Supervillain Idol System: My Sidekick Is A Yandere

Don took note of Summer's surprise and realized that it was only now that she recognized him.

He chose to ignore her for now and kept his gaze fixated on Michael, who looked at Don less confidently after hearing his answer. Michael then glanced at Summer and said, "You never mentioned you had a brother."

Even Sylvia looked at Summer with confusion. "Yeah, you never mentioned anything about more family, what's this about?"

Samantha, inwardly touched that Don stepped up for her, thought, 'He's so stern,' liking that aspect about him. But realizing she was the adult and should intervene before a conflict broke out between Don and Michael, she walked forward and stood in the middle of the two young men, holding them back with her hands.

"Don is my son," she verified sternly. "And I want you to leave because you're interrupting his welcome home celebration with his family."

Summer now turned her attention to Samantha and yelled, "Why the hell didn't you tell me that Donnie was coming back!? And for that matter, why didn't you tell me Donnie was even fucking alive!?"

Summer was absolutely furious, causing even her friends to realize this was a deep family matter. Sylvia turned toward the two guys and suggested, "Maybe it's best we leave."

This time, neither guy said anything and they awkwardly agreed.

"Uh yeah, for sure."

"Yea, sorry for interrupting Mrs. Bright…"

A brief silence followed as Summer's friends all rushed to leave, with Sylvia calling out to Summer, "I'll call you later."

When the door slammed shut, Summer was practically huffing as she turned her gaze to Don.

"And you!" she yelled. "Where have you been!? How could you not say a word? Send a fucking text! Do you have any idea how—" She stopped there, staring at them both before looking teary-eyed and running away up the stairs.

A few seconds later, a loud door slam resounded through the entire house.

Samantha's expression fell, and she turned toward Don, unsure of what to say. Don felt the same, never expecting such a reaction in the few scenarios he had pictured.

Before either could say a word, Amanda appeared at the top of the stairs and asked in a panicked tone, "What's going on?"

Both Don and Samantha looked her way and found she was completely topless.

Don wasn't too surprised by this and managed to maintain his expression, but Samantha looked speechless for a moment before yelling, "Amanda, cover yourself!"

Amanda, who wasn't paying attention, only now noticed who she was practically flashing and immediately covered her breasts. "Oh my God, sorry!" she exclaimed, quickly turning to head back to her room.

Don also chose to look away at that moment, thinking, 'I should have just stayed in the backyard.'

Samantha sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This day just keeps getting better and better," she muttered sarcastically.

"Tell me about it," Don replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't expect things to escalate like this."

Samantha shook her head, clearly frustrated but trying to regain her composure. "We need to give Summer some time to cool off. She's obviously very upset."

Don nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

Samantha then said reassuringly. "This is just a lot for her to process. For all of us, really."

Just then, Amanda reappeared at the top of the stairs, this time properly dressed. "Okay, I'm decent now," she said, trying to lighten the mood with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that. So, what happened?"

"Summer found out about Don being back in a less-than-ideal way," Samantha explained briefly. "She's pretty upset."

Amanda frowned. "I'll talk to her later. For now, let's try to salvage the evening."

Samantha was now left in an awkward situation with her son, unsure of what to even address first during the cookout and unable to bring herself to look him in the eyes. Don also felt equally uncomfortable and didn't like the situation.

To try and get out of this, he let out a sigh and apologized. "I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have stepped in."

By pinning the blame on himself, Don hoped to shift the focus of the conversation. Given Samantha's character, chances were high that she would react by saying it wasn't his fault.

Samantha hurriedly shook her head. "It absolutely isn't your fault. It's mine." She became teary-eyed, her voice trembling. "Things just haven't been the same since you left. I've failed Summer and you as a mother and—" She stopped as Don reached in to hug her.

She sobbed in his embrace, still saying, "I'm so sorry, Donnie."

Amanda wanted to even but stopped herself as she felt this was something that needed to happen.

Don didn't answer, instead just gently rubbing her upper back in response. He couldn't understand the weight of her emotions, but he could see the pain she had carried.

