Chameleon 3

The couple and the boy sat silently examining each other. Amelia especially, Chris felt her piercing gaze predatory, birdlike, a blackbird he thought feeling a little uncomfortable and beginning to squirm under her close scrutiny. John on the other hand was more relaxed, distant, a lion thought Chris, a lion seemingly asleep under a tree but really surveying the African plain below, watching his prey. Chris liked animals and always compared people to them. But actually rather smug. Adults he concluded. John broke the silence " I am sorry, would you like a drink ? something to eat as well, perhaps ? " don't say growing boy, please thought Chris. He didn't " Just a hot chocolate please " replied Chris and John got up and went to the counter. There was quite a queue now and it had started to rain, the windows were steaming up. " Well Chris " said Amy, " we know all about you of course but do you have any questions ? anything, just ask away " He had hundreds, thousands of course, but they were all hiding at the moment so he had to think. As he did so he noticed Amy's eyes gradually slide away to look at something behind him. This was always happening, if he didn't actually move or speak then people just didn't notice him, it was as if he just faded into the background. And he was convinced it wasn't just him, why did people just ignore teenagers ? We do exist, you know.
" Errrm, where do you live ? " mumbled Chris. Amy's eyes swung back. " live ? Oh close by, we have a lovely flat in the New Town, top floor, you can see all the way over to Fife and the Forth bridges, if you stand at the window and sort of squint sideways that is, you'll see it soon. " Chris's face must have spoken by itself then because she continued more slowly " George and Maureen did tell you didn't they ? " , "I mean that you are coming to live with us for the holidays " Mum and dad had said nothing at all, Chris just looked at her. " Ah " she said "never mind, we will explain everything soon. " Three cups descended onto the table as John shuffled back into his seat. Amy, looking at John gave an almost imperceptable nod and smiled. Chris noticed though. The holidays, he thought, " My stuff, have you . . ." All arranged said Amy. " Yes George is dropping everything off this afternoon" cut in John, " On their way up north". Up North, Elgin of course, things suddenly made sense. Every year Chris had to leave his friends and accompany his parents on yet another boring trip to his aunt in Elgin. Two weeks of nothing, no playstation, no broadband, no sky telly. Just endless walking in the cold rain, boiled vegetables, and Take the High Road on the telly. No wonder he was always top in English, he read that many books. Why they couldn't go to Spain like all of his friends he never knew. Forgetting all about the strangeness of the situation Chris stopped playing with his empty mug and smiled gently to himself. Things were looking up. Of course his mum and dad would never let him stay at home by himself but now he had birth parents. It wasn't Spain, but he could see his friends and he was right in the middle of town where the action was. Watching this reaction closely, John reached out and squeezed Amy's hand gently, just once and let go.