner table placed in between Ronnie and her mother. Silence circulated all through the air, except for the light sounds of their silverware clinking against the plates. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat tugging at the collar of his shirt. He grumbled silently to himself, wishing that he had worn something different.
River had changed his outfits countless times prior to arriving at Ronnie's house for dinner. He took a shower and made sure he wore his best attire - spending fifteen minutes exchanging out of his clothes. He replaced the red sweater he intended to wear for a nice buttoned down shirt and discarded the stained pair of denim jeans for a cleaner pair. He wanted to wear a nice pair of shoes but the only shoes that were in his closet were his hightop pair of converse.
River's hair was styled perfectly slick back, he gelled it - opposed to leaving it in the bedraggled state it's usually in and made sure there wasn't a single strand out of place.
He knew he probably looked foolish trying so desperately hard to please them but as he stated before: he wanted to make a good impression but now he was deeply starting to regret it. From his peripheral vision, River could see Ronnie's father sending daggers his way. He clears his throat and returns his attention back to the half eaten food that sat on his plate.
The entire time she sat there, Ronnie just silently prayed for the night to over. The silence made everything awkward and uncomfortable, she just wanted the night to end. Ronnie could sense River's nervousness; seeing him angrily tugging at his clothing and shifting in his seat. She reaches under the table and grabs ahold of his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. River peers over at her and smiles, thankful that she was there to help him rile down his nerves.
He returns the gesture then intertwined his fingers within hers, resting their hands on his lap.
"So, River tell us about yourself. Where do you work?" Victor's booming voice asked, startling both Ronnie and River - prying them away from their realms and grasping their attention. He picked up his fork and shoved a piece of the grilled steak into his mouth, looking at River and waiting for a response.
"Dad." Ronnie laments, sending him a pleading glare as she shook her head already knowing where he was going with this.
"What? I'm just trying to get to know the boy, Veronica." He probes, attempting to make it appear as an innocent conversation but she could hear the sarcasm seething in his voice. He gives his daughter a pointed look before averting his eyes back at River, still patiently waiting for his answer.
"I work at the factory downtown, I've been working there since I graduated high school."
"Oh. You work at a factory. That's nice." He commented, stifling back a cough as he brings his glass of water to his mouth and takes a sip. Victor placed the glass back onto the table and proceed to talk, paying no mind to the hardened glare his daughter was giving him. "So, you didn't go to college?"
River shook his head. "No sir, I couldn't afford to go but I'm saving up and I plan to enroll sometime later in the year."
"Well, that's nice. What are you intending to major in?" Mrs. Drew inquired, speaking up for the first time since his arrival. Though he could still sense her caution towards him, she didn't share the same amount of hostility towards River like her husband - which he felt grateful for.
