"You're funny if you think I'm going," I mutter, hardly looking up from my Facebook feed.

"Son," my dad sighs, irritably rubbing the bridge of his nose, "come on, seriously? Hana is acting more mature than you."

"That's because Hana helped you pick this dumb blonde," I roll my eyes and continue scrolling, scowling as I come across my dad's new relationship status for the sixth time today. "I didn't ask for this."

"Hogan," my dad hardens. "Get your ass off the couch or I'll move it for you."

I recognize this as the tone he uses before he takes away my cellphone or my keys and then proceeds to ground me. Begrudgingly, I get up and dust myself off. I've already been grounded once this month and, at this rate, Addison is going to break up with me if I don't go out with her again soon. So much for holding out for mom.

"Happy?" I roll my eyes at him, shoving my phone inside my pocket as I stand.

"Just go to the car," my dad sighs, leaving me to follow at a mildly sulky pace.

I just stand for a few seconds, though, simmering. How dare he treat me this way? As if I'm the bad guy for hating that he's dating again. As if I'm the only one who remembers mom ever existed. Even Hana doesn't seem to care, and she was always my mom's little princess.

"Is Hogan coming?" Hana calls from the car.

"Yes," I reply in a hollow shout from the door.

I realize Hana and my dad have all they want to bring together in the car, so I don't want to be empty handed by comparison... I need a book. But not a lame book that girls read over the summer or anything. I need a good book.

It takes a lot of rifling through the clutter on my desk, but I finally have everything I need (plus two impatient family members scolding me for taking an eternity to leave the house). I tell them to be glad I came out at all.

"Is that by Shakespeare?" Hana makes a face at the book slung under my arm.

"Yes, actually," I'm making a statement just by having the book in my hand. "It's Hamlet."

It also happened to be my mom's favorite play by Shakespeare. I don't like to advertise that I've read it to my friends but this occasion in particular is a worthy cause to reread it for the umpteenth time.

"Hogan," my dad groans. "Honestly, enough. Get in the car."

"You know, I identify pretty well with Hamlet," I rebelliously continue through gritted teeth, climbing into the back and allowing Hana the seat of honor.

"Who's Hamlet?" Hana asks my dad pointedly.

"Hogan is trying to be clever," my dad frowns.

He pushes the key into the ignition, waiting for the engine to roll over. For several hopeful seconds I think the car won't start. I think my dad fears the same until the car finally roars to life. Simultaneously, I tense up as he relaxes. Hana looks between us until she finally settles on me.

"Who's Hamlet?" she insists.

"He's a fictional character in a play," I start. "But he resents the marriage that his mother rushes into when his dad is murdered by his uncle."

"That's nothing like you," Hana scrunches up her nose. "Mom died, not dad, and from pan-- something cancer, but she wasn't murdered."

"Pancreatic cancer," I mutter. "And she may not have been murdered but this relationship dad has is more than a little rushed in my opinion."

"It's been three years," Hana argues.

"Two and a half! She died in February, Hana!"

Silence heavily falls over the three of us. Mom died unexpectedly, and right before Hana's birthday. My dad even found the presents mom bought for her hidden under the bed after the fact. Hana still hasn't opened them. They'd both like to block out all semblance of mom's death while I'd like to continue grieving in peace but my dad, of course, will not grant me the courtesy.

"Hogan, I'm not gonna say it again," my dad finally breaks the silence. "Just let it go and behave tonight."

"Oh, I'll behave," I grumble.

Whether it'll be good or bad behavior is still up in the air. Hana turns back to dad, an air of confused sadness about her small frame.

If you'd like to take from this concept please credit me! This is here for the picking and it is in my garbage can but please respect my intellectual property!