"It's okay, Mom," he whispered, trying to comfort her even though he felt a twinge of guilt for deceiving her.

Meanwhile, once Jake, Michael, and Sylvia left the house, they walked over to a 4x4 truck t. Michael, the owner, got into the driver's seat. Jake entered the passenger seat while Sylvia climbed into the back.

Once inside, Michael sighed. "What the fuck was that with Summer?"

Sylvia snapped back, "How the fuck am I supposed to know?"

She then thought that something was definitely wrong. Jake however just laughed it off and suggested, "Let's just go back to Michael's place for a few drinks."

Sylvia narrowed her eyes. "Are you being fucking serious? Drinking? While Summer is clearly upset?"

Michael tried to support his friend. "He didn't mean it that way. Maybe he meant we should go to my place and think of how to help Summer over a few drinks."

Sylvia looked at them and just shook her head. "You are unbelievable sometimes," she said, exiting the vehicle.

Michael quickly got out and asked, "Where are you going?"

Sylvia kept walking and raised a middle finger. "Far away from you two before I punch one of you."

Michael yelled back, "Yeah, well, suit yourself!" He then angrily got back into the car and drove off.

As they sped away, Michael grumbled, "What's her problem?"

Jake shrugged. "Maybe she's right. Maybe we should have stayed to help Summer and Mrs. Bright."

Michael rolled his eyes. "Whatever, man. Let's just get some drinks and figure it out later."

Back at the house, Samantha finally pulled away from Don, wiping her tears. "I'm sorry, Donnie. I didn't mean to break down like that."

Don shook his head. "It's okay, Mom."

Samantha smiled weakly. "Thank you for being here. I know it's been hard on you too."

Don nodded, "Yeah," unable to think of more to say in that moment.

Seeing Samantha more composed, Amanda felt it was the best time to speak up. She suddenly clapped her hands together and put on a smile as she looked at both of them and suggested, "Let's not end the evening on a bad note. So how about we hurry to the backyard and enjoy the food before it gets cold?"

Samantha smiled weakly and gave a nod, finally turning her attention away from Don. "That's a great idea, Amanda." However, Samantha paused and turned her attention toward the stairs with a weak smile. She hesitated as she pointed out, "But I don't want Summer to feel left out. You two should go ahead, and I'll try to speak to her."

Hearing Samantha suggest this, Don saw an opportunity and suddenly suggested to them both, "You should go with Aunt Amanda. Otherwise, she'll feel like you've forgotten about her, and I don't really feel comfortable eating without her."

This was, of course, a lie. Don simply wanted to buy himself some time to better compose himself and think of a way to get through the evening without any more mishaps like the one he had just gotten through. Samantha looked at Amanda and wanted to agree immediately but hesitated.

Part of her knew that Summer likely wouldn't listen to her, but she still didn't want Don to stay alone and think he was being ignored by her. At the same time, she couldn't bring herself to be alone with him; she didn't know what she would even say, what she would ask, and how she would best explain everything that happened while he was away.

It was a lot to tackle, and quite truthfully, she was scared to do that alone.

Although Amanda didn't know this was exactly the case, she could see the doubtful look and nervousness in her sister's eyes, so she was the one who agreed to Don's suggestion, giving a slight nod. "That's a great idea, Don. Sorry your evening back turned out like this."

"Don't worry about it. I don't mind," Don answered briefly before taking the initiative to turn away and return to the backyard. Once he was gone, Samantha looked at Amanda apologetically and lowered her head before saying, "I'm sorry, Amanda. I just can't, not yet."

Before Samantha could clearly explain, Amanda simply smiled at her and put her hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Sam. I get it, and I think Don does too. Just move at your own pace. Don't try and tackle everything all at once."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Samantha sheepishly agreed.

"Of course I am. Now, let's go talk to Summer." The duo went back up the stairs together, while Don simply returned to the lawn chair where he had left his beer. He picked up the bottle and walked along the edge of the pool, taking casual sips. He placed one hand in his pocket and sighed while shaking his head. After thinking for a moment, he had an idea